I get a "Failed" message for system logger when I restart syslog but the kernel logger is working.

[root@server root]# service syslog restart
Shutting down kernel logger: [ OK ]
Shutting down system logger: [ OK ]
Starting system logger: [FAILED]
Starting kernel logger: [ OK ]
[root@server root]#

Why is this all of a sudden failing? I've fallen back to a syslog.conf file that I've used in the past without any problems. I did recently upgrade from Red Hat 8.0 to Red Hat 9.0. All of the services updates recommended by Red Hat have been applied.

First, check /var/log/messages (and any other files you have configured). It may have made a last-gasp effort and written something useful. (Don't get your hopes up too high, though.)

Try running (as root) /sbin/syslogd -d

That turns on debugging. It should give you some sort of error message. (See "man syslogd" for some other pertinent info.)

If that doesn't produce anything useful (such as: it runs flawlessly until you kill it) just run it as

/sbin/syslogd

Since there's nothing "eating" the sysout, you may have better luck seeing error messages that way.

Finally, the problem might not be with the syslogd daemon at all, it might be the script. Cd to /etc/rc.d/init.d and edit the syslogd script and add a " -x" after the "#!/bin/bash" at the top.

Hope this helps,

CHL