[SOLVED] tail: cannot open ‘/var/log/messages’ for reading: No such file or directory

FooIsFood · 03-18-2014, 06:01 AM

I'm trying to look at the log entries when I insert a USB memory stick, I read that the file to look at is:
/var/log/messages
so I perform a tail -f /var/log/messages and get
tail: cannot open ‘/var/log/messages’ for reading: No such file or directory
I'm running Fedora 20 using the su - in the shell
thanks

kkoene · 03-18-2014, 01:49 PM

The reason you are getting that error is because that file no longer exists in Fedora 20.

systemd does the logging in F20 using journals.

You will want to use the command journalctl

I recommend you check out man journalctl to find out how to use the command as I am not as familiar with it as I'd like.

Searching fedoraforum.org for this will also yield you some more details.

Good luck!

FooIsFood · 03-18-2014, 04:12 PM

thanks - if I do a journctl -f -o cat (-f to follow -o cat to print a little shorter information) and it works just fine. I can watch /dev/sdc activity and do what I need to do.
Thanks again!

ilesterg · 03-19-2014, 12:25 AM

You might also want to mark this thread as solved.