Nearly all Linux log files are located under the /var/log directory. You may view these log files using the text viewer or editor of your choice.
Command Line
From the command line, a common method for viewing the syslog message file is:
less /var/log/messages
GUI
View a step-by-step screencast of this process:
To view the system log files from the GUI interface:
- Log into the GUI via any method (ie VNC, DRAC, physical console)
- Navigate to System -> Administration -> System Log
Common Linux Logs
- /var/log/message: general system log
- /var/log/boot.log: boot log
- /var/log/dmesg: kernel messages/log
- /var/log/secure: authentication log
- /var/log/cron: scheduled (cron) job log
- /var/log/maillog: mail server log
- /var/log/yum.log: software update log