gnome-system-log

gnome-system-log [OPTIONS] [FILE...]

FILE...
    Specify one or more log files to open directly upon launching the application. If no files are specified, the application opens with its default log sources.

--display=DISPLAY
    X display to use. This is a standard GTK/GNOME application option for specifying the X server to connect to.

--version
    Output version information and exit.

--help
    Show help options and exit, providing a brief overview of command-line arguments.

The gnome-system-log command launches a graphical utility for viewing various system logs on GNOME desktop environments. It provides a user-friendly interface to browse, filter, and search through log files such as syslog, kernel messages, authentication logs, and more. Key features include real-time log updates, color-coded entries for easier readability, and the ability to filter logs by severity level or keyword. It aggregates logs from traditional /var/log files and, on modern systems, integrates with systemd-journald to display journal entries. This tool is invaluable for troubleshooting system issues, monitoring system health, and reviewing security events without needing to parse raw text files in the terminal.

gnome-system-log is a graphical application and therefore requires a running X server and a GNOME desktop environment to function. It is not suitable for use on headless servers or in minimal command-line-only environments. While it can display logs from /var/log, its full functionality and seamless integration are best experienced within a GNOME session.

Beyond basic viewing, gnome-system-log offers features like automatic refreshing of logs, a search bar for finding specific entries, and filtering capabilities based on log type (e.g., kernel, system, authentication) or severity (e.g., error, warning, info). It also provides a graphical representation of log activity over time for quick analysis.

The application typically reads logs from common locations like /var/log/syslog, /var/log/auth.log, /var/log/kern.log, and other files found in the /var/log directory. On modern systems, it also connects to the systemd-journald service to retrieve and display structured journal entries, offering a consolidated view of system events.

gnome-system-log has been a long-standing component of the GNOME desktop environment, providing a user-friendly interface for system log management. It evolved alongside GNOME's development, adapting to changes in logging infrastructure, such as the transition from traditional syslog to systemd-journald. Its primary goal has always been to make system troubleshooting and monitoring accessible to a wider audience, reducing the reliance on command-line tools for basic log inspection.

journalctl(1), tail(1), less(1), cat(1), dmesg(1)