# System Log Viewer Manual

## Introduction

System Log Viewer is a graphical, menu-driven viewer that you can use to view and monitor your system logs. System Log Viewer comes with a few functions that can help you manage your logs, including a log monitor and log statistics display.

System Log Viewer is useful if you are new to system administration because it provides an easier, more user-friendly display of your logs than a text display of the log file. It is also useful for more experienced administrators, as it contains a monitor to enable you to continuously monitor crucial logs.

System Log Viewer is useful only to those who have access to the system log files, which generally requires root access.

## Getting Started

You can start System Log Viewer in the following ways:

Applications menu

- Choose System Tools Log File Viewer.

Command line

- Type `mate-system-log`, then press Return.

When you start System Log Viewer, the following window is displayed.

### System Log Viewer Window

Shows System Log Viewer main window. Contains menubar, display area, scrollbars, and statusbar.

The first time you start System Log Viewer, the application displays several log files by default (such as `/var/log/messages`). Opened logs are listed on the left side of the application window. The log selected in this list is displayed in the main area of the application window.

By default, System Log Viewer monitors every opened log, and any change appears automatically in the main window. See syslog-monitor for more information.

## Usage

### To View a Log

To view a log, choose File Open. In the Open Log dialogue, select the log that you want to open, then click Open. Use the scrollbars to scroll through the log.

You can open as many logs as you want. System Log Viewer displays one log at a time in the System Log Viewer window. Opened logs are listed on the left side of the application window. The log selected in this list is displayed in the main area of the application window. To display another log already opened in System Log Viewer, select it in the log list.

Note that System Log Viewer also lets you open zipped logs (whole filenames end in ".gz").

### To Copy Log Lines to the Clipboard

To copy one or more log lines to the clipboard, just select the lines in the main area and choose the Edit Copy menu option. If you want to copy the entire log to the clipboard, select it entirely using the Edit Select All menu option, then choose Edit Copy.

### To Hide the Sidebar

To hide the left sidebar, which contains the log list and calendar, just select the View Side pane menu option.

### To Monitor Logs

You can use System Log Viewer to monitor logs. By default, all logs opened in System Log Viewer are monitored for changes. If new lines are added to a log monitored by System Log Viewer, the log name will appear in bold in the log list. If the log is currently displayed in the main area, the new lines will appear automatically at the end of the log and, after five seconds, the log name will turn back to normal in the list.

### To View Log Information

Log information are generally displayed in the status bar, including:

- Number of lines in the log.

- Size of the log in bytes.

- Date the log was last modified.

The status bar can be displayed or hidden using the View Statusbar option.

### To Close a Log

To close a log, choose File Close.

### To Exit System Log Viewer

To exit System Log Viewer, choose File Quit.