What is meant by log file?

What is the purpose of log files?

Log files (also known as machine data) are important data points for security and surveillance, providing a full history of events over time. Beyond operating systems, log files are found in applications, web browsers, hardware, and even email.

What is a log file and is it a folder?

A log file is a file that contains a list of events, which have been "logged" by a computer. Log files are often generated during software installations and are created by Web servers, but they can be used for many other purposes as well.

How do I open a log file?

You can read a LOG file with any text editor, like Windows Notepad. You might be able to open one in your web browser, too. Just drag it directly into the browser window, or use the Ctrl+O keyboard shortcut to open a dialog box to browse for the file.

Where is the log file?

Locating Log Files. Most log files are located in the /var/log/ directory. Some applications such as httpd and samba have a directory within /var/log/ for their log files. You may notice multiple files in the log file directory with numbers after them.