System Logs in rConfig V8 Core

The System Log Viewer lets you read the framework-level and OS-level log files behind rConfig V8 Core from the web interface, without command-line access. After reading this page, you can open a log file, read stack traces, search for a specific error, and download logs for a support request.

These are the raw technical logs from the Laravel framework, PHP, and background workers, sitting below the application layer. They are distinct from the Application Log, which records operational and security events (device connections, task results, user sign-ins) in the database.

When to use this

Use System Logs when something fails technically: a blank “white screen” or HTTP 500, an unexpected exception, a queue job that fails silently, or when rConfig support asks for a stack trace. Use the Application Log instead when investigating operational issues like a device that will not connect or a scheduled task that did not run.

System logs vs application logs

The two logging systems serve different layers. Pick the one that matches the problem.

System Logs (this page)	Application Log
Laravel framework errors and exceptions	Business logic events (device connections)
Full stack traces	User authentication and authorization
PHP fatal errors and warnings	Configuration download outcomes
Queue worker processing detail and failures	Scheduled task results
Database query errors with SQL	Security audit trail
File-based, stored on the OS filesystem	Database-driven, stored in tables

System Logs contain the deeper technical detail that would be impractical to store in database tables, so they complement the Application Log rather than replace it.

How system logs work

The Log Viewer reads Laravel’s log files directly from the filesystem.

1. The framework and rConfig application write entries to files in /var/www/html/rconfig/storage/logs/.
2. Logs are stored as dated files (for example laravel-2025-10-15.log) with automatic daily rotation.
3. Each entry carries a timestamp, severity level, message, context, and a stack trace where applicable.
4. The Log Viewer parses these files and presents them in a searchable, collapsible interface.
5. Older files accumulate until they are deleted, either through the viewer or on the command line.

What the Log Viewer gives you

• Formatted display with syntax highlighting for stack traces and error messages
• Collapsible entries so large traces can be hidden until needed
• Keyword search across the contents of a log file
• Bulk delete of multiple log files to reclaim disk space
• Download of a full log file for offline analysis or support requests
• Severity filtering across emergency, alert, critical, error, warning, info, and debug

Prerequisites

• Admin role: only users with the admin role can open System Logs, because the contents are technically sensitive.
• Read access for the web server to /var/www/html/rconfig/storage/logs/.

View system logs

Open the Log Viewer

1. Select System Logs from the main navigation menu.
2. Review the list of available log files, ordered by date with the newest first.

Each entry in the list shows the filename (typically laravel-YYYY-MM-DD.log), the file size, the last modified date, and a three-dot actions menu.

Read a log file

1. Click the log filename in the list.
2. Read the entries, ordered by timestamp with the newest first. Each shows a timestamp with timezone, a colour-coded severity level, the message, any context, and a stack trace for exceptions.
3. Click an entry to expand or collapse its detail.

Search a log file

1. Open the log file you want to search.
2. Enter a search term in the search field at the top of the viewer. Useful terms include error text (Connection refused, timeout, permission denied), class names (DeviceConnectionService, CommandExecutor), exception types (PDOException, ConnectionException), or a device hostname or IP.
3. Read the highlighted matches. The viewer scrolls to the first match.

Search partial class names

Searching a partial exception name finds every related error. For example, ConnectionException matches SSHConnectionException, TelnetConnectionException, and SNMPConnectionException. To trace one device, search its hostname or IP to surface every entry tied to its operations.

Download a log file

1. Click the three-dot menu next to the filename.
2. Select Download. The file downloads as plain text.

When raising a support request, download and attach the complete file rather than copying excerpts. The context around an error is often what makes it diagnosable.

Delete log files

To delete one file, click the three-dot menu next to the filename, select Delete, and confirm.

To delete several at once, tick the checkboxes next to the filenames, open the bulk action menu at the top of the list, select Delete selected, and confirm.

Common log analysis scenarios

A white screen or 500 error

1. Open today’s (most recent) log file.
2. Scroll to entries near the time the error occurred.
3. Look for error or critical severity entries. A PDOException points at database connectivity, a PermissionDeniedException at filesystem permissions, and a FatalErrorException often at PHP memory or timeout limits.
4. Read the stack trace to find the code path that triggered the error, then copy the full message and trace for a support request.

A queue job that failed silently

1. Open the log file for the time the job was scheduled.
2. Search for the job class name (for example DeviceConnectionJob, ConfigBackupJob).
3. Read the error entries containing that name to find the cause: a database deadlock under high concurrency, a timeout on a long-running operation, or a connection failure to an external system.
4. Search for the job ID to see whether it was retried.

Slow performance or database errors

1. Search for QueryException or PDOException.
2. Read the SQL in the exception context. Look for long-running queries without indexes, deadlock errors, or connection pool exhaustion under load.
3. Note the frequency of similar failures to tell a one-off from a systemic issue.

Troubleshooting

The Log Viewer shows no log files

Confirm the directory exists and is readable.

1. Verify the directory exists:

   ls -la /var/www/html/rconfig/storage/logs/

2. Fix ownership and permissions if needed:

   sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/rconfig/storage/logs/
   sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/rconfig/storage/logs/

3. Check the logging channel is set:

   grep LOG_CHANNEL /var/www/html/rconfig/.env

4. Write a test entry:

   php /var/www/html/rconfig/artisan tinker
   Log::info('Test log entry');

5. Refresh the Log Viewer to confirm the test entry appears.

Permission denied opening the Log Viewer

Confirm the user has the right role.

1. Sign out and back in to refresh session permissions.
2. Check the account has the admin role in the user management interface.
3. If you should have admin access but do not, ask an existing administrator to update your role on the User Management page.

Log files growing excessively large

Check file sizes and the log level.

1. Check current sizes:

   ls -lh /var/www/html/rconfig/storage/logs/

2. Check the configured log level:

   grep LOG_LEVEL /var/www/html/rconfig/.env

3. Set an appropriate level for production:

   LOG_LEVEL=info

4. Read recent entries to find the repeated error:

   tail -100 /var/www/html/rconfig/storage/logs/laravel.log

5. Fix the underlying error, then delete old files through the viewer or on the command line:

   find /var/www/html/rconfig/storage/logs/ -name "laravel-*.log" -mtime +30 -delete

The Log Viewer loads slowly

Large individual files are the usual cause.

1. Check the size of today’s file:

   ls -lh /var/www/html/rconfig/storage/logs/laravel-$(date +%Y-%m-%d).log

2. If a file exceeds 100MB, download it and read it offline instead of in the browser.
3. Raise the PHP memory limit if needed:

   sudo nano /etc/php/8.2/fpm/php.ini

   Set memory_limit = 512M or higher.
4. Restart PHP-FPM:

   sudo systemctl restart php8.2-fpm

5. Delete old files to shorten the list.

Common gotchas

Common gotchas

• Deleted log files cannot be recovered. Download anything needed for an ongoing investigation or for compliance before you delete it.
• System Logs can contain sensitive data such as connection strings, credentials in error context, and internal paths. Review and redact before sharing a file outside your organisation.
• Debug-level logging in production fills the disk fast. A full log partition stops new logs being written and can crash the application. Keep production at info or warning.
• These are OS filesystem logs, not the database-driven Application Log. Deleting them here does not affect the audit trail, and clearing the Application Log does not free this disk space.

Quick reference

Log severity levels

Severity	When to use	Typical contents
emergency	System unusable	Critical application crashes
alert	Immediate action required	Database unavailable, service failure
critical	Critical conditions	Application component failures
error	Error conditions	Exceptions, failed operations
warning	Warning conditions	Deprecated feature usage, nearing limits
info	Informational	Routine operations, successful tasks
debug	Debug-level messages	Detailed execution flow, variable dumps

Common exception types

Exception	Typical cause	Where to investigate
PDOException	Database connectivity or query issues	Database configuration, network
ConnectionException	Device or service connection failures	Firewall rules, device availability
TimeoutException	Operation exceeded its time limit	System resources, network latency
PermissionDeniedException	Filesystem or application permissions	Directory ownership, file permissions
FatalErrorException	PHP fatal error (memory, syntax)	PHP configuration, code issues
ValidationException	Invalid input data	Input validation logic, data format

Command-line log analysis

tail -f /var/www/html/rconfig/storage/logs/laravel.log

grep -i "exception" /var/www/html/rconfig/storage/logs/laravel-$(date +%Y-%m-%d).log

grep "ERROR" /var/www/html/rconfig/storage/logs/laravel.log | wc -l

find /var/www/html/rconfig/storage/logs/ -name "laravel-*.log" -mtime +30 -ls

du -sh /var/www/html/rconfig/storage/logs/

What’s next

• Application Log for the database-driven operational and security event trail
• Horizon Queue Manager to monitor background jobs and queue workers
• Device connectivity troubleshooting for diagnosing device-level connection failures

Note

Credit to Arnas Skirius for the Log Viewer application integrated into rConfig V8.