{"id":686,"date":"2026-11-11T13:44:27","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T13:44:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/?p=686"},"modified":"2026-11-08T14:04:32","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T14:04:32","slug":"how-to-check-linux-server-logs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/index.php\/2026\/11\/11\/how-to-check-linux-server-logs\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Check Linux Server Logs and Troubleshoot Errors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your app was working yesterday. Today, the website returns a <strong>500 error<\/strong>, the API stops responding, or a service refuses to start. Before restarting everything, <strong>check your Linux server logs<\/strong>. They often tell you what failed and when.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are the commands worth knowing, plus a visual way to investigate your VPS with Server Explorer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Where Are Linux Server Logs Stored?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Linux doesn&#8217;t keep every log in one file. The location depends on the service and how it runs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>systemd services:<\/strong> the system journal, accessed with <code>journalctl<\/code>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Traditional log files:<\/strong> commonly under <code>\/var\/log\/<\/code> (for example, <code>\/var\/log\/syslog<\/code> on some distributions or <code>\/var\/log\/messages<\/code> on others).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Web servers:<\/strong> often <code>\/var\/log\/nginx\/error.log<\/code> or <code>\/var\/log\/apache2\/error.log<\/code>, depending on configuration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Docker containers:<\/strong> view output with <code>docker logs<\/code> when the container uses a compatible logging driver.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>PM2 applications:<\/strong> use <code>pm2 logs<\/code> for managed Node.js processes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start with the service that is actually failing. Don&#8217;t search every log on the server at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Check Service Logs with journalctl<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your application runs as a systemd service, first check its status:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>sudo systemctl status myapp.service<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then read the most recent messages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>sudo journalctl -u myapp.service -n 100 --no-pager<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To watch new messages as they arrive:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>sudo journalctl -u myapp.service -f<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To narrow the investigation to recent events:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>sudo journalctl -u myapp.service --since \"1 hour ago\"<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Replace <code>myapp.service<\/code> with your actual unit name. If a service won&#8217;t start, look for messages about missing files, invalid configuration, permissions, or failed dependencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tip:<\/strong> <code>journalctl -p err -b<\/code> shows error-priority messages from the current boot, but it can omit useful warnings and context. Read the surrounding lines before deciding what caused the failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Read Log Files with tail and grep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some applications and web servers write to files instead of, or in addition to, the journal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, to inspect recent Nginx errors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>sudo tail -n 100 \/var\/log\/nginx\/error.log<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To follow new entries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>sudo tail -f \/var\/log\/nginx\/error.log<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To search for errors in a particular file:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>sudo grep -in \"error\" \/path\/to\/app.log | tail -n 30<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>grep<\/code> matches text, not necessarily the severity of an event. An application may log failures as <code>exception<\/code>, <code>fatal<\/code>, <code>timeout<\/code>, or another term. Also check timestamps so you don&#8217;t mistake an old error for today&#8217;s incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Check Docker and PM2 Application Logs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your application runs inside Docker, start by identifying its container:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>docker ps -a<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then inspect its recent output:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>docker logs --tail 100 my-container<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Follow new messages with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>docker logs -f my-container<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a Node.js app managed by PM2:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>pm2 list\npm2 logs my-app --lines 100<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These commands are especially useful when an app exits immediately after starting. If a Docker container keeps restarting, see our related guide: <a href=\"https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/index.php\/2026\/11\/01\/docker-container-keeps-restarting\/\"><strong>Docker Container Keeps Restarting? 5 Things to Check<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Check Linux Server Logs with Server Explorer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You don&#8217;t have to manage every investigation across separate terminal windows. <strong>Server Explorer<\/strong> is a desktop SSH client for working with remote Linux servers through a visual interface.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"section-cta article-cta\" lang=\"en\">\n <svg class=\"cta-network\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 320\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid slice\">\n <g class=\"network-routes\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1\">\n  <path d=\"M1000 40H820L740 120H640L570 190H420\"\/><path d=\"M1000 130H880L780 230H630L560 300H390\"\/>\n  <path d=\"M1000 280H840L760 200V80L680 0\"\/><path d=\"M930 0V75L850 155H710L630 235H520\"\/>\n  <path d=\"M530 0L610 80H710L790 0\"\/><path d=\"M1000 190H940L865 265V320\"\/>\n <\/g>\n <g class=\"network-signal\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-dasharray=\"32 720\">\n  <path d=\"M1000 40H820L740 120H640L570 190H420\"\/><path d=\"M1000 130H880L780 230H630L560 300H390\"\/>\n <\/g>\n <g class=\"network-nodes\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.2\">\n  <rect x=\"728\" y=\"108\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"7\"\/><rect x=\"768\" y=\"218\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"7\"\/>\n  <rect x=\"838\" y=\"143\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"7\"\/><circle cx=\"610\" cy=\"80\" r=\"5\"\/><circle cx=\"630\" cy=\"235\" r=\"5\"\/><circle cx=\"865\" cy=\"265\" r=\"5\"\/>\n <\/g>\n <g fill=\"currentColor\"><circle cx=\"740\" cy=\"120\" r=\"3\"\/><circle cx=\"780\" cy=\"230\" r=\"3\"\/><circle cx=\"850\" cy=\"155\" r=\"3\"\/><\/g>\n<\/svg>\n <div class=\"section-cta-copy\">\n  <span class=\"cta-eyebrow\"><span class=\"cta-connection\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>Server Explorer<\/span>\n  <h3>Bring your servers into focus.<\/h3>\n  <p>A desktop app for macOS and Windows. Connect over SSH.<\/p> <\/div>\n <a class=\"button cta-button\" data-download-auto data-download-mac=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/bj\/app\/server-files-explorer\/id6474502110?l=fr-FR&#038;mt=12\" data-download-windows=\"https:\/\/apps.microsoft.com\/detail\/9nrb68w7pjg8?gl=US&#038;hl=en-US\" href=\"https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/#download\">Download<span class=\"cta-arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2197<\/span><\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once connected to your VPS, you can use its <strong>Logs<\/strong> section to inspect supported log sources and its integrated <strong>Terminal<\/strong> to run commands such as <code>journalctl<\/code>, <code>tail<\/code>, or <code>docker logs<\/code> when needed. The available log sources depend on the application version and your server configuration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f3f3f4\" data-has-transparency=\"true\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f3f3f4;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2024\" height=\"1624\" src=\"https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Capture-decran-2026-11-08-a-14.43.07.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-687 has-transparency\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Capture-decran-2026-11-08-a-14.43.07.webp 2024w, https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Capture-decran-2026-11-08-a-14.43.07-300x241.webp 300w, https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Capture-decran-2026-11-08-a-14.43.07-1024x822.webp 1024w, https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Capture-decran-2026-11-08-a-14.43.07-768x616.webp 768w, https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Capture-decran-2026-11-08-a-14.43.07-1536x1232.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2024px) 100vw, 2024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> Inspect server logs from the Server Explorer desktop interface.<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, if Nginx stops serving your application, open the relevant log source if available, or use the built-in terminal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>sudo journalctl -u nginx -n 100 --no-pager<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"c3c4c4\" data-has-transparency=\"true\" style=\"--dominant-color: #c3c4c4;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2024\" height=\"1624\" src=\"https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Capture-decran-2026-11-08-a-14.50.06.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-689 has-transparency\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Capture-decran-2026-11-08-a-14.50.06.webp 2024w, https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Capture-decran-2026-11-08-a-14.50.06-300x241.webp 300w, https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Capture-decran-2026-11-08-a-14.50.06-1024x822.webp 1024w, https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Capture-decran-2026-11-08-a-14.50.06-768x616.webp 768w, https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Capture-decran-2026-11-08-a-14.50.06-1536x1232.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2024px) 100vw, 2024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Run journalctl without leaving your server management workspace.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This keeps server navigation and troubleshooting in one place without claiming to replace Linux&#8217;s native diagnostic tools.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"section-cta article-cta\" lang=\"en\">\n <svg class=\"cta-network\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 320\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid slice\">\n <g class=\"network-routes\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1\">\n  <path d=\"M1000 40H820L740 120H640L570 190H420\"\/><path d=\"M1000 130H880L780 230H630L560 300H390\"\/>\n  <path d=\"M1000 280H840L760 200V80L680 0\"\/><path d=\"M930 0V75L850 155H710L630 235H520\"\/>\n  <path d=\"M530 0L610 80H710L790 0\"\/><path d=\"M1000 190H940L865 265V320\"\/>\n <\/g>\n <g class=\"network-signal\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-dasharray=\"32 720\">\n  <path d=\"M1000 40H820L740 120H640L570 190H420\"\/><path d=\"M1000 130H880L780 230H630L560 300H390\"\/>\n <\/g>\n <g class=\"network-nodes\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.2\">\n  <rect x=\"728\" y=\"108\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"7\"\/><rect x=\"768\" y=\"218\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"7\"\/>\n  <rect x=\"838\" y=\"143\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"7\"\/><circle cx=\"610\" cy=\"80\" r=\"5\"\/><circle cx=\"630\" cy=\"235\" r=\"5\"\/><circle cx=\"865\" cy=\"265\" r=\"5\"\/>\n <\/g>\n <g fill=\"currentColor\"><circle cx=\"740\" cy=\"120\" r=\"3\"\/><circle cx=\"780\" cy=\"230\" r=\"3\"\/><circle cx=\"850\" cy=\"155\" r=\"3\"\/><\/g>\n<\/svg>\n <div class=\"section-cta-copy\">\n  <span class=\"cta-eyebrow\"><span class=\"cta-connection\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>Server Explorer<\/span>\n  <h3>Bring your servers into focus.<\/h3>\n  <p>A desktop app for macOS and Windows. Connect over SSH.<\/p> <\/div>\n <a class=\"button cta-button\" data-download-auto data-download-mac=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/bj\/app\/server-files-explorer\/id6474502110?l=fr-FR&#038;mt=12\" data-download-windows=\"https:\/\/apps.microsoft.com\/detail\/9nrb68w7pjg8?gl=US&#038;hl=en-US\" href=\"https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/#download\">Download<span class=\"cta-arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2197<\/span><\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. A Simple Checklist When Your App Goes Down<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Identify the failing component:<\/strong> web server, app process, database, or container.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check its status:<\/strong> <code>systemctl status<\/code>, <code>docker ps -a<\/code>, or <code>pm2 list<\/code>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Read recent logs:<\/strong> filter by service and time instead of scanning everything.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Find the first relevant failure:<\/strong> the last error isn&#8217;t always the root cause.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fix the cause, then verify:<\/strong> confirm the service stays healthy and new errors stop appearing.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Be careful when sharing logs: they can contain access tokens, private URLs, personal data, or credentials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When a Linux application fails, logs are usually the fastest place to start. Use <code>journalctl<\/code> for systemd services, <code>tail<\/code> for log files, and <code>docker logs<\/code> or <code>pm2 logs<\/code> for applications running under those tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you manage several VPS instances, <a href=\"https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\">Server Explorer<\/a> gives you a visual workspace for navigating servers and investigating issues without juggling as many separate windows.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"section-cta article-cta\" lang=\"en\">\n <svg class=\"cta-network\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 320\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid slice\">\n <g class=\"network-routes\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1\">\n  <path d=\"M1000 40H820L740 120H640L570 190H420\"\/><path d=\"M1000 130H880L780 230H630L560 300H390\"\/>\n  <path d=\"M1000 280H840L760 200V80L680 0\"\/><path d=\"M930 0V75L850 155H710L630 235H520\"\/>\n  <path d=\"M530 0L610 80H710L790 0\"\/><path d=\"M1000 190H940L865 265V320\"\/>\n <\/g>\n <g class=\"network-signal\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-dasharray=\"32 720\">\n  <path d=\"M1000 40H820L740 120H640L570 190H420\"\/><path d=\"M1000 130H880L780 230H630L560 300H390\"\/>\n <\/g>\n <g class=\"network-nodes\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.2\">\n  <rect x=\"728\" y=\"108\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"7\"\/><rect x=\"768\" y=\"218\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"7\"\/>\n  <rect x=\"838\" y=\"143\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"7\"\/><circle cx=\"610\" cy=\"80\" r=\"5\"\/><circle cx=\"630\" cy=\"235\" r=\"5\"\/><circle cx=\"865\" cy=\"265\" r=\"5\"\/>\n <\/g>\n <g fill=\"currentColor\"><circle cx=\"740\" cy=\"120\" r=\"3\"\/><circle cx=\"780\" cy=\"230\" r=\"3\"\/><circle cx=\"850\" cy=\"155\" r=\"3\"\/><\/g>\n<\/svg>\n <div class=\"section-cta-copy\">\n  <span class=\"cta-eyebrow\"><span class=\"cta-connection\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>Server Explorer<\/span>\n  <h3>Bring your servers into focus.<\/h3>\n  <p>A desktop app for macOS and Windows. Connect over SSH.<\/p> <\/div>\n <a class=\"button cta-button\" data-download-auto data-download-mac=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/bj\/app\/server-files-explorer\/id6474502110?l=fr-FR&#038;mt=12\" data-download-windows=\"https:\/\/apps.microsoft.com\/detail\/9nrb68w7pjg8?gl=US&#038;hl=en-US\" href=\"https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/#download\">Download<span class=\"cta-arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2197<\/span><\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your app was working yesterday. Today, the website returns a 500 error, the API stops responding, or a service refuses to start. Before restarting everything, check your Linux server logs. They often tell you what failed and when. Here are the commands worth knowing, plus a visual way to investigate your VPS with Server Explorer. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":690,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[208,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-linux-troubleshooting","category-vps-management"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Check Linux Server Logs and Troubleshoot Errors - Server Explorer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to check Linux server logs using journalctl, tail, and systemctl. 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