Server Messages

Where are 'var/log/messages'

[PanUK]

Hi,

I have a server that's stopped on me twice in the last three days. I have been told to check the 'var/log/messages' for clues but having never checked them before I can't work out where i'm supposed to be looking for them.

Server has WHM/Cpanel, any help would be great.

[jpjones]

Log in as the root user using telnet or (preferbly) SSH.

Then type:

more /var/log/messages

That will let you see the contents of the file one page at a time!

HTH,
JP

[dmorison]

Or handy if they're big files:

tail /var/log/messages

You can also view the last n lines with:

tail -n /var/log/messages

[PanUK]

Thanks Guys, unfortunately there is nothing pointing to why it is shutting down.

[bakedjake]

Pan, there should be other logfiles in /var/log...

If you can post snippets of the logs leading up to the shutdown, we may be able to help you.

[PanUK]

Sorry about taking time to respond.

Having discovered 0% more actually meant there was more and a lot more. I was unable to copy anything so have taken a series of snapshots as I scrolled (with my staple gun wedging down the return key) for an hour through the logs.

The last image, 39 was taken after re-boot all the others at different stages before reboot.

h**p://fetch4.com/server-var-log/

Thanks for any help.

[bcolflesh]

In Image20.jpg, you can see that the swap file is full, then httpd gets killed.

Increase the swap / find out what is using/leaking memory.

[PanUK]

Thanks for the fast responce.

Sorry but I have had to up three servers before i'd even had time to learn how the first one works.

>>>Increase the swap
How do I do that?

[bcolflesh]

Are you the server admin? - since you mentioned WHM/Cpanel, I'm guessing the answer is no.

[PanUK]

They are my servers, there is no one else on them.

Puzzles me why this one the last one I set up is causing problems when it was set up the same way as the others.

[bcolflesh]

Is this particular one running something more heavy-duty web wise than the others? Have you also looked at the Apache error log?

[PanUK]

I'm basically using it as a file store.

There are at max 92mb of files i'm pulling off for use on another site, nothing technical.

I'm probably only pulling 40mb of them off at that, around 20gig a day total.

There is 1024mb of ram and a 100mbps uplink so it shouldn't struggle.

>>>Apache error log?
As I say i'm not up to speed, if WHM has no button for it I haven't been there. I have 'Apache Status' but not seen the error log. I thought that was what the images were from. :)