Solved No /var/log/messages file

[Daveos]

Version: 1.697
linux / debian13

lfd firewall settings keep sending me messages that /var/log/messages doesn't exist (and it doesn't).

I've done the basics, verifying rsyslog is running etc.

root@server:/var/log# service rsyslog status
● rsyslog.service - System Logging Service
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/rsyslog.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Mon 2026-03-23 23:53:46 UTC; 12min ago
TriggeredBy: ● syslog.socket
       Docs: man:rsyslogd(8)
             man:rsyslog.conf(5)
             https://www.rsyslog.com/doc/
    Process: 228758 ExecStartPre=/usr/lib/rsyslog/reload-apparmor-profile (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
   Main PID: 228763 (rsyslogd)
      Tasks: 4 (limit: 4601)
     Memory: 1.6M (peak: 5.2M)
        CPU: 130ms
     CGroup: /system.slice/rsyslog.service
             └─228763 /usr/sbin/rsyslogd -n -iNONE

Mar 23 23:53:46 server systemd[1]: Starting rsyslog.service - System Logging Service...
Mar 23 23:53:46 server systemd[1]: Started rsyslog.service - System Logging Service.

This says it should: https://docs.directadmin.com/directadmin/general-usage/directories-and-locations.html

I'm at a loss at this point, I know ubuntu doesn't use /var/log/messages but does directadmin use it? Should I just tell the firewall to not look at it?

Thanks
David

 

[Daveos]

I think I got this sorted.

Had to uncomment a line in the rsyslog config in

/etc/rsyslog.d/50-default.conf

*.=info;*.=notice;*.=warn;\
        auth,authpriv.none;\
        cron,daemon.none;\
        mail,news.none          -/var/log/messages

Then make the /var/log/messages file

touch /var/log/messages

Set permissions right

sudo chown syslog:adm /var/log/messages
sudo chmod 640 /var/log/messages

Restart it

systemctl restart rsyslog

Seems to have done the trick.