While your server is running, it keeps a record of the actions it performs. A log entry is made whenever a service is started or stopped, a cron job runs, a mail message is sent and especially whenever some action produces an unexpected result or error.

Log messages help you fix problems on your server. If something isn't working, there is probably a log message somewhere explaining what's happening and what the problem is. Log messages also allow you to detect unusual situations, such as attempts to break into your server. It's important to review your system logs regularly.

Each log message is useful for a limited time. After a couple of weeks or months, old log messages can be removed to prevent logs from growing too large and filling up your disk space.

In this chapter, we will demonstrate how Webmin can be used as a convenient tool for viewing your system logfiles, how it can assist you in rotating logs to keep an archive and delete old entries. We will also demonstrate how...