# [Solved] Boot messages from console - in a log file? Where?

## lyallp

I assume all the error messages that have started appearing on my boot screen, that scroll up to be lost, are kept somewhere, where I can look at them and address them?

I tried /var/log/messages, dmesg and boot.msg, all of which are not helpful, when it comes to D-BUS error messages and some other messages that scrolled up out of sight (and I can't seem to scroll back)

Can someone point me in the right direction?

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## yabbadabbadont

You will have to enable this option and install a program.  This is from /etc/conf.d/rc:

```
# RC_BOOTLOG will generate a log of the boot messages shown on the console.

# Useful for headless machines or debugging.  You need to emerge the

# app-admin/showconsole package for this to work.  Note that this probably

# won't work correctly with boot splash.

RC_BOOTLOG="no"

```

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## lyallp

Thanks.

Applied, will see how I go.

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## lyallp

Unfortunately, whilst this does indeed create /var/log/boot.msg, this file contains output which is virtually useless with regard to capturing the error messages that are generated, such as "arguments to dbus_move_error".

Any further suggestions?

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## yabbadabbadont

Ummm, not any good ones.  You could try hitting the ScrollLock key during boot to see if it will pause the text so that you can jot it down.  If that doesn't work, try the old serial terminal xoff/xon keys, ctrl-s and ctrl-q.  (stop and start respectively)

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## swimmer

 *yabbadabbadont wrote:*   

> You will have to enable this option and install a program.  This is from /etc/conf.d/rc:
> 
> ```
> # RC_BOOTLOG will generate a log of the boot messages shown on the console.
> 
> ...

 

Hmm - this never worked for me :-/

I get some errors about ttys but I can't remember it because it's away from the screen before I can read it  :Wink:  Perhaps this is related to bootsplash which I'm using as well?

Greetz

swimmer

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## yabbadabbadont

 *swimmer wrote:*   

>  *yabbadabbadont wrote:*   You will have to enable this option and install a program.  This is from /etc/conf.d/rc:
> 
> ```
> # RC_BOOTLOG will generate a log of the boot messages shown on the console.
> 
> ...

 

 *Quote:*   

> # app-admin/showconsole package for this to work.  Note that this probably
> 
> # won't work correctly with boot splash.
> 
> 

 

Probably it is related...

Edited: for clarity as my first response didn't make any sense.

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