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systemctl list-units --type=service | grep -E 'redis|redis-server'
sudo journalctl -u redis-server.service -n 100 --no-pager
sudo journalctl -u redis-server.service -b
sudo journalctl -fu redis-server.serviceIf the unit is named redis.service, replace redis-server.service in each command. For file-based logging, inspect /etc/redis/redis.conf; its logfile directive determines whether Redis writes to a file and where.
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Start by confirming the Redis service name
Ubuntu installations can register Redis as either redis-server.service or redis.service. A journal query for the wrong unit returns no records even when Redis is running, so unit-name confirmation is the first diagnostic step.
systemctl list-units --type=service | grep -E 'redis|redis-server'Typical output includes a loaded unit such as redis-server.service. Use the exact name shown, including the .service suffix if it appears. If the command returns nothing, check all installed unit files rather than assuming Redis is absent:
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systemctl list-unit-files | grep -E 'redis|redis-server'You can also ask systemd for the service status:
sudo systemctl status redis-server.serviceReplace that unit with redis.service when necessary. The status screen shows whether the service is active, its main process ID, recent messages, and the command systemd used to start it. Redis’s Linux installation documentation notes that the service is configured to start automatically and restart at boot, but the registered unit name still varies by installation.
Read recent Redis messages with journalctl
journalctl is the systemd utility for querying the journal. Once you know the unit, these commands cover the usual log questions.
| Purpose | Command | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Last 100 entries | sudo journalctl -u redis-server.service -n 100 --no-pager |
The 100 newest records for the Redis unit, printed without a pager. |
| Messages from the current boot | sudo journalctl -u redis-server.service -b |
Redis activity since the machine last started. |
| Follow new entries live | sudo journalctl -fu redis-server.service |
A streaming view that waits for new Redis records. |
| Limit by time | sudo journalctl -u redis-server.service --since '1 hour ago' |
Records generated during the last hour. |
Use Ctrl+C to stop a follow operation. Add --no-pager to long, noninteractive queries when you are collecting output for a ticket or script:
sudo journalctl -u redis-server.service --since '1 hour ago' --no-pagerFor a service named redis.service, run the same commands with that unit name. Filtering by the unit is preferable to searching the entire journal because it excludes unrelated kernel, SSH, and application messages.
Follow Redis logs in real time
To watch startup, shutdown, authentication errors, persistence warnings, or connection failures as they happen, use the follow form:
sudo journalctl -fu redis-server.serviceThe -f option follows new records, while -u restricts output to the selected systemd unit. The command may initially print recent context and then remain open waiting for new events. In another terminal, reproduce the problem—for example, restart the service—then watch the messages:
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sudo systemctl restart redis-server.serviceIf no entries appear, stop the command and verify the unit name. A silent follow command against the wrong unit is not evidence that Redis is logging nothing.
Check whether Redis is writing a log file
The Ubuntu redis-server package installs a default configuration at /etc/redis/redis.conf, a systemd unit, and a log-rotation configuration at /etc/logrotate.d/redis-server. Do not assume that the presence of the package means a particular log file exists; inspect the active settings.
sudo grep -E '^(logfile|syslog-enabled|daemonize)' /etc/redis/redis.confThe important directive is logfile. When file logging is configured, its value is the destination path. A setting that points to /var/log/redis/redis-server.log should produce that file once Redis has written output, provided the directory exists and the service can write there. A different value means the file is elsewhere.
Inspect the standard directory directly:
sudo ls -la /var/log/redis
sudo tail -n 100 /var/log/redis/redis-server.logtail will report an error if the file is absent; that result is useful because it confirms the path is not currently present, but it does not identify the reason. Compare the configured logfile value with the path you are checking. If the directive is empty or logging is directed to the system logger, use the journal instead of creating a file by hand.
Why /var/log/redis/redis-server.log may be missing
Redis is sending output to journald
A systemd-managed service can write its standard output and error streams to the journal. In that setup, Redis can be healthy and producing useful records even though no Redis-specific file exists under /var/log/redis. Query the unit with journalctl rather than trying to reconstruct a file path.
The configured path is different
The logfile directive may name another location. Read the uncommented value from /etc/redis/redis.conf and check that location. Configuration files often contain commented examples; the active line is the one that starts with logfile without a leading comment character.
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Redis has not produced file output yet
A newly started service may not have created a file if it has not emitted a message at the configured level. Check the service status and journal first, then reproduce an event such as a controlled restart. Do not treat an empty directory alone as a failed installation.
You are checking a different installation
Redis may have been installed from a package, built from source, run in a container, or supplied by a separate product. Each method can use a different unit, configuration file, and output destination. Inspect the unit’s command line before applying package-specific paths.
Permissions hide the directory contents
System log directories are normally readable only by root or selected administrative groups. Use sudo ls and sudo tail. A permission error is different from a missing file; resolve access first before changing Redis logging settings.
A reliable troubleshooting workflow
- Confirm that a Redis unit exists. Run
systemctl list-units --type=service | grep -E 'redis|redis-server'. Record the exact unit name. - Check service health. Run
sudo systemctl status <unit>. Look for an active state, a failed state, an exit code, and the recent-message section. - Read the current boot’s records. Run
sudo journalctl -u <unit> -b. This avoids confusing an old failure with the current service state. - Reduce the time window. Run
sudo journalctl -u <unit> --since '1 hour ago'when the journal is large or the incident happened recently. - Follow new messages. Run
sudo journalctl -fu <unit>, then reproduce the problem in another terminal. - Inspect file logging settings. Check
/etc/redis/redis.confforlogfile,syslog-enabled, anddaemonize. List/var/log/redisand compare its contents with the configured destination. - Inspect the unit when results still do not fit. Run
sudo systemctl cat <unit>and examineExecStart, standard-output settings, environment files, and drop-in overrides. - Repeat with the alternate name. If
redis-server.serviceproduced no records, tryredis.service, and vice versa. Redis’s Linux documentation explicitly allows either service name.
This sequence separates four commonly confused issues: a wrong unit name, a stopped service, a different logging destination, and missing historical journal data.
Inspect the systemd unit and its actual command
Package defaults are not always the active configuration. An administrator may have added a systemd drop-in, changed the configuration-file argument, or redirected standard output. Display the complete unit and its overrides with:
sudo systemctl cat redis-server.serviceSubstitute redis.service when that is the registered name. Pay particular attention to:
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ExecStart, which reveals the Redis binary and the configuration file passed to it.- Drop-in sections under paths such as
/etc/systemd/system/<unit>.d/, which can override package defaults. - Standard output and error directives, which indicate whether messages are sent to the journal or another destination.
- Environment files and command-line options that select a nondefault configuration.
If ExecStart points to a configuration file other than /etc/redis/redis.conf, inspect that file’s logfile and related settings. This is the most dependable way to resolve a mismatch between the path you expected and the path the running service actually uses.
Understand journal retention and missing older entries
Finding current records does not guarantee that older records are retained. Ubuntu’s systemd-journald documentation describes two storage locations: persistent data below /var/log/journal and volatile data below /run/log/journal. Volatile journal data is lost when the machine reboots.
Check how much space the journal uses and which storage directories exist:
journalctl --disk-usage
sudo ls -ld /var/log/journal /run/log/journalThen inspect the journald configuration:
sudo grep -E '^(Storage|SystemMaxUse|RuntimeMaxUse)=' /etc/systemd/journald.confThe Storage setting controls whether journald prefers persistent or runtime storage, while the size limits constrain retention. A missing directory under /var/log/journal, a volatile storage mode, or normal rotation can explain why a Redis error from a previous boot is no longer available. This is a retention issue, not proof that Redis failed to write logs.
Ubuntu Redis package versus Redis Software
Do not mix paths from different Redis products. A normal Ubuntu Open Source Redis package uses the Ubuntu service and configuration described above. Redis Software is a separate product with its own layout; its documentation places server logs by default under /var/opt/redislabs/log/ and identifies event_log.log for configuration actions.
| Installation | First place to check | Typical configuration clue |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu redis-server package |
journalctl -u <unit> |
/etc/redis/redis.conf and the logfile directive |
| Redis Software | /var/opt/redislabs/log/ |
Redis Software’s own service and log layout |
The Redis Software path should not be applied to a standard Ubuntu package installation unless you have evidence that Redis Software is installed. Conversely, an Ubuntu package path will not explain logs from a Redis Software deployment.
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Compare journald and file-based logging
| Logging setup | Storage destination | Retention and rotation | Access and investigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Systemd journal | The journal, under /var/log/journal when persistent or /run/log/journal when volatile |
Controlled by journald storage mode and size limits; volatile history disappears at reboot | Query with journalctl -u <unit>; administrative permissions may be required |
| Redis file logging | The path named by logfile, commonly beneath /var/log/redis on package setups |
The Ubuntu package includes /etc/logrotate.d/redis-server for rotation policy |
Read with tools such as tail; directory and file permissions apply |
Neither destination is universally better. Journald gives precise unit and boot filtering and integrates with systemd. A file can be convenient for applications or collectors that expect a pathname. The active configuration, not convention, determines which one is authoritative on your host.
Use log rotation without losing the active destination
The Ubuntu package ships a logrotate configuration at /etc/logrotate.d/redis-server. If logfile points to a file, inspect that rotation rule before changing retention or moving files:
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemssudo cat /etc/logrotate.d/redis-serverRotation can rename or compress older files, so the current log may be smaller than expected while historical records are stored alongside it. If the service writes only to journald, file rotation rules do not create a Redis log file; journald’s own retention settings apply instead. Avoid manually deleting an active log while diagnosing an incident, because doing so can complicate ownership, rotation, and the process’s open file handle.
Common symptoms and the correct branch
“journalctl says no entries”
Confirm the unit name, then run sudo systemctl status <unit>. If the service is not installed or has never started, the journal may legitimately contain no records. If the unit is active under the alternate name, query that name.
“The service is active, but the file is absent”
Inspect logfile and syslog-enabled in the active configuration. The service is probably using journald, a different path, or a configuration file selected by ExecStart.
“Recent records exist, but yesterday’s records do not”
Check journalctl --disk-usage, the two journal directories, and journald.conf. A volatile journal or retention limits can remove records after reboot or cleanup.
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Check the exact logfile value, file timestamps, and the systemd unit’s command line. You may be looking at a directory left by a previous installation while the running instance writes elsewhere.
“Redis runs in a container or custom build”
Do not assume the Ubuntu package layout. Identify the process supervisor and inspect its configured stdout, stderr, volume mounts, and Redis configuration. The package-specific unit and paths apply only when that package’s service is the one running.
Redis log command cheat sheet
# Find the unit
systemctl list-units --type=service | grep -E 'redis|redis-server'
# Check status
sudo systemctl status redis-server.service
# Last 100 journal records
sudo journalctl -u redis-server.service -n 100 --no-pager
# Current boot
sudo journalctl -u redis-server.service -b
# Last hour
sudo journalctl -u redis-server.service --since '1 hour ago'
# Follow live
sudo journalctl -fu redis-server.service
# Inspect package logging settings
sudo grep -E '^(logfile|syslog-enabled|daemonize)' /etc/redis/redis.conf
# Check the conventional file directory
sudo ls -la /var/log/redis
sudo tail -n 100 /var/log/redis/redis-server.log
# Inspect the active unit
sudo systemctl cat redis-server.service
# Check journal retention
journalctl --disk-usage
sudo ls -ld /var/log/journal /run/log/journal
sudo grep -E '^(Storage|SystemMaxUse|RuntimeMaxUse)=' /etc/systemd/journald.confReplace redis-server.service everywhere with redis.service when that is the unit reported by systemd. The dependable rule is simple: identify the running unit, query its journal, and then read the configuration that names any file destination.
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