Viewing the Installation Log and Installed Files

Log files are a critical piece of the computer administration architecture. Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server keep log files in various locations:

• /var/log/

• /Library/Logs/

• your-username/Library/Logs/

You can view these log files locally with the Console application located in /Applications/Utilities/. Currently, the Console application doesn't allow remote viewing of log files; if you wish to view the log files on your server from a remote location, you must ssh into the server and read the files via the command line using a command like tail or cat after the installation.

Log files are especially useful during the installation process. When you're installing locally, you have the option of viewing errors during installation or viewing everything taking place during the installation, from the mounting of disks to the cleaning up of temporary files (which takes place after all packages have been installed). To view the install log remotely, run the tail f command on the system log after the installation. Doing so may show any errors that might have cropped up during the process.

To run the tail command on the system log

1.	Open the Terminal application on the remote Macintosh.
2.	ssh into your server prior to clicking the Install button in the Server Assistant: ssh root@your-server's-new-ip-address The first time you do this you'll receive a message asking if you want to create an ssh key pair. This is a standard part of ssh. Type yes and press Return to continue (Figure 1.18). Figure 1.18. An initial ssh connection results in this key pair information.
3.	Type tail f /var/log/system.log.
4.	View the system log in the first Terminal window as the software is being installed on your server. You can view the installation log file while installing Mac OS X Server locally by choosing Installer Log from the Window menu (Figure 1.19). Figure 1.19. You can view the Installer Log from a local installation.