Echoing the /var/log/syslog file ON your X desktop

Jani Reinikainen,

21. March 2003

Here are my steps for printing the /var/log/syslog file ON your X desktop.

First get Eterm, aterm or some other terminal program that can do transparency. You also need a program called 'tail' that constantly reads a file for changes. Unless you run root all the time (which you REALLY shouldn't) you have to have the sudo program, too. Debian GNU/Linux users can get these by doing something like:

# apt-get install eterm tail sudo

FreeBSD users might want to use the ports collection:

# cd /usr/ports/x11/eterm/; make all install clean
# cd /usr/ports/security/sudo/; make all install clean

Enter the sudo configuration (You HAVE to use this editor when modifying the sudo configuration):

# visudo

Make sure you have the following lines in that (/etc/sudoers) file ('jani' is my username, replace it with yours):

  # User alias specification
  User_Alias     ADMINS = jani
  # Cmnd alias specification
  Cmnd_Alias     BROWSE = /usr/bin/tail
  # User privilege specification
  root           ALL=(ALL) ALL
  jani           ALL=BROWSE

If you want the logs to be printed the moment you log in to your X sever, place this command in your window manager's "startup programs" list or your ~/.xinitrc, otherwise you'll always have to start it manually:

$ eterm -O -W --scrollbar 0 --menubar 0 -w 0 -x -g 120x50+100+50 --no-cursor -e sudo tail -f /var/log/syslog

Restart your X server and enjoy your new 'syslogged' desktop! Check out the manual page for syslog.conf and eterm for more information.