logfile appears in homedir since 1.6.4

[Muts]

hi all

I upgraded to 1.6.4 today, and when I run VirtualBox the logfile suddenly appears in my homedir (each time I run it). I searched the forum, all config options in the GUI and also in the config files themselves, but I did not find a way to relocate these logfiles.

It would also be good if I could simply disable these logfiles, but perhaps that's not the best solution.

This might be important: I made a symlink from a seperate harddrive to ~/.VirtualBox, perhaps this has something to do with it? I don't have enough space on my root filesystem, and this way I can change/update my distro more easily.
Everything works fine like before, only those logfiles suddenly appear.

[greenpossum]

Hmm, the logfiles have been under $HOME since previous versions for me. Since you are running Vbox as yourself, this is one place that's guaranteed to be writable. If you don't like them there, you could make symlinks for the Logs directories. They're not very large, what's the problem with them there?

[Muts]

I only have a few important files (and dirs) in my homedir, and I want it to stay uncluttered. When a new log is created each time I use VirtualBox, this gets out of hand very quickly.
Obviously I could manually delete all those logfiles once in a while, but I thought computers could be set up so that things work automatically.

But with the symlink, do you mean there normally is a directory for logs? Like ~/.VirtualBox/logs/ or something? I would guess that VirtualBox wil put logfiles there by default, if this is your suggested solution.

[greenpossum]

I only have a few important files (and dirs) in my homedir, and I want it to stay uncluttered. When a new log is created each time I use VirtualBox, this gets out of hand very quickly.
Obviously I could manually delete all those logfiles once in a while, but I thought computers could be set up so that things work automatically.

Hmm, $HOME is where I do most of my work and I back it up often. The system I can reinstall from media and from the net. So my home directories are "cluttered" because I use them a lot and that's the way I like it.

You could always use a cron job to trim the log files.

But with the symlink, do you mean there normally is a directory for logs? Like ~/.VirtualBox/logs/ or something? I would guess that VirtualBox wil put logfiles there by default, if this is your suggested solution.

Logfiles are under ~/.Virtualbox/Machines/<VMName>/Logs

[Muts]

Logfiles are under ~/.Virtualbox/Machines/<VMName>/Logs

I see.

But I still think it's odd that logfiles suddenly appear in my homedir. I really don't like that.

[h1d]

Logs doesn't need to be put right under home directory and doesn't need to know if it's guaranteed to be writeable when it can just create a log directory if it isn't there. If it's not writeable, blame the user instead of cluttering the home directory without a way to change it.

what's the problem with them there?

Problem is, everyone doesn't think the same way as you do

I guess it's a bug perhaps? They are supposed to go under the quoted directory usually.

I guess I semi duped the issue post.

[greenpossum]

Logs doesn't need to be put right under home directory and doesn't need to know if it's guaranteed to be writeable when it can just create a log directory if it isn't there. If it's not writeable, blame the user instead of cluttering the home directory without a way to change it.

Sure you can put it in as an enhancement request I suppose, by all means do that. After all if the machines and VDI directory are settable...

But you have to remember that Vbox isn't your standard system daemon, it is started by a normal user. So it doesn't have the permissions to create a directory just anywhere. Usually the only other places writable by a normal user are /tmp and /var/tmp.

[greenpossum]

But I still think it's odd that logfiles suddenly appear in my homedir. I really don't like that.

The logfiles were already under ~/.Virtualbox/Machines/<VMName>/Logs in my install of 1.6.2. Maybe you upgraded from an even older version so you were surprised and I was not.

Wait a moment, do you literally mean that you have logfiles in ~? That's never happened to me. I thought you meant somewhere under ~. Maybe your config came from an old version and didn't get migrated over to the currect locations.

[h1d]

Maybe you could try then? At least my observation under OS X host was the log files appeared right in the applications folder. (Equivalent to log files appearing right under "Program Files" for Windows. [I didn't check what would happen on Windows host yet]) This was right since 1.6.4, wasn't like it on 1.6.2.

It's supposedly just a debug log that isn't supposed to be there.

[greenpossum]

Maybe you could try then?

Try what? I installed and ran 1.6.4 last night and the log was in ~/.Virtualbox/Machines/<VMName>/Logs/ just like they always were. Which is why I was puzzled why the OP was surprised since there was no change.

[Muts]

I had 1.6.2 and upgraded to 1.6.4, so I don't think the config was too old.

[Peri_quete]

same problem
upgrade 1.6.2. to 1.6.4

[TerryE]

Guys, guys, guys, (well mostly guys ), this is just an "oops" on the part the VBox team. Moral: never release a new kit on Friday if no one is in over the W/E.

I suspect a new 1.6.4 will be posted on Monday without this debug logging enabled.

[suzuki]

By reading the source, I found a workaround: set the environment variable VBOX_LOG_DEST=nofile.

For Mac OS X, add<key>

• VBOX_LOG_DEST</key>
  <string>nofile</string>

in your ~/.MacOSX/environment.plist, or add

• <key>LSEnvironment</key>
  <dict><key>VBOX_LOG_DEST</key><string>nofile</string></dict>

in VirtualBox.app/Contents/Info.plist.

[TerryE]

I confirm what suzuki says.