# Filebeat is not logging anything **URL:** \ **Category:** Beats\ **Tags:** filebeat\ **Created:** [September 6, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-is-not-logging-anything/59911 "2016-09-06T19:40:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sgoetz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@sgoetz](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/sgoetz)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-is-not-logging-anything/59911/1 "2016-09-06T19:40:25Z")
I am unable to get filebeats to create a log file and log anything. My Configuration is a little different. I have the main configuration file filebeat.yml. Than I have a different config file for each type of log im pulling from. To make it easier to manage configs for specific logs. The main config looks like this: ```auto filebeat: config_dir: /usr/local/bin/filebeats/LogConfigs/ prospectors: - output: console: pretty: true logstash: hosts: ["host server" tls: certificate: "/path/to/cert" certificate_key: "/path/to/key" certificate_authorities: "/path/to/RootCert" logging: to_files: true files: path: /var/log/filebeat name: filebeat.log rotateeverybytes: 51002 keepfiles: 7 ``` ---
**Author:** ![andrewkroh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/andrewkroh/32/3784_2.png) [@andrewkroh](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/andrewkroh)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-is-not-logging-anything/59911/2 "2016-09-06T19:49:34Z")
You probably need to increase the logging level. The default is `error` in 1.X (changed to `info` in 5.X), so if there are no errors then nothing will be logged. [https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/filebeat/current/configuration-logging.html#\_level](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/filebeat/current/configuration-logging.html#_level) ---
**Author:** ![sgoetz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@sgoetz](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/sgoetz)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2016, 8:10pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-is-not-logging-anything/59911/3 "2016-09-06T20:10:41Z")
Thank you for the reply. I updated the config with level. And no difference: ```auto filebeat: config_dir: /usr/local/bin/filebeats/LogConfigs/ prospectors: - output: console: pretty: true logstash: hosts: ["host server" tls: certificate: "/path/to/cert" certificate_key: "/path/to/key" certificate_authorities: "/path/to/RootCert" logging: level: debug to_files: true files: path: /var/log/filebeat name: filebeat.log rotateeverybytes: 51002 keepfiles: 7 ``` ---
**Author:** ![ruflin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ruflin/32/3116_2.png) [@ruflin](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ruflin)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 6:45am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-is-not-logging-anything/59911/4 "2016-09-08T06:45:16Z")
Which filebeat version are you using? What is the user you start filebeat and does this user have write access to the /var/log/filebeat directory or is allowed to create the filebeat directory? ---
**Author:** ![sgoetz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@sgoetz](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/sgoetz)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 1:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-is-not-logging-anything/59911/5 "2016-09-08T13:58:38Z")
Hey ruffin, ``` I check the perms and they are as follows: ``` /var/log/filebeat -- 644 - root:wheel /var/log/filebeat/filebeat.log - 644 - root:wheel ``` To make sure it was perms, I did a chmod -R 777 /var/log/filebeat and tested again and still no logs. ``` This is version 1.2.3. of filebeats. Filebeats is started as root. Both manually and with my launchDaemon. Thank you for all the help so far! I have everything working except for hte logging. Shawn G ---
**Author:** ![ruflin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ruflin/32/3116_2.png) [@ruflin](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ruflin)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-is-not-logging-anything/59911/6 "2016-09-08T14:46:51Z")
Can you share the command you use to start filebeat manually? ---
**Author:** ![sgoetz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@sgoetz](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/sgoetz)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-is-not-logging-anything/59911/7 "2016-09-08T16:04:52Z")
Hey ruffin, The command I use is: sudo filebeat -c /usr/local/bin/filebeats/filebeat.yml -e I have also tried: sudo filebeat -c /usr/local/bin/filebeats/filebeat.yml -e -v -d "\*" Thanks Shawn ---
**Author:** ![ruflin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ruflin/32/3116_2.png) [@ruflin](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ruflin)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-is-not-logging-anything/59911/8 "2016-09-08T20:50:34Z")
Don't use the `-e` flag and then it should work. ```auto -e Log to stderr and disable syslog/file output ``` ---
**Author:** ![sgoetz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@sgoetz](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/sgoetz)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 9:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-is-not-logging-anything/59911/9 "2016-09-08T21:46:43Z")
Hey Ruffin, ``` I can't believe I missed that. Thank you so much!!! ``` Shawn G ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-is-not-logging-anything/59911/10 "2016-09-27T19:40:28Z")
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