[id='using-the-command-line-to-view-log-files]
=== Using the command line to view log files

You can use the command line to view logs in different ways, for example:

* Using the *journalctl* command
* Using the commands for viewing, for example *cat*, *more*, *less*, *tail*, or *head*
* Combine the commands for viewing with the *grep* command
* Using a text editor, for example, `nano` or `vim`

[id='using-journalctl-to-view-system-information']
==== Using journalctl to view  system information.

* To view all collected logs with no filter:
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$ journalctl
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* To view a specific log file, enter the *journalctl* command with a log filepath. The example command returns all logs of the kernel device node `/dev/sda`:
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$ journalctl /dev/sda
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* To view the boot logs, run the following command:
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$ journalctl -k -b -1
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* For more information on *journalctl*, read the man page:
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$ man journalctl
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[id='using-the-command-line-to-open-log-files-in-text-editor']
==== Using the command line to open log files in a text editor

All log files are in plain text. To open a log file in a text editor, enter the following command:
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$ nano <logfilename>
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If the root permissions are required:
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$ sudo nano <logfilename>
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