Is there a Synaptic Package Manager log?

[kd4e]

I noticed some errors when Synaptic Package Manager ran the recent Update.

Due to muscle-memory I hit the close prompt before pausing to view the scrolled text.

I looked in the Menu and found no reference to a tool to view various logs - could that be added to MX Tools?

I Searched the Forum under 'Synaptic Package Manager log' but didn't spot anything there either.

I tried ...

Code: Select all

$ sudo find / -name *.log 2> /dev/null

but didn't see anything there.

I can use File Manager/Thunar or the terminal to get to it - I just need to know where to look, please?

Thanks!

[kmathern]

Synaptic's keeps log files at /root/.synaptic/log/*

example:

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root@mx1:/home/demo# cat /root/.synaptic/log/2025-07-22.165244.log 
Commit Log for Tue Jul 22 16:52:44 2025


Upgraded the following packages:
b43-fwcutter (1:019-8) to 1:019-14~mx23+1
firmware-b43-installer (1:019-8) to 1:019-14~mx23+1
firmware-b43legacy-installer (1:019-8) to 1:019-14~mx23+1

[CharlesV]

If you ran the apt update, then QSI and Apt Log or /var/log/apt/history.log

[kd4e]

Synaptic's keeps log files at /root/.synaptic/log/*

The synaptic log must have been toggled off at some point because the only
one at that location is from 2024.

Where would I toggle it back on, please?

[kd4e]

If you ran the apt update, then QSI and Apt Log or /var/log/apt/history.log

/var/log/apt/history.log doesn't show any errors from the update.

I know that some text scrolled by in red.

It seems odd that the Menu Search doesn't offer QSI when 'log' is entered.

No errors are shown in any of the log files presented by QSI.

BTW: Why is the content of /apt/term.log not in chronological order?

Thanks.

[CharlesV]

My understanding is that /var/log/apt/term.log is the a more detailed account of the update process, and is a complete transcription of what you would see in the terminal. The log file is appended too, so it should be chronological, latest at the end of the file.

[fehlix]

BTW: Why is the content of /apt/term.log not in chronological order?

Good point. The concatenation of the log-files is revers, so the oldest comes last, but the log-stanzas are newest last within the log-files.
So probably easy to adjust to have always newest last chronologically.

[Eadwine Rose]

My understanding is that /var/log/apt/term.log is the a more detailed account of the update process, and is a complete transcription of what you would see in the terminal. The log file is appended too, so it should be chronological, latest at the end of the file.

I would definitely look at the syslog funny if it suddenly was reversed.

I have a conky with the last 4 lines of the syslog in there, to see if any disaster happens (so to speak).

[dreamer]

I noticed some errors when Synaptic Package Manager ran the recent Update.

Due to muscle-memory I hit the close prompt before pausing to view the scrolled text.

You can also reach Synaptic history/log from the Synaptic menu bar. Regarding error messages I would just look at the Synaptic history for the specific update and reinstall those packages. Then you can pay attention if those error messages show up again.