# Accessing logfiles for specific flows/nodes running docker

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/accessing-logfiles-for-specific-flows-nodes-running-docker/61840>\
**Category:** General\
**Tags:** docker\
**Created:** [27 April 2022 06:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/accessing-logfiles-for-specific-flows-nodes-running-docker/61840 "2022-04-27T06:29:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![binderth](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/binderth/32/35124_2.png) [@binderth](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/binderth)\
**Post date:** [27 April 2022 06:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/accessing-logfiles-for-specific-flows-nodes-running-docker/61840/1 "2022-04-27T06:29:14Z")

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I'm running Node-Red in Docker v2.2.2 and I'm running into a problem with one flow/node and I'd like to access the logfiles to see, what's going on. I searched in /data, which is mapped to my Synology, but there are no logfiles and /var/log in the console is completely empty.

Is there a way to access/activate trace logging for a docker so I can see, what happens?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![hardillb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/hardillb/32/12373_2.png) [@hardillb](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/hardillb)\
**Post date:** [27 April 2022 07:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/accessing-logfiles-for-specific-flows-nodes-running-docker/61840/2 "2022-04-27T07:03:41Z")

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As with nearly all Docker containers, Node-RED logs to standard out. Where that ends up will be down to how your docker instance is configured.

You can normally view the log with the following command

```auto
docker logs [container name]

```

If you include `-f` then it will stand the log in real time

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**Author:** ![binderth](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/binderth/32/35124_2.png) [@binderth](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/binderth)\
**Post date:** [27 April 2022 10:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/accessing-logfiles-for-specific-flows-nodes-running-docker/61840/3 "2022-04-27T10:13:11Z")

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thanks, I'll have a look, but I also meant, is there a way to activate TRACE logging for a specific node or module?

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**Author:** ![hardillb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/hardillb/32/12373_2.png) [@hardillb](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/hardillb)\
**Post date:** [27 April 2022 10:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/accessing-logfiles-for-specific-flows-nodes-running-docker/61840/4 "2022-04-27T10:30:22Z")

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Not really, you can change the logging level for all of Node-RED but that will only get you more information about the framework and at trace level will give you an event every time a message passes between nodes, but there is no way to see what's happening inside a node unless the author has specifically added something independently.

Look for the `logging` entry in the `settings.js` file

You can always attach a NodeJS debugger, but that is a much longer conversation, especially when connecting to a remote docker container.

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**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [27 April 2022 14:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/accessing-logfiles-for-specific-flows-nodes-running-docker/61840/5 "2022-04-27T14:22:28Z")

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THere is another alternative that I've used and shared a while back.

You can create a custom logger in settings.js. With that, you can filter out just the nodes you are interested in (assuming that their outputs identify themselves).

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [26 June 2022 14:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/accessing-logfiles-for-specific-flows-nodes-running-docker/61840/6 "2022-06-26T14:22:45Z")

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