# Debug messages disappear after 1hr

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-messages-disappear-after-1hr/88483>\
**Category:** Dashboard\
**Created:** [4 June 2024 03:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-messages-disappear-after-1hr/88483 "2024-06-04T03:28:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JohnR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9bd4f/32.png) [@JohnR](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/JohnR)\
**Post date:** [4 June 2024 03:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-messages-disappear-after-1hr/88483/1 "2024-06-04T03:28:52Z")

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I have a situation that I only found reference to about 4 years ago so hopefully this might be re-addressed.  
I've had 6 flows running on Node Red Dashboard flawlessly four about 2 years. I wanted to duplicate a flow for a bench test of the hardware associated with one of the flows. I created an additional flow, similar to the original changing the names of some nodes to keep things orderly. The flow reads a sensor running with an esp8266, reporting 2 numbers via an mqtt broker to a dashboard To keep the flow from interfering with the original, I disabled the output to the dashboard and enabled an output to the debug node. With the debug nodes enabled, after reseting the esp8266 I indeed got the debug messages on the side panel. After the readings are sent, the esp8266 then goes into a deep sleep mode to conserve battery power. After ~1 hour it wakes and repeats the cycle. But just before the end of the speep cycle, the debug messages it sent disappear. Since they report date and time, I really hoped I could keep a running log to determine battery longevity. Anyone know why this is happening? Thanks

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**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [4 June 2024 03:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-messages-disappear-after-1hr/88483/2 "2024-06-04T03:36:27Z")

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There is a limited _space_ where the `debug` messages are stored.

I have/had a similar problem.

I have the debug set to show `current flow only` and sometimes I would see the messages slowly vanishing.

I was told that is because there is limited _space_ for the messages.

See this thread:

> [@Interesting / weird observation in DEBUG window (NR 3.0.2)](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/interesting-weird-observation-in-debug-window-nr-3-0-2/87382):
>
> I started to post this earlier but it stopped happening and so I couldn't get the screen shots to show it. (Pictures say 1000 words) I am working on something and there are messages shown in the debug side of the window. Slowly - well not always - they scroll off the top when there are no new messages arriving. See below screen shots. Comments BELOW pictures. (Ok, this was going to be the start. Some time lat…

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**Author:** ![JohnR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9bd4f/32.png) [@JohnR](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/JohnR)\
**Post date:** [4 June 2024 03:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-messages-disappear-after-1hr/88483/3 "2024-06-04T03:56:00Z")

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Thanks for the Reply Andrew, in my case there's only one (2 item) debug post...

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [4 June 2024 03:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-messages-disappear-after-1hr/88483/4 "2024-06-04T03:56:54Z")

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So no other `debug` nodes anywhere else - active?

(just checking)

If you have the `debug` selected in the `edit` screen there are `3` options.  
ALL FLOWS  
CURRENT FLOW  
and  
SELECTED NODES

Which of these do you have?

(again, just asking.)

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [4 June 2024 09:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-messages-disappear-after-1hr/88483/5 "2024-06-04T09:28:49Z")

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Configure the debug node to Output to Console, then it will also go to the node-red log. Assuming you are using a debian based system (such as ubuntu or pi) and installed using the recommended script then you can see the node red log since the last boot using  
`journalctl -b -u nodered`  
or you can see the last 100 lines using  
`journalctl -n 100 -u nodered`

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**Author:** ![JohnR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9bd4f/32.png) [@JohnR](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/JohnR)\
**Post date:** [4 June 2024 14:26 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-messages-disappear-after-1hr/88483/6 "2024-06-04T14:26:00Z")

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Well I hardly know what to say. I shut everything (Node Red, VS Code, and Pi term all watching the flow of data, and the test ESP) down to retire for the night. This am I brought it all back up, and I don't see the problem. But I do like your idea Colin of outputing to the console. Seems like a better way to store thank guys for the help!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [4 June 2024 15:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-messages-disappear-after-1hr/88483/7 "2024-06-04T15:47:19Z")

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There is also node-red-contrib-flogger which can be very useful for this sort of situation.

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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:** [4 July 2024 15:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-messages-disappear-after-1hr/88483/8 "2024-07-04T15:47:33Z")

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