# Logging Question: Why are files avoided for logging in Linux?

**URL:** https://forum.syncthing.net/t/logging-question-why-are-files-avoided-for-logging-in-linux/21215
**Category:** Development
**Created:** [December 6, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/logging-question-why-are-files-avoided-for-logging-in-linux/21215 "2023-12-06T17:25:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![DAlba-sudo](https://forum.syncthing.net/user_avatar/forum.syncthing.net/dalba-sudo/32/15579_2.png) [@DAlba-sudo](https://forum.syncthing.net/u/DAlba-sudo)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/logging-question-why-are-files-avoided-for-logging-in-linux/21215/1 "2023-12-06T17:25:04Z")

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I came across this post: [Minimum amount of log file handling we can possibly get away with?](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/minimum-amount-of-log-file-handling-we-can-possibly-get-away-with/1194).

Is this because output redirection is more efficient than doing I/O from Go? Are you all redirecting outputs to a different program? I would assume that if you’re redirecting output to a file it would be the same (and or worse)? I am a new developer so forgive the potentially dumb question.

Thanks, just curious. DAlba-sudo

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### Author: ![calmh](https://forum.syncthing.net/user_avatar/forum.syncthing.net/calmh/32/15311_2.png) [@calmh](https://forum.syncthing.net/u/calmh)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2023, 6:21pm UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/logging-question-why-are-files-avoided-for-logging-in-linux/21215/2 "2023-12-06T18:21:30Z")

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Because unixes in general already have a well developed infrastructure for logging where you can set policies for centralisation, retention, compression, rotation, etc. that it would be silly for us and every other program to try to replicate.