Follow the Exim service log
Build a paste-ready command, then review its compatibility and effects before running it.
journalctl -u exim4 -fread-onlyno known side effects Compatibility
LinuxVerified for Linux using posix, bash, zsh syntax.
Operational knowledgereview due 2027-01-19
Requirementsjournalctljournalctl must be installed and available on PATH.
Version supportjournalctl Current supported releasesVerified for linux using posix, bash, zsh syntax; consult compatibility notes for platform-specific differences.
Expected signalsJul 23 08:14:22 mail exim4[2814]: 1tC7Kg-0003Yp-NC <= ops@example.comRepresentative successful output; values vary with the selected target and system state.
Known errorsjournalctl: command not foundjournalctl is missing or is not available on PATH.
Verifyjournalctl -u exim4 -fThe output matches the expected target and exits without an error.Rollback noteNot required: this command is read-only and does not change system state.
Command breakdown
01journalctlJournal readerQueries logs collected by systemd-journald.
02-uUnit filterLimits results to one systemd service unit.
03exim4Unit nameSelects the Exim 4 service logs.
04-fFollowKeeps the command open and streams new log entries.
Example input
journalctl -u exim4 -f
Example output
Jul 23 08:14:22 mail exim4[2814]: 1tC7Kg-0003Yp-NC <= ops@example.com
Jul 23 08:14:23 mail exim4[2818]: 1tC7Kg-0003Yp-NC => alerts@example.net
Illustrative output — exact values vary by system and data.
Runbooks
Official sources