Moved error_log to main section in order to run nginx as regular user

[ostinelli]

error_log points at a subdirectory of your project, so why moving error_log changes any permission issues? What OS are you running this in?

BTW, I see you only moved error_log, but not access_log, are these behaving differently?

[vtemian]

By default, nginx has an error_log path which is given at compile time(default /var/log/nginx/error.log). Unless overwritten in the main section, it will try to log to the default path. access_log on the other hand, it's per server and if it's not writable is logged as error(not critical). So, not being able to write the error log in the main section, cause nginx to fail with critical 2013/11/20 11:57:22 [emerg] 3865#0: open() "/var/log/nginx/error.log" failed (13: Permission denied)

[ostinelli]

As per the nginx docs:

syntax: error_log file | stderr | syslog:server=address[,parameter=value] [debug | info | notice | warn | error | crit | alert | emerg]; default: error_log logs/error.log error;

Did you actually experience this error, or where you suggesting this preventively?

Otherwise, can you please tell me how to reproduce this? As an experiment I ran nginx as default user, made it blow up at boot time, and it did generate a logs/error.log file in the project's directory.

Thanks.

[ostinelli]

I also found some outdated docs which state:

Also note that as of version 0.7.53, nginx will use a compiled-in default error log location until it has read the config file. If the user running nginx doesn't have write permission to this log location, nginx will raise an alert like this:

[alert]: could not open error log file: open() "/var/log/nginx/error.log" failed (13: Permission denied)

As per this though, the compiled-in default error log location will be used until it has read the config file. Hence, what good would it be to move the error_log in the said config file as per your suggestion?

Let me know your thoughts.

[vtemian]

Well, using nginx version: nginx/1.4.3

# ===================================================================== #
# THIS FILE IS AUTO GENERATED. DO NOT MODIFY.                           #
# IF YOU CAN SEE IT, THERE PROBABLY IS A RUNNING SERVER REFERENCING IT. #
# ===================================================================== #

pid tmp/development-nginx.pid;

# This number should be at maxium the number of CPU on the server
worker_processes 4;

events {
    # Number of connections per worker
    worker_connections 4096;
}

http {
    # use sendfile
    sendfile on;

    # Gin initialization
    lua_code_cache off;
    lua_package_path "./?.lua;$prefix/lib/?.lua;#{= LUA_PACKAGE_PATH };;";

    server {
        # List port
        listen 3001;

        # Access log with buffer, or disable it completetely if unneeded
        access_log logs/development-access.log combined buffer=16k;
        # access_log off;

        # Error log with buffer
        error_log logs/development-error.log;

        # Gin
        location / {
            content_by_lua 'require(\"gin.core.router\").handler(ngx)';
        }
        location /ginconsole {
            content_by_lua 'require(\"gin.cli.api_console\").handler(ngx)';
        }
    }
}

I've got 2013/11/20 11:57:22 [emerg] 3865#0: open() "/var/log/nginx/error.log" failed (13: Permission denied)

[ostinelli]

So you're basically using the autogenerated nginx.conf file with nginx instead of ngx_openresty?

If I can't see it / reproduce it, I can't fix it / accept it. Still don't know what OS you're running it in. Assuming OSX?

r.

[vtemian]

Yeap , I'm using autogenerated nginx.conf file with nginx on Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS.

I understand your point of view and thanks for details responses and would be awesome if you can make it work on nginx also.

[ostinelli]

Gin just doesn't run in pure nginx, so not seeing the point here, but will do my best.

[vtemian]

Good luck :+1: