# how to stop verbosity of /var/log/messages on the shell



## vince66 (Dec 7, 2017)

Hello everybody, 
please, can you tell me if is a way to stop verbosity of the /var/log/messages that appears to my ttyv0 ? Is it possible to stop it ?

Another question: sometimes commands shows information longer the screen. In which a way I can show page-by-page or line-by-line ?

Thanks in advance.

Vincenzo.


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## SirDice (Dec 7, 2017)

Comment this line in /etc/syslog.conf:

```
*.err;kern.warning;auth.notice;mail.crit                /dev/console
```
See syslog.conf(5).



> sometimes commands shows information longer the screen. In which a way I can show page-by-page or line-by-line ?


Learn to use more(1) or less(1).


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## Snurg (Dec 7, 2017)

Or just use the console's scroll function (press ScrollLock and then use pgup/pgdn). (If you use sc you even can increase the buffer via vidcontrol or custom kernel)
I use the first console only as a log console. There are 7 others I can access via ctl-alt-F2-F8, sufficient for me. I thus have a hard time understanding why people want the log stuff gone. Maybe there are things what you can do only with ttyv0?


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## SirDice (Dec 7, 2017)

Snurg said:


> I thus have a hard time understanding why people want the log stuff gone.


It's not gone, it's still being logged to /var/log/messages. It's just not printed on the console any more.


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## Snurg (Dec 7, 2017)

SirDice said:


> It's not gone, it's still being logged to /var/log/messages. It's just not printed on the console any more.


I particularly like that the console has no turnaround, which can be a bit of annoying when one does not want to spend more than a second to see what were the last messages.


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## vince66 (Dec 12, 2017)

Hi !
I've undertsood that if there are case for which the kernel shows the errors of the messages file on the screen, notifying hardware problems. I've also understand that I can use F2, F3 , .... F8 function button to use another terminal and avoid the verbosity of the messages shown.
However, as you can see by the attached photo, when these messages are shown during the installation process, it is very hard because they overwrite the setting windows.

Please, is a way to resolve the problem in this case, because during the installation phase the F2, F3, etc... don't work.

Thanks in advance.

Vincenzo.


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## SirDice (Dec 12, 2017)

The solution is already given in post #2.


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## vince66 (Dec 12, 2017)

Please, what means "the solution is give in post 2" if the problem happens during the installation phase ? Maybe I need to change the /etc/syslog.conf that is on the DVD ? and in which a way ?
Please, let me learn more.
Thanks.


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## SirDice (Dec 12, 2017)

If you get hardware errors during the installation phase you have more serious problems. Also note that most of the time you can press CTRL-L to redraw the screen.


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## vince66 (Dec 12, 2017)

Ok SirDice ... I'm in a training phase ... so I'll install again the FreeBSD and I'll try the CTRL-L to redraw the screen. 
I'll use the FreeBSD-11.1-RELEASE-amd64-dvd1.iso now.

Thanks.


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