Service is running fine but it doesn't logging to specified log file!

[persian85]

I just installed it on my fresh arch-linux exactly like arch wiki. It is working fine but it doesn't logging to the specified log file. I also changed the log file path to current user home folder but still log file is empty!
log level is 2
log file path is correct
use syslog is false (even with true nothing changes)

dnscrypt-proxy.txt

[jedisct1]

What happens when you start it from the command line? (with sudo dnscrypt-proxy -config /etc/dnscrypt-proxy/dnscrypt-proxy.toml)?

Do you see logs printed to the console?

[persian85]

Thank you for your reply.
So I stopped dnscrypt-proxy service with systemctl and ran the service like you mentioned. after that nothing printed on the console but now I can see that it's logging on log file!
So what do you suggest?
I enabled the service via systemctl. Should I use another solution?

[ianbashford]

I can see in the default dnscrypt-proxy.toml on arch linux they have
use_syslog = true

You'll see the entries by using
journalctl -u dnscrypt-proxy

If you want it in the file rather than the journal, then set
use_syslog = false

And it'll start using the file as you expect

[persian85]

As I mentioned in my comment I already changed that line to false but nothing changed.

[jedisct1]

Try putting random garbage in your configuration file. If the server still starts, the configuration file you are looking at is not the one actually loaded.

[persian85]

Yes this is the config file that dnscrypt-proxy uses. I did some changes and it happens on service.

[ianbashford]

My arch linux is working as expected, so it's likely config or permissions, so I'd start by going for something minimal.
Below is a stripped down config file -- my copy was in /tmp so I tested it by running

dnscrypt-proxy -config /tmp/dnscrypt-proxy-minimal.toml

This should just print up the screen as expected
You can then introduce logging in /tmp , and then to your target folder, and use this to deduce where the issue is

listen_addresses = [':9954']

# log_file = '/var/log/dnscrypt-proxy/dnscrypt-proxy.log'
# log_file = '/tmp/minimal-dnscrypt-proxy.log'

use_syslog = false

ipv4_servers = true
dnscrypt_servers = true

[sources]

  ## An example of a remote source from https://github.com/DNSCrypt/dnscrypt-resolvers

  [sources.'public-resolvers']
    urls = ['https://raw.githubusercontent.com/DNSCrypt/dnscrypt-resolvers/master/v3/public-resolvers.md', 'https://download.dnscrypt.info/resolvers-list/v3/public-resolvers.md', 'https://ipv6.download.dnscrypt.info/resolvers-list/v3/public-resolvers.md', 'https://download.dnscrypt.net/resolvers-list/v3/public-resolvers.md']
    cache_file = '/var/cache/dnscrypt-proxy/public-resolvers.md'
    minisign_key = 'RWQf6LRCGA9i53mlYecO4IzT51TGPpvWucNSCh1CBM0QTaLn73Y7GFO3'
    refresh_delay = 12
    prefix = ''

[persian85]

I found something that may help to resolve my issue. When I run dnscrypt-proxy manually I get error that couldn't find config file!
[FATAL] Unable to load the configuration file [dnscrypt-proxy.toml] -- Maybe use the -config command-line switch?

But i'm sure that config file is present in /etc/dnscrypt-proxy/dnscrypt-proxy.toml

Any idea?

[ianbashford]

Did you try the minimal config I laid out in #1949 (comment) ?

I'd use the -config ... switch if you're running from the command line as it's best to be explicit while you're debugging. I think by default it's looking in the current directory, so it' can't find ./dnscrypt-proxy.toml

I notice on arch in /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/dnscrypt-proxy.service that the ExecStart directive uses --config instead of -config
That seems to work correctly under systemctl but don't use that from a terminal -- just one -

[persian85]

Yes I tried your minimal config with -config and it worked. As you said when service start with systemctl it shows that it uses --config to load the config file. (/usr/bin/dnscrypt-proxy --config /etc/dnscrypt-proxy/dnscrypt-proxy.toml)
What should I do to make it work when it starts with systemctl?

[ianbashford]

Well I'd start by moving /etc/dnscrypt-proxy/dnscrypt-proxy.toml to a safe spot, and put the minimal config in place -- then use systemctl to start the service, and check the file is still written - if you did use /tmp, then remove the file (which will be owned by your user) so that the system user (dnscrypt-proxy) can write the file properly.
If it is, then you've identified an issue with your original dnscrypt-proxy.toml file and can debug the differences by adding them back.
If it isn't written, and you've not changed the file, then there's something else afoot...

Take note of the permissions on /var/log/private/dnscrypt-proxy which look like this on mine

ls -l /var/log/private/
drwxr-xr-x 2 dnscrypt-proxy dnscrypt-proxy 4096 Sep 14 19:14 dnscrypt-proxy