my-pal-mcp-server/docs/logging.md

Logging

Quick Start - Follow Logs

The easiest way to monitor logs is to use the -f flag when starting the server:

# Start server and automatically follow MCP logs
./run-server.sh -f

This will start the server and immediately begin tailing the MCP server logs.

Viewing Logs in Docker

To monitor MCP server activity in real-time:

# Follow MCP server logs (recommended)
docker exec zen-mcp-server tail -f -n 500 /tmp/mcp_server.log

# Or use the -f flag when starting the server
./run-server.sh -f

Note: Due to MCP protocol limitations, container logs don't show tool execution details. Always use the commands above for debugging.

Log Files

Logs are stored in the container's /tmp/ directory and rotate daily at midnight, keeping 7 days of history:

• mcp_server.log - Main server operations
• mcp_activity.log - Tool calls and conversations
• mcp_server_overflow.log - Overflow protection for large logs

Accessing Log Files

To access log files directly:

# Enter the container
docker exec -it zen-mcp-server /bin/sh

# View current logs
cat /tmp/mcp_server.log
cat /tmp/mcp_activity.log

# View previous days (with date suffix)
cat /tmp/mcp_server.log.2024-06-14

Log Level

Set verbosity with LOG_LEVEL in your .env file or docker-compose.yml:

environment:
  - LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG  # Options: DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR