[CASSANDRA-5877] Unclear FileNotFoundException stacktrace when system.log can't be created

• Type: Bug
• Status: Resolved
• Priority: Low
• Resolution: Won't Fix

Environment

Cassandra 2.0rc1

• Severity: Low
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Michaël Figuière
• Created: 11/Aug/13 01:20
• Updated: 16/Apr/19 09:32
• Resolved: 11/Sep/13 15:41

Description

When you start Cassandra with default settings without the appropriate permissions to write in /var/log/cassandra you end up with the following stacktrace:

log4j:ERROR setFile(null,true) call failed.
java.io.FileNotFoundException: /var/log/cassandra/system.log (No such file or directory)
	at java.io.FileOutputStream.open(Native Method)
	at java.io.FileOutputStream.<init>(FileOutputStream.java:206)
	at java.io.FileOutputStream.<init>(FileOutputStream.java:127)
	at org.apache.log4j.FileAppender.setFile(FileAppender.java:294)
	at org.apache.log4j.RollingFileAppender.setFile(RollingFileAppender.java:207)
	at org.apache.log4j.FileAppender.activateOptions(FileAppender.java:165)
	at org.apache.log4j.config.PropertySetter.activate(PropertySetter.java:307)
	at org.apache.log4j.config.PropertySetter.setProperties(PropertySetter.java:172)
	at org.apache.log4j.config.PropertySetter.setProperties(PropertySetter.java:104)
	at org.apache.log4j.PropertyConfigurator.parseAppender(PropertyConfigurator.java:809)
	at org.apache.log4j.PropertyConfigurator.parseCategory(PropertyConfigurator.java:735)
	at org.apache.log4j.PropertyConfigurator.configureRootCategory(PropertyConfigurator.java:615)
	at org.apache.log4j.PropertyConfigurator.doConfigure(PropertyConfigurator.java:502)
	at org.apache.log4j.PropertyConfigurator.doConfigure(PropertyConfigurator.java:395)
	at org.apache.log4j.PropertyWatchdog.doOnChange(PropertyConfigurator.java:922)
	at org.apache.log4j.helpers.FileWatchdog.checkAndConfigure(FileWatchdog.java:89)
	at org.apache.log4j.helpers.FileWatchdog.<init>(FileWatchdog.java:58)
	at org.apache.log4j.PropertyWatchdog.<init>(PropertyConfigurator.java:914)
	at org.apache.log4j.PropertyConfigurator.configureAndWatch(PropertyConfigurator.java:461)
	at org.apache.cassandra.service.CassandraDaemon.initLog4j(CassandraDaemon.java:121)
	at org.apache.cassandra.service.CassandraDaemon.<clinit>(CassandraDaemon.java:69)

While a stacktrace at startup may not be the most elegant mean of communication with the user - though at least it's visible - in this situation it doesn't make it clear that Cassandra couldn't create a file in the specified log directory.