Hi, I have just installed syslog-ng on Redhat enterprise 4. I am using it as remote logging server for a syslog-ng client. Here is my remote logging configuration: source s_remote { tcp(ip(0.0.0.0) port(514)); udp(ip(0.0.0.0) port(514)); }; destination d_separatedbyhosts { file("/var/log/syslog-ng/$HOST/messages" owner("root") group("root") perm(0640) dir_perm(0750) create_dirs(yes)); }; log { source(s_remote); destination(d_separatedbyhosts); }; I am getting the following error message in /var/log/syslog-ng.log on the same machine using tail "cannot open file /var/log/syslog-ng/host1messages for writing (Permission denied)" I have tried to create the file myself and give it 777 permission along with all the directories /var, /var/log, /var/log/syslog-ng If you notice here, 1- syslog-ng is writing error messages from the same machine to /var/log/syslog-ng which means syslog-ng is working well for local logging on the same machine ( I have stopped syslogd). 2- The error has a file name "host1messages" while in the configuration file it is "/$HOST/messages" 3- I am accessing the syslog-ng server using remote SSH from windows using putty client. When I open the /var/log/syslog-ng.log file using "vi" I got a strange character instead of "/" in the previous error message between "host1" and "messages". While - as you have seen above - using tail I do not get any character neither / nor the strange one in the syslog-ng file. Kind regards