logging startup messages

[Nils Kassube]

Admin wrote:
> I need to log startup messages since the contents of my rc.local file
> are not getting read and/or executed.
>
> In the /etc/default/bootlogd file I changed the following
> BOOTLOGD_ENABLE=yes
> and still nothing is logged in /var/log/boot

Bootlogd is broken, see <https://bugs.launchpad.net/upstart/+bug/98955>. 
When I needed the messages some time ago I used a camera.

> running sudo /etc/init.d/rc.local works fine

Maybe something depends on your $HOME which is preserved by sudo. Try 
this:

sudo su
/etc/init.d/rc.local

Furthermore you could make your file more verbose like this:

echo -e "\033[01m\033[41m\033[33mstarting rc.local\033[m"
put your commands here
echo -e "\033[01m\033[45m\033[37mrc.local finished\033[m"

You will notice those echo lines due to the unusual colours.


Nils