error_log Set to 'off'

Gixy Check ID: error_log_off

A common misconception is that using the directive error_log off disables error logging. Unlike the access_log directive, error_log does not accept an off parameter. If you add error_log off to your configuration, NGINX will create a log file named “off” in the default configuration directory (typically /etc/nginx).

Disabling the error log is generally not advised, as it provides crucial information for troubleshooting NGINX issues. However, if disk space is extremely limited and there’s a risk that logging could fill up the available space, you might opt to disable error logging. To do so, add the following directive in the main configuration context:

error_log /dev/null emerg;

Keep in mind that this setting takes effect only after NGINX reads and validates the configuration file. Therefore, during startup or when reloading the configuration, NGINX may still log errors to the default error log location (usually /var/log/nginx/error.log) until validation is complete. To change the default log directory permanently, use the --error-log-path (or -e) option when starting NGINX.

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