docs: task class: improve_docs — add a non-systemd linux section to the logs (#22518)
* docs: update docs/netdata-logs-alpine-linux-non-systemd * docs: Execution completed --------- Co-authored-by: nedi-app[bot] <nedi-app[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
nedi-app[bot] committed
Jun 2, 2026 at 14:19 UTC
265f66c2bce9f22677361d945c21ac22fbbc1d4b
3 files changed
+26
-2
docs/category-overview-pages/working-with-logs.md
+10
@@ -6,4 +6,14 @@ The [systemd journal plugin](/src/collectors/systemd-journal.plugin) is the core
6
7
For structured logs, Netdata provides tools like [log2journal](/src/collectors/log2journal/README.md) and [systemd-cat-native](/src/libnetdata/log/systemd-cat-native.md) to convert them into compatible systemd journal entries.
8
9
+## Non-systemd Linux systems
10
+
11
+Linux distributions without systemd, such as Alpine Linux, cannot use the [systemd journal plugin](/src/collectors/systemd-journal.plugin) locally because it requires a local `systemd-journald` installation. Note that [log2journal](/src/collectors/log2journal/README.md) itself does not require systemd — it is a standalone text processor that can run on any Linux system to convert log files to Journal Export Format. The converted output can then be piped to `systemd-cat-native --url` for remote forwarding (see option 1 below).
12
+
13
+You can still make logs available in Netdata using these alternatives:
14
+
15
+1. **Remote journal forwarding with `systemd-cat-native --url`** — Use [`systemd-cat-native --url=URL`](/src/libnetdata/log/systemd-cat-native.md) to send logs directly to a remote `systemd-journal-remote` running on another Linux system with systemd. This mode works even when the local system has no systemd, allowing the remote systemd journal to become the logs database for the local system. The receiving system must have `systemd-journal-remote` configured and accessible at the specified URL.
16
+
17
+2. **OpenTelemetry (OTLP) log ingestion** — The [OpenTelemetry Signal Viewer plugin](/src/crates/netdata-log-viewer/otel-signal-viewer-plugin/README.md) receives logs via the OTLP/gRPC protocol and stores them in systemd-compatible journal files, which are then displayed in the Logs tab. This method does not depend on a local systemd installation.
18
+
19
You can also find useful guides on how to set up log centralization points in the [Observability Centralization Points](/docs/deployment-guides/deployment-with-centralization-points.md) section of our docs.
docs/dashboards-and-charts/logs-tab.md
+6
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ The Logs tab displays log entries from the following sources:
10
- **otel-logs** — displays logs received via OpenTelemetry (OTLP) log ingestion. See the [OpenTelemetry Signal Viewer plugin](/src/crates/netdata-log-viewer/otel-signal-viewer-plugin/README.md) for setup and configuration.
11
- **Windows Event Logs** — reads Windows event logs on Windows Nodes. See the [Windows Events Plugin Reference](/src/collectors/windows-events.plugin/README.md) for supported event channels and configuration.
12
13
+:::note
14
+
15
+On Linux systems without systemd (such as Alpine Linux), the systemd-journal source is unavailable. You can still send logs to Netdata by using `systemd-cat-native --url` to forward to a remote `systemd-journal-remote`, or by using OTLP log ingestion. See [Working with Logs](/docs/category-overview-pages/working-with-logs.md) for details.
16
+
17
+:::
18
+
19
You can also display custom application logs, such as web server access logs, under the systemd-journal source by piping them into `systemd` journald using [log2journal](/src/collectors/log2journal/README.md) and [systemd-cat-native](/src/libnetdata/log/systemd-cat-native.md). For example, use the built-in `nginx-combined` log2journal configuration to pipe nginx access logs.
20
21
:::tip
packaging/PLATFORM_SUPPORT.md
+10
-2
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ Our [static builds](#static-builds) are expected to work on these platforms if a
64
65
| Platform | Version | Official Native Packages | Notes |
66
|--------------------------|----------------|-------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
67
-| Alpine Linux | 3.23 | No | The latest release of Alpine Linux is guaranteed to remain at **Core** tier due to usage for our Docker images |
68
-| Alpine Linux | 3.22 | No | |
67
+| Alpine Linux | 3.23 | No | The latest release of Alpine Linux is guaranteed to remain at **Core** tier due to usage for our Docker images. Alpine uses OpenRC and does not include systemd, so the systemd-journal plugin and local systemd integrations are unavailable. Logs can be forwarded to a remote `systemd-journal-remote` endpoint using `systemd-cat-native --url=URL`. |
68
+| Alpine Linux | 3.22 | No | Alpine uses OpenRC and does not include systemd, so the systemd-journal plugin and local systemd integrations are unavailable. Logs can be forwarded to a remote `systemd-journal-remote` endpoint using `systemd-cat-native --url=URL`. |
69
| Alma Linux | 9.x | x86\_64, AArch64 | Also includes support for Rocky Linux and other ABI compatible RHEL derivatives |
70
| Alma Linux | 8.x | x86\_64, AArch64 | Also includes support for Rocky Linux and other ABI compatible RHEL derivatives |
71
| Amazon Linux | 2023 | x86\_64, AArch64 | |
@@ -212,6 +212,14 @@ When you use static builds, you'll miss certain features that require specific o
212
213
Many of our systemd integrations are not supported in our static builds. This is due to a general refusal by the systemd developers to support static linking (or any C runtime other than glibc), and is not something we can resolve.
214
215
+Beyond static builds, some operating systems (notably Alpine Linux) do not include systemd at all — they use OpenRC as their init system. This OS-level absence of systemd affects:
216
+
217
+- The **systemd-journal plugin** for log viewing, which requires a local `systemd-journald` installation.
218
+- **log2journal** output delivery — while log2journal itself is a standalone text processor with no systemd dependencies, its Journal Export Format output must be piped through `systemd-cat-native` to reach a journal. Without a local `systemd-journald`, use `systemd-cat-native --url=URL` to forward logs to a remote `systemd-journal-remote` endpoint instead.
219
+- Local systemd service management integrations.
220
+
221
+The `systemd-cat-native --url` mode is the supported workaround: it sends logs directly to a remote systemd-journal-remote and does not require any local systemd components.
222
+
223
### Impact of Platform End-of-Life (EOL)
224
225
When a platform is removed from the Binary Distribution Packages list: