spring-boot application stops when logging.config points to incorrect file location for logfj2 external configuartion file

Question

In my spring-boot application I have externalized the log4j2.xml file and added the location of the configuration file using logging.config properties in application.properties file.

If I give an incorrect file location in logging.config then my application doesn't start and throw the following error:

[main] ERROR org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication - Application startup failed
java.lang.IllegalStateException: java.io.FileNotFoundException: /tmp/log4j2.xml (No such file or directory)
    at org.springframework.boot.logging.LoggingApplicationListener.initializeSystem(LoggingApplicationListener.java:315) ~[spring-boot-1.5.1.RELEASE.jar:1.5.1.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.logging.LoggingApplicationListener.initialize(LoggingApplicationListener.java:276) ~[spring-boot-1.5.1.RELEASE.jar:1.5.1.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.logging.LoggingApplicationListener.onApplicationEnvironmentPreparedEvent(LoggingApplicationListener.java:239) ~[spring-boot-1.5.1.RELEASE.jar:1.5.1.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.logging.LoggingApplicationListener.onApplicationEvent(LoggingApplicationListener.java:212) ~[spring-boot-1.5.1.RELEASE.jar:1.5.1.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.context.event.SimpleApplicationEventMulticaster.invokeListener(SimpleApplicationEventMulticaster.java:167) ~[spring-context-4.3.6.RELEASE.jar:4.3.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.context.event.SimpleApplicationEventMulticaster.multicastEvent(SimpleApplicationEventMulticaster.java:139) ~[spring-context-4.3.6.RELEASE.jar:4.3.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.context.event.SimpleApplicationEventMulticaster.multicastEvent(SimpleApplicationEventMulticaster.java:122) ~[spring-context-4.3.6.RELEASE.jar:4.3.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.context.event.EventPublishingRunListener.environmentPrepared(EventPublishingRunListener.java:73) ~[spring-boot-1.5.1.RELEASE.jar:1.5.1.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplicationRunListeners.environmentPrepared(SpringApplicationRunListeners.java:54) ~[spring-boot-1.5.1.RELEASE.jar:1.5.1.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.prepareEnvironment(SpringApplication.java:336) [spring-boot-1.5.1.RELEASE.jar:1.5.1.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:307) [spring-boot-1.5.1.RELEASE.jar:1.5.1.RELEASE]
    at my.application.Application.main(Application.java:67) [classes/:?]
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) ~[?:1.8.0_60]
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62) ~[?:1.8.0_60]
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) ~[?:1.8.0_60]
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:497) ~[?:1.8.0_60]
    at com.intellij.rt.execution.application.AppMain.main(AppMain.java:144) [idea_rt.jar:?]

I think the ideally the application should startup with default logging. Is there a way so that I can put in the default logging configuration or have spring-boot application start with default logging capabilities.

I am using log4j2 and spring-boot.

wangyuntao wangyuntao · Accepted Answer · 2017-03-23T13:43:10

As the spring document says:

The various logging systems can be activated by including the appropriate libraries on the classpath, and further customized by providing a suitable configuration file in the root of the classpath, or in a location specified by the Spring Environment property logging.config.

For log4j2, the configuration file should be log4j2-spring.xml or log4j2.xml

So you can add log4j2.xml in your project resources directory and it will be packed into the jar file and then will be in the classpath.

spring-boot application stops when logging.config points to incorrect file location for logfj2 external configuartion file

1 Answers