How to view syslog in ubuntu?

Question

Follow up from this question, LogBack Syslog not working java

I use command below to view syslog in ubuntu 16.04 but get below result. Is it the correct way to view?

user@xxx:~$ tail -f /var/log/syslog Jun  6 23:08:50 xxx systemd[1]:
Starting Hostname Service... Jun  6 23:08:50 xxx dbus[889]: [system]
Successfully activated service 'org.freedesktop.hostname1' Jun  6
23:08:50 xxx systemd[1]: Started Hostname Service. Jun  6 23:09:41 xxx
gnome-session[2645]: (nautilus:2860): Gtk-WARNING **: Attempting to
read the recently used resources file at
'/home/xxx/.local/share/recently-used.xbel', but the parser failed:
Failed to open file '/home/xxx/.local/share/recently-used.xbel':
Permission denied. Jun  6 23:09:41 xxx org.gtk.vfs.Daemon[2508]:
(gvfsd-recent:15282): Gtk-WARNING **: Attempting to read the recently
used resources file at '/home/xxx/.local/share/recently-used.xbel',
but the parser failed: Failed to open file
'/home/xxx/.local/share/recently-used.xbel': Permission denied. Jun  6
23:09:41 xxx gnome-session[2645]: (zeitgeist-datahub:3069):
Gtk-WARNING **: Attempting to read the recently used resources file at
'/home/xxx/.local/share/recently-used.xbel', but the parser failed:
Failed to open file '/home/seng/.local/share/recently-used.xbel':
Permission denied. Jun  6 23:09:49 xxx gnome-session[2645]:
(nautilus:2860): Gtk-WARNING **: Attempting to read the recently used
resources file at '/home/xxx/.local/share/recently-used.xbel', but the
parser failed: Failed to open file
'/home/xxx/.local/share/recently-used.xbel': Permission denied. Jun  6
23:09:49 xxx org.gtk.vfs.Daemon[2508]: (gvfsd-recent:15282):
Gtk-WARNING **: Attempting to read the recently used resources file at
'/home/xxx/.local/share/recently-used.xbel', but the parser failed:
Failed to open file '/home/xxx/.local/share/recently-used.xbel':
Permission denied. Jun  6 23:09:49 xxx gnome-session[2645]:
(zeitgeist-datahub:3069): Gtk-WARNING **: Attempting to read the
recently used resources file at
'/home/seng/.local/share/recently-used.xbel', but the parser failed:
Failed to open file '/home/xxx/.local/share/recently-used.xbel':
Permission denied. Jun  6 23:17:01 xxx CRON[18877]: (root) CMD (   cd
/ && run-parts --report /etc/cron.hourly)

Try cat /var/log/syslog (small part of the output)

Jun  6 23:37:26 xxx whoopsie[1040]: [23:37:26] online
Jun  6 23:37:26 xxx avahi-daemon[1023]: Registering new address record for 2001:e68:4424:afab:c31f:c843:2351:c58 on wlp6s0.*.
Jun  6 23:37:28 xxx dhclient[19397]: XMT: Solicit on wlp6s0, interval 4340ms.
Jun  6 23:37:32 xxx dhclient[19397]: XMT: Solicit on wlp6s0, interval 9080ms.
Jun  6 23:37:41 xxx dhclient[19397]: XMT: Solicit on wlp6s0, interval 17540ms.
Jun  6 23:37:59 xxx dhclient[19397]: XMT: Solicit on wlp6s0, interval 34190ms.
Jun  6 23:38:09 xxx NetworkManager[1013]: <warn>  [1496763489.9447] dhcp6 (wlp6s0): request timed out
Jun  6 23:38:09 xxx NetworkManager[1013]: <info>  [1496763489.9448] dhcp6 (wlp6s0): state changed unknown -> timeout
Jun  6 23:38:09 xxx NetworkManager[1013]: <info>  [1496763489.9456] dhcp6 (wlp6s0): canceled DHCP transaction, DHCP client pid 19397
Jun  6 23:38:09 xxx NetworkManager[1013]: <info>  [1496763489.9456] dhcp6 (wlp6s0): state changed timeout -> done
user@xxx:/$ 

Try cat /var/log/syslog | tail -f

user@xxx:/$ cat /var/log/syslog | tail -f
Jun  6 23:37:26 xxx whoopsie[1040]: [23:37:26] online
Jun  6 23:37:26 xxx avahi-daemon[1023]: Registering new address record for 2001:e68:4424:afab:c31f:c843:2351:c58 on wlp6s0.*.
Jun  6 23:37:28 xxx dhclient[19397]: XMT: Solicit on wlp6s0, interval 4340ms.
Jun  6 23:37:32 xxx dhclient[19397]: XMT: Solicit on wlp6s0, interval 9080ms.
Jun  6 23:37:41 xxx dhclient[19397]: XMT: Solicit on wlp6s0, interval 17540ms.
Jun  6 23:37:59 xxx dhclient[19397]: XMT: Solicit on wlp6s0, interval 34190ms.
Jun  6 23:38:09 xxx NetworkManager[1013]: <warn>  [1496763489.9447] dhcp6 (wlp6s0): request timed out
Jun  6 23:38:09 xxx NetworkManager[1013]: <info>  [1496763489.9448] dhcp6 (wlp6s0): state changed unknown -> timeout
Jun  6 23:38:09 xxx NetworkManager[1013]: <info>  [1496763489.9456] dhcp6 (wlp6s0): canceled DHCP transaction, DHCP client pid 19397
Jun  6 23:38:09 xxx NetworkManager[1013]: <info>  [1496763489.9456] dhcp6 (wlp6s0): state changed timeout -> done
user@xxx:/$ 

Answer 1

Looks like you are trying to read syslog from Java, not from an interactive terminal. The text looks like a correct output, but with smashed formatting.

tail -f is good for interactive terminals.

Try cat /var/log/syslog, or just open /var/log/syslog as a file (if your process has enough permissions).