Logs and Diagnostics

Last updated: April 2026

Log File Location

RockTerm stores application log files in the following directory:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\RockTerm\logs\

To open this folder, press Win+R, paste the path above, and press Enter. Alternatively, navigate to it in File Explorer. The fully expanded path is typically:

C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\RockTerm\logs\

Log files are named with the date and rotated daily. Older logs are automatically pruned to prevent excessive disk usage.

What Is Recorded in Logs

Application logs contain operational information useful for diagnosing issues:

• Connection attempts — Hostname, port, protocol version, key exchange algorithm, authentication method used (password, public key, keyboard-interactive), and success/failure status.
• Errors and exceptions — Stack traces, error codes, and descriptions for any failures encountered during operation (e.g., connection timeouts, host key verification failures, channel open failures).
• Application events — Startup and shutdown events, settings changes, update installations, license validation events.
• SSH protocol events — Channel open/close, port forwarding setup, keepalive exchanges, and terminal resize notifications.

Logs do NOT contain:

• Terminal output (the data displayed in the terminal viewport)
• Passwords or passphrases
• Private key contents
• API keys
• Keystrokes or commands you type

Application logs are safe to share with Rock River Research support. However, they do contain hostnames and usernames from your connections. If this is sensitive, redact those fields before sending.

Enabling Verbose / Debug Logging

By default, RockTerm logs at the Info level. For troubleshooting complex issues, you can enable verbose (debug-level) logging to capture additional detail:

1. Open Settings (Ctrl+,).
2. Navigate to Advanced > Logging.
3. Change the Log Level from Info to Debug.
4. Click Save. The change takes effect immediately for new connections. Existing sessions continue at the previous log level until reconnected.

Debug logging produces significantly more output and may affect performance on resource-constrained systems. Remember to set the log level back to Info after you have captured the diagnostic data you need.

At the Debug level, additional information is logged including:

• Detailed SSH handshake negotiation (algorithms offered and selected)
• Terminal escape sequence processing events
• Window resize and rendering events
• AI API request/response metadata (not content)

What to Include in a Support Request

When contacting Rock River Research support, include the following information to help us diagnose your issue quickly:

1. RockTerm version number. Found in Settings > About. Example: 1.2.0.
2. Windows version. Press Win+R, type winver, and press Enter. Provide the full version string, for example: Windows 11 Pro, Version 24H2, Build 26100.1234.
3. Description of the issue. Explain what you expected to happen and what actually happened.
4. Steps to reproduce. List the exact steps to trigger the problem. Include the type of remote host if relevant (e.g., "connecting to a Cisco IOS router via SSH on port 22").
5. Log excerpts. Enable Debug logging, reproduce the issue, and attach the relevant log file from %LOCALAPPDATA%\RockTerm\logs\. If the log is large, include only the time range around when the issue occurred.
6. Screenshots or screen recordings. If the issue is visual (display corruption, UI glitch, unexpected output), attach a screenshot. Press Win+Shift+S to use the Windows Snipping Tool.

Send support requests to info@rockriverresearch.com or use the contact form.

Session Logging (Terminal Output to File)

Session logging is separate from application logs. When enabled, session logging saves a copy of all terminal output (everything displayed in the terminal viewport) to a file on disk. This is useful for auditing, record-keeping, or reviewing long-running operations.

To enable session logging for a connection:

1. Open the Connection Manager (Ctrl+Shift+N).
2. Select or edit a saved connection.
3. Under the Logging section, enable Session Logging.
4. Choose a log file path and naming convention. You can use variables like {hostname}, {date}, and {time} in the filename template.
5. Save the connection. Session logging begins automatically each time you connect.

You can also start or stop session logging on-the-fly for the current session from the Session menu.

Security warning: Session log files contain the full terminal output, which may include sensitive information such as:

• Configuration files displayed via cat, show running-config, or similar commands
• Environment variables that may contain secrets
• Passwords that were echoed to the terminal (some devices echo passwords in certain contexts)
• API keys, tokens, or certificates displayed in the terminal

Store session log files securely and restrict access to authorized personnel. Consider encrypting the directory containing session logs if your organization's security policy requires it. Do not send session log files to support unless explicitly requested and after reviewing their contents for sensitive data.

← Back to Support Articles

Still need help?

If you're still experiencing issues, contact us or email info@rockriverresearch.com.