# systemd-syslog: Collect systemd messages using a socket

On platforms running systemd, the `systemd-syslog()` driver reads the log messages of systemd using the `/run/systemd/journal/syslog` socket. Note the following points about this driver:

  * If possible, use the more reliable [systemd-journal()](../../docs/axosyslog-core/chapter-sources/configuring-sources-journal/index.md) driver instead.

  * The socket activation of systemd is buggy, causing some log messages to get lost during system startup.

  * If AxoSyslog is running in a jail or a Linux Container (LXC), it will not read from the `/dev/kmsg` or `/proc/kmsg` files.




## Declaration:
```
       systemd-syslog();
    
```

## Example: Using the systemd-syslog() driver
```
       @version: 4.25
        
        source s_systemdd {
            systemd-syslog();
        };
        
        destination d_network {
            syslog("server.host");
        };
        
        log {
            source(s_systemdd);
            destination(d_network);
        };
    
```

* * *

[systemd-syslog() source options](../../docs/axosyslog-core/chapter-sources/configuring-sources-systemd-syslog/reference-source-systemd-syslog/index.md)

Last modified October 16, 2025: [Fix @version config numbers in examples (89688d87)](<https://github.com/axoflow/axosyslog-core-docs/commit/89688d8719a35ac2c048319e8fa82c11c6cad085>)