The slapi error log file defaults to /var/errors given our setting of --localstatedir. Move it to /var/log/slapi-errors instead. Debian-specific. Index: openldap/servers/slapd/slapi/slapi_overlay.c =================================================================== --- openldap.orig/servers/slapd/slapi/slapi_overlay.c 2022-05-20 17:36:09.141243662 -0400 +++ openldap/servers/slapd/slapi/slapi_overlay.c 2022-05-20 17:36:09.141243662 -0400 @@ -933,7 +933,7 @@ ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_init( &slapi_printmessage_mutex ); if ( slapi_log_file == NULL ) - slapi_log_file = slapi_ch_strdup( LDAP_RUNDIR LDAP_DIRSEP "errors" ); + slapi_log_file = slapi_ch_strdup( LDAP_RUNDIR LDAP_DIRSEP "log" LDAP_DIRSEP "slapi-errors" ); rc = slapi_int_init_object_extensions(); if ( rc != 0 )