Question

I am trying to use log4net with ASP.NET MVC and I cannot get anything to happen with it.
I’ve created a config that is in my web project root:

<log4net>
    <root>
        <level value="INFO" />
        <appender-ref ref="RollingLogFileAppender"/>
    </root>
    
    <appender name="RollingFileAppender" type="log4net.Appender.RollingFileAppender">
        <file value="C:\DWSApplicationFiles\AppLogs\app.log" />
        <appendToFile value="true" />
        <rollingStyle value="Size" />
        <maxSizeRollBackups value="10" />
        <maximumFileSize value="100KB" />
        <staticLogFileName value="true" />
        <layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
            <conversionPattern value="%d [%t]%-5p %c [%x] - %m%n" />
        </layout>
    </appender>
    
    <appender name="RollingLogFileAppender" type="log4net.Appender.RollingFileAppender">
        <file value="C:\DWSApplicationFiles\AppLogs\app.log" />
        <appendToFile value="false" />
        <datePattern value="-dddd" />
        <rollingStyle value="Date" />
        <layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
            <conversionPattern value="%d [%t]%-5p %c [%x] - %m%n" />
        </layout>
    </appender>
</log4net>

Before I am asked: yes, the application has permission to write to the directory. I have tested this and the application has permission to this directory.

Here is where I am trying to use log4net:

public class HomeController : Controller
{
    readonly log4net.ILog log = log4net.LogManager.GetLogger(System.Reflection.MethodBase.GetCurrentMethod().DeclaringType);
    public ActionResult Index()
    {
        log.Error("In Index  ");
         return View();
    }
}

When I run the application and go to this controller log4net does nothing; it doesn’t create the files in that directory or anything.

I have enabled internal debugging for log4net and I get no output errors in the console.
The following is all I see from log4net:

log4net: log4net assembly [log4net, Version=1.2.10.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=1b44e1d426115821]. Loaded from [C:\Users\twaldron.BULLFROGSPAS\AppData\Local\Temp\Temporary ASP.NET Files\root\7642c99a\60feb7f2\assembly\dl3\17247033\008dfd6d_e2d0ca01\log4net.DLL]. (.NET Runtime [2.0.50727.4952] on Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7600.0)

log4net: DefaultRepositorySelector: defaultRepositoryType [log4net.Repository.Hierarchy.Hierarchy]

log4net: DefaultRepositorySelector: Creating repository for assembly [Bullfrog.DWS.Web, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null]

log4net: DefaultRepositorySelector: Assembly [Bullfrog.DWS.Web, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null] Loaded From [C:\Users\twaldron.BULLFROGSPAS\AppData\Local\Temp\Temporary ASP.NET Files\root\7642c99a\60feb7f2\assembly\dl3\2960c79f\b876bb2d_aca7cb01\Bullfrog.DWS.Web.DLL]

log4net: DefaultRepositorySelector: Assembly [Bullfrog.DWS.Web, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null] does not have a RepositoryAttribute specified.

log4net: DefaultRepositorySelector: Assembly [Bullfrog.DWS.Web, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null] using repository [log4net-default-repository] and repository type [log4net.Repository.Hierarchy.Hierarchy]

log4net: DefaultRepositorySelector: Creating repository [log4net-default-repository] using type [log4net.Repository.Hierarchy.Hierarchy]
‘WebDev.WebServer20.EXE’ (Managed (v2.0.50727)): Loaded ‘Anonymously Hosted DynamicMethods Assembly’

Answer 1

Do you have something like this in global.asax?

void Application_Start(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    string l4net = Server.MapPath("~/log4net.config");
    log4net.Config.XmlConfigurator.ConfigureAndWatch(new System.IO.FileInfo(l4net));

    ...