for more information about the collected metadata.
</para>
- <para>Log data collected by the journal is primarily text-based
- but can also include binary data where necessary. All objects
- stored in the journal can be up to 2^64-1 bytes in size.</para>
-
- <para>By default, the journal stores log data in
- <filename>/run/log/journal/</filename>. Since
- <filename>/run/</filename> is volatile, log data is lost at
- reboot. To make the data persistent, it is sufficient to create
- <filename>/var/log/journal/</filename> where
- <filename>systemd-journald</filename> will then store the
- data:</para>
+ <para>Log data collected by the journal is primarily text-based but can also include binary data where
+ necessary. Individual fields making up a log record stored in the journal may be up to 2^64-1 bytes in size.</para>
+
+ <para>The journal service stores log data either persistently below <filename>/var/log/journal</filename> or in a
+ volatile way below <filename>/run/log/journal/</filename> (in the latter case it is lost at reboot). By default, log
+ data is stored persistently if <filename>/var/log/journal/</filename> exists during boot, with an implicit fallback
+ to volatile storage otherwise. Use <varname>Storage=</varname> in
+ <citerefentry><refentrytitle>journald.conf</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum></citerefentry> to configure
+ where log data is placed, independently of the existence of <filename>/var/log/journal/</filename>.</para>
+
+ <para>On systems where <filename>/var/log/journal/</filename> does not exist yet but where persistent logging is
+ desired (and the default <filename>journald.conf</filename> is used), it is sufficient to create the directory, and
+ ensure it has the correct access modes and ownership:</para>
<programlisting>mkdir -p /var/log/journal
systemd-tmpfiles --create --prefix /var/log/journal</programlisting>