# Overriding configuration variables, specifically access\_log **URL:** \ **Category:** NGINX\ **Created:** [August 18, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-configuration-variables-specifically-access-log/210846 "2011-08-18T18:37:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![luislavena](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/0ea827/32.png) [@luislavena](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/luislavena)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-configuration-variables-specifically-access-log/210846/1 "2011-08-18T18:37:19Z")
We are using nginx/1.0.5 from the nginx apt repositories and have noticed that when setting the access\_log directive in /etc/nginx/conf.d/common, it does nothing unless I comment out the access\_log directive above it in /etc/nginx/nginx.conf. It appears that the variable is evaluated only the first time in any given block (in this case inside the http { } block) and cannot be overridden. Is that the case? If so, I think the best solution is to move the access\_log directive inside each of the individual location { } blocks where I need it so as not to interfere with the stock nginx.conf file. The only other alternative I can think of is to overwrite the nginx.conf file entirely - I’m concerned about doing that because I don’t want that file overwritten by the nginx aptitude installer in the future. Does anybody have a good solution to this? ## Cheers, Adam UX/UI/IA positions available @ [http://yipit.com/about/jobs/](http://yipit.com/about/jobs/) ---
**Author:** ![Adam\_Nelson](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Adam\_Nelson](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Adam_Nelson)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-configuration-variables-specifically-access-log/210846/2 "2011-08-18T18:49:42Z")
On 08/18/11 17:36, Adam Nelson wrote: > The only other alternative I can think of is to overwrite the nginx.conf file > entirely - I’m concerned about doing that because I don’t want that file > overwritten by the nginx aptitude installer in the future. Aptitude (on Debian) won’t overwrite nginx.conf if it has been changed. Instead it will install the distributed version as nginx.conf.dpkg-dist. It may prompt to ask if you want to overwrite but you just say no. Dick ---
**Author:** ![Adam\_Nelson](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Adam\_Nelson](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Adam_Nelson)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-configuration-variables-specifically-access-log/210846/3 "2011-08-18T18:53:25Z")
On Thu, Aug 18, 2011 at 12:49 PM, Dick M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > It may prompt to ask if you want to overwrite but you just say no. > > Dick I’d still prefer to customize via conf.d/ if at all possible - that’s what the folder is there for after all. I’ll do that if necessary though. Thanks, Adam ---
**Author:** ![Adam\_Nelson](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Adam\_Nelson](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Adam_Nelson)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-configuration-variables-specifically-access-log/210846/4 "2011-08-18T19:02:07Z")
On Thu, Aug 18, 2011 at 12:36:30PM -0400, Adam Nelson wrote: > each of the individual location { } blocks where I need it so as not to > interfere with the stock nginx.conf file. > > The only other alternative I can think of is to overwrite the nginx.conf > file entirely - I’m concerned about doing that because I don’t want that > file overwritten by the nginx aptitude installer in the future. > > Does anybody have a good solution to this? You can set several access\_log files on a level, so this is the reason why you can not override it. – Igor S.