# MyISAM Log

The MyISAM log records all changes to [MyISAM](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/server-usage/storage-engines/myisam-storage-engine) tables. It is not enabled by default. To enable it, start the server with the [--log-isam](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/server-management/starting-and-stopping-mariadb/mariadbd-options) option, for example:

```
--log-isam=myisam.log
```

The *isam* instead of *myisam* above is not a typo - it's a legacy from when the predecessor to the MyISAM format, called ISAM. The option can be used without specifying a filename, in which case the default, *myisam.log* is used.

To process the contents of the log file, use the [myisamlog](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/clients-and-utilities/myisam-clients-and-utilities/myisamlog) utility.

<sub>*This page is licensed: CC BY-SA / Gnu FDL*</sub>

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