fix: align rolling logs to local time

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.clawd.bot
 - Doctor: warn when gateway.mode is unset with configure/config guidance.
 - OpenCode Zen: route models to the Zen API shape per family so proxy endpoints are used. (#1416)
 - Browser: suppress Chrome restore prompts for managed profiles. (#1419) Thanks @jamesgroat.
+- Logs: align rolling log filenames with local time and fall back to latest file when today's log is missing. (#1343)
 - Models: inherit session model overrides in thread/topic sessions (Telegram topics, Slack/Discord threads). (#1376)
 - macOS: keep local auto bind loopback-first; only use tailnet when bind=tailnet.
 - macOS: include Textual syntax highlighting resources in packaged app to prevent chat crashes. (#1362)

docs/gateway/logging.md

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ Clawdbot has two log “surfaces”:
 ## File-based logger
 
 - Default rolling log file is under `/tmp/clawdbot/` (one file per day): `clawdbot-YYYY-MM-DD.log`
+  - Date uses the gateway host's local timezone.
 - The log file path and level can be configured via `~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json`:
   - `logging.file`
   - `logging.level`

docs/logging.md

@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ By default, the Gateway writes a rolling log file under:
 
 `/tmp/clawdbot/clawdbot-YYYY-MM-DD.log`
 
+The date uses the gateway host's local timezone.
+
 You can override this in `~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json`:
 
 ```json

src/gateway/server-methods/logs.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import fs from "node:fs/promises";
+import os from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import { resetLogger, setLoggerOverride } from "../../logging.js";
+import { logsHandlers } from "./logs.js";
+
+const noop = () => false;
+
+describe("logs.tail", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    resetLogger();
+    setLoggerOverride(null);
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to latest rolling log file when today is missing", async () => {
+    const tempDir = await fs.mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "clawdbot-logs-"));
+    const older = path.join(tempDir, "clawdbot-2026-01-20.log");
+    const newer = path.join(tempDir, "clawdbot-2026-01-21.log");
+
+    await fs.writeFile(older, '{"msg":"old"}\n');
+    await fs.writeFile(newer, '{"msg":"new"}\n');
+    await fs.utimes(older, new Date(0), new Date(0));
+    await fs.utimes(newer, new Date(), new Date());
+
+    setLoggerOverride({ file: path.join(tempDir, "clawdbot-2026-01-22.log") });
+
+    const respond = vi.fn();
+    await logsHandlers["logs.tail"]({
+      params: {},
+      respond,
+      context: {} as unknown as Parameters<(typeof logsHandlers)["logs.tail"]>[0]["context"],
+      client: null,
+      req: { id: "req-1", type: "req", method: "logs.tail" },
+      isWebchatConnect: noop,
+    });
+
+    expect(respond).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      true,
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        file: newer,
+        lines: ['{"msg":"new"}'],
+      }),
+      undefined,
+    );
+
+    await fs.rm(tempDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+});

src/gateway/server-methods/logs.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import fs from "node:fs/promises";
+import path from "node:path";
 import { getResolvedLoggerSettings } from "../../logging.js";
 import {
   ErrorCodes,
@@ -12,11 +13,40 @@ const DEFAULT_LIMIT = 500;
 const DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES = 250_000;
 const MAX_LIMIT = 5000;
 const MAX_BYTES = 1_000_000;
+const ROLLING_LOG_RE = /^clawdbot-\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}\.log$/;
 
 function clamp(value: number, min: number, max: number) {
   return Math.max(min, Math.min(max, value));
 }
 
+function isRollingLogFile(file: string): boolean {
+  return ROLLING_LOG_RE.test(path.basename(file));
+}
+
+async function resolveLogFile(file: string): Promise<string> {
+  const stat = await fs.stat(file).catch(() => null);
+  if (stat) return file;
+  if (!isRollingLogFile(file)) return file;
+
+  const dir = path.dirname(file);
+  const entries = await fs.readdir(dir, { withFileTypes: true }).catch(() => null);
+  if (!entries) return file;
+
+  const candidates = await Promise.all(
+    entries
+      .filter((entry) => entry.isFile() && ROLLING_LOG_RE.test(entry.name))
+      .map(async (entry) => {
+        const fullPath = path.join(dir, entry.name);
+        const fileStat = await fs.stat(fullPath).catch(() => null);
+        return fileStat ? { path: fullPath, mtimeMs: fileStat.mtimeMs } : null;
+      }),
+  );
+  const sorted = candidates
+    .filter((entry): entry is NonNullable<typeof entry> => Boolean(entry))
+    .sort((a, b) => b.mtimeMs - a.mtimeMs);
+  return sorted[0]?.path ?? file;
+}
+
 async function readLogSlice(params: {
   file: string;
   cursor?: number;
@@ -126,8 +156,9 @@ export const logsHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
     }
 
     const p = params as { cursor?: number; limit?: number; maxBytes?: number };
-    const file = getResolvedLoggerSettings().file;
+    const configuredFile = getResolvedLoggerSettings().file;
     try {
+      const file = await resolveLogFile(configuredFile);
       const result = await readLogSlice({
         file,
         cursor: p.cursor,

src/logger.test.ts

@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ describe("logger helpers", () => {
   it("uses daily rolling default log file and prunes old ones", () => {
     resetLogger();
     setLoggerOverride({}); // force defaults regardless of user config
-    const today = new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10);
+    const today = localDateString(new Date());
     const todayPath = path.join(DEFAULT_LOG_DIR, `clawdbot-${today}.log`);
 
     // create an old file to be pruned
@@ -103,3 +103,10 @@ function cleanup(file: string) {
     // ignore
   }
 }
+
+function localDateString(date: Date) {
+  const year = date.getFullYear();
+  const month = String(date.getMonth() + 1).padStart(2, "0");
+  const day = String(date.getDate()).padStart(2, "0");
+  return `${year}-${month}-${day}`;
+}

src/logging/logger.ts

@@ -197,8 +197,15 @@ export function registerLogTransport(transport: LogTransport): () => void {
   };
 }
 
+function formatLocalDate(date: Date): string {
+  const year = date.getFullYear();
+  const month = String(date.getMonth() + 1).padStart(2, "0");
+  const day = String(date.getDate()).padStart(2, "0");
+  return `${year}-${month}-${day}`;
+}
+
 function defaultRollingPathForToday(): string {
-  const today = new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10); // YYYY-MM-DD
+  const today = formatLocalDate(new Date());
   return path.join(DEFAULT_LOG_DIR, `${LOG_PREFIX}-${today}${LOG_SUFFIX}`);
 }