[viraptor]

> is a lot easier to do in a dead system when they're text and not binary

The binary format doesn't matter for browsing logs. Replace `cat /your/custom/service/file.log | grep ...` with `journalctl -u service | grep ...` (or just `-a` for everything)

I'd actually argue it's easier not to mess up with journal with simple tools, because you don't have to special-case `service`, `service.1`, `service.2.gz` files.

[Nursie]

For a dead system with it's main disk mounted on a living one, on which the service is not registered, is it that easy?

I've never tried.

I like service files, but the rest not so much.

[Macha]

journalctl -D /mnt/othersystemroot/var/log/journal <...>