MySQL's Log

MySQL's logs works when using the command options (mysqld_safe --log --log-bin). However, I found if I put "log" or "bin-log" at bottom of the file my.cnf, the MySQL's log does not work.

Check manuals - "mysqld_safe" and "mysqld", there are some different groups in my.cnf. "mysqld_safe" reads options from [mysqld], [mysql.server] and [mysql_safe], so put log, bin-log, etc. in [mysqld], and the logs write to log files in "datadir".

If you want to put logs in your /var/log directory, make sure the files are writable by user "mysql", or just create a directory whose owner is mysql.