Add an entry at the top of /etc/syslogd.conf: kern.* /var/log/kernel Restart syslog: service syslog restart logger -p kern.warn "Warning test" The "Warning test" doesn't get logged in /var/log/kernel, although the file is created. A "*.*" entry will log this message to /var/log/kernel fine.
Messages generated by logger -p kern.warn "Warning test" are handled by syslogd as user messages and get logged to /var/log/messages. Genuine kernel messages, from the kernel, are handled by klogd and 'kern.warn' messages would be redirected to /var/log/kernel by 'kern.warn /var/log/kernel' in syslog.conf.