fix(cli): give journald each log line's priority

journald stored every daemon line at info, so journalctl -p warning,
which TROUBLESHOOTING.md asks reporters for, was always empty (B258).
When fd 1 is the journal stream, prefix lines with <N> and drop colours.

crates/pdfs-cli/src/journal.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+//! Log priorities for journald.
+//!
+//! journald files each line a service writes at the unit's default priority,
+//! info, unless the line opens with a syslog `<N>` prefix. Without one every
+//! WARN and ERROR the daemon logs is stored as info, and the
+//! `journalctl -p warning` that the troubleshooting guide asks for shows
+//! nothing (`docs/BUGS.md` B258).
+
+use std::fmt;
+use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;
+
+use tracing::{Event, Level, Subscriber};
+use tracing_subscriber::fmt::format::Writer;
+use tracing_subscriber::fmt::{FmtContext, FormatEvent, FormatFields};
+use tracing_subscriber::registry::LookupSpan;
+
+/// Whether standard output is the journal stream systemd connected this
+/// process to.
+///
+/// `JOURNAL_STREAM` alone does not say so: a terminal started from a user unit
+/// inherits it, and every `pdfs` run in that terminal would print the
+/// prefixes. systemd sets it to the stream's `device:inode`, so it is compared
+/// against what fd 1 actually is.
+pub(crate) fn stdout_is_journal() -> bool {
+    let Some(stream) = std::env::var_os("JOURNAL_STREAM") else {
+        return false;
+    };
+    let Ok(stdout) = std::fs::metadata("/proc/self/fd/1") else {
+        return false;
+    };
+    stream
+        .to_str()
+        .is_some_and(|value| names_stream(value, stdout.dev(), stdout.ino()))
+}
+
+/// Whether a `JOURNAL_STREAM` value names the file `dev`:`ino`.
+fn names_stream(value: &str, dev: u64, ino: u64) -> bool {
+    value
+        .split_once(':')
+        .is_some_and(|(d, i)| d.parse() == Ok(dev) && i.parse() == Ok(ino))
+}
+
+/// The syslog priority journald should file a `level` line at.
+fn priority(level: &Level) -> u8 {
+    match *level {
+        Level::ERROR => 3,
+        Level::WARN => 4,
+        Level::INFO => 6,
+        Level::DEBUG | Level::TRACE => 7,
+    }
+}
+
+/// An event format that opens each line with its `<N>` priority, then writes
+/// the line as `F` would.
+pub(crate) struct Prioritized<F>(pub(crate) F);
+
+impl<S, N, F> FormatEvent<S, N> for Prioritized<F>
+where
+    S: Subscriber + for<'a> LookupSpan<'a>,
+    N: for<'a> FormatFields<'a> + 'static,
+    F: FormatEvent<S, N>,
+{
+    fn format_event(
+        &self,
+        ctx: &FmtContext<'_, S, N>,
+        mut writer: Writer<'_>,
+        event: &Event<'_>,
+    ) -> fmt::Result {
+        write!(writer, "<{}>", priority(event.metadata().level()))?;
+        self.0.format_event(ctx, writer, event)
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use std::io;
+    use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+
+    #[derive(Clone)]
+    struct Buf(Arc<Mutex<Vec<u8>>>);
+
+    impl io::Write for Buf {
+        fn write(&mut self, bytes: &[u8]) -> io::Result<usize> {
+            self.0.lock().unwrap().extend_from_slice(bytes);
+            Ok(bytes.len())
+        }
+        fn flush(&mut self) -> io::Result<()> {
+            Ok(())
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn each_line_opens_with_the_priority_of_its_level() {
+        let buf = Buf(Arc::new(Mutex::new(Vec::new())));
+        let writer = buf.clone();
+        let subscriber = tracing_subscriber::fmt()
+            .with_max_level(Level::DEBUG)
+            .with_ansi(false)
+            .with_writer(move || writer.clone())
+            .event_format(Prioritized(tracing_subscriber::fmt::format()))
+            .finish();
+        tracing::subscriber::with_default(subscriber, || {
+            tracing::error!("e");
+            tracing::warn!("w");
+            tracing::info!("i");
+            tracing::debug!("d");
+        });
+        let out = String::from_utf8(buf.0.lock().unwrap().clone()).unwrap();
+        let prefixes: Vec<&str> = out.lines().map(|line| &line[..3]).collect();
+        assert_eq!(prefixes, ["<3>", "<4>", "<6>", "<7>"]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn journal_stream_must_name_the_same_file() {
+        assert!(names_stream("8:12345", 8, 12345));
+        assert!(!names_stream("8:12345", 8, 54321));
+        assert!(!names_stream("9:12345", 8, 12345));
+        assert!(!names_stream("8", 8, 12345));
+        assert!(!names_stream("", 8, 12345));
+    }
+}

crates/pdfs-cli/src/main.rs

@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ use pdfs_core::control::{
 use pdfs_core::db::Db;
 use pdfs_core::service;
 
+mod journal;
+
 /// `println!` for this binary, shadowing std's, which panics when stdout is
 /// closed: `pdfs ls | head` ended in a "Broken pipe" panic once `head` had its
 /// lines. This one hands the failure to [`stdout_written`] instead.
@@ -879,15 +881,22 @@ fn cli_error(kind: ErrorKind, message: &str) -> String {
 }
 
 fn main() -> Result<()> {
-    tracing_subscriber::fmt()
-        .with_env_filter(
-            tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::try_from_default_env()
+    let filter = tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::try_from_default_env()
         // `pgp` logs a benign WARN when it re-serializes a Proton secret-key
         // packet with a longer (but equivalent) length encoding than the
         // original; drop it to error so normal runs stay quiet.
-                .unwrap_or_else(|_| "info,pgp=error".into()),
-        )
+        .unwrap_or_else(|_| "info,pgp=error".into());
+    if journal::stdout_is_journal() {
+        // journalctl colours lines by the priority the prefix gives them, so
+        // the escape codes would only be noise in the stored text.
+        tracing_subscriber::fmt()
+            .with_env_filter(filter)
+            .with_ansi(false)
+            .event_format(journal::Prioritized(tracing_subscriber::fmt::format()))
             .init();
+    } else {
+        tracing_subscriber::fmt().with_env_filter(filter).init();
+    }
 
     let cli = Cli::parse();
     JSON_OUTPUT.store(cli.json, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed);

docs/BUGS.md

@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ original wording.
 | [B261](#b261--a-folder-that-has-never-synced-reads-up-to-date) | A folder that has never synced reads "up to date" | Not fixed |
 | [B260](#b260--the-poll-pushes-a-new-folders-first-sync-behind-every-other-folder) | The poll pushes a new folder's first sync behind every other folder | Not fixed |
 | [B259](#b259--the-sync-engine-can-die-or-hang-and-nothing-shows-it-until-a-restart) | The sync engine can die or hang, and nothing shows it until a restart | Not fixed; the trigger in #53 is not known |
-| [B258](#b258--journalctl--p-warning-shows-nothing-whatever-the-daemon-logged) | `journalctl -p warning` shows nothing, whatever the daemon logged | Not fixed |
 | [B134](#b134--a-file-deleted-online-while-the-drain-checks-its-write-is-kept-as-a-conflict-copy) | A file deleted online while the drain checks its write is kept as a conflict copy | Only with `local_first` off |
 | [B91](#b91--the-daemon-hung-overnight-and-nothing-could-say-what-it-was-waiting-on) | The daemon hung overnight, and nothing could say what it was waiting on | The cause is not diagnosed; the daemon now reports where it is stuck and is restarted |
 | [B67](#b67--fresh-state-restore-can-silently-select-a-new-device-high-22) | Fresh-state restore can silently select a new device (HIGH-22) | An ambiguous device after a loss of local state is not asked about |
@@ -116,6 +115,7 @@ a live account since.
 
 | Entry | Title |
 |---|---|
+| [B258](#b258--journalctl--p-warning-shows-nothing-whatever-the-daemon-logged) | `journalctl -p warning` shows nothing, whatever the daemon logged |
 | [B256](#b256--pdfs-copy-right-after-a-save-copies-the-old-version) | `pdfs copy` right after a save copies the old version |
 | [B255](#b255--a-synced-folder-whose-files-are-all-gone-here-is-stuck-for-good) | A synced folder whose files are all gone here is stuck for good |
 | [B254](#b254--an-edit-in-the-same-second-as-a-new-upload-never-arrives) | An edit in the same second as a new upload never arrives |
@@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ the pass age and the queue in `Diagnostics`.
 
 ### B258 — `journalctl -p warning` shows nothing, whatever the daemon logged
 
-**Status:** Open
+**Status:** Fixed, not verified live
 **Found:** 2026-10-31, issue #53: the reporter ran `journalctl --user -u proton-drive.service -b
 -p warning`, as `docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md` tells them to, and got `-- No entries --`.
 **Where:** `main` in `crates/pdfs-cli/src/main.rs`; `packaging/proton-drive.service`
@@ -725,8 +725,15 @@ stores every line of a service's output at the unit's default priority, info, un
 starts with a `<N>` prefix. So every `WARN` and `ERROR` line is stored as info, and the
 troubleshooting guide's filter hides all of them.
 
-**Fix.** Not done. When `JOURNAL_STREAM` says the output goes to journald, start each line with
-the `<N>` prefix for its level.
+**Fix.** When standard output is the journal stream (`JOURNAL_STREAM` names the same
+device and inode as fd 1), each line starts with the `<N>` prefix for its level, and ANSI colours
+are off. A terminal that merely inherited `JOURNAL_STREAM` keeps the plain format
+(`crates/pdfs-cli/src/journal.rs`).
+
+**Test:** `each_line_opens_with_the_priority_of_its_level` and
+`journal_stream_must_name_the_same_file` in `pdfs-cli`. On 2026-10-31, `pdfs diagnose` run with
+`RUST_LOG=debug` under `systemd-run --user -p StandardOutput=journal` stored its debug lines at
+`PRIORITY=7` and its report at 6.
 
 ---