unraid-api --log-level not changing

[ionred]

Environment

Unraid OS Version:
7.1.4
Unraid Connect version 2025.08.20.2129 / 4.15.1

Are you using a reverse proxy?
No. Directly accessing my server via DNS resolution to the local IP of the unraid server.

Pre-submission Checklist

• I have verified that my Unraid OS is up to date
• I have tested this issue by accessing my server directly (not through a reverse proxy)
• This is not an Unraid Connect related issue (if it is, please submit via the support form instead)

Issue Description

Logging level not respecting arguments

Steps to Reproduce

1. In troubleshooting an OIDC issue, I attempted to turn on logging. (Related documentation issue: the OIDC page incorrectly gives the debug command like this: LOG_LEVEL=debug unraid-api start --debug all on one line. Those are two separate commands that need to be on separate lines OR need to be separated by a semicolon.... plus unraid-api start --debug is not a valid command by itself.)
2. Attempted a second try at turning on logging via the CLI reference which correctly gives a valid command: unraid-api start --log-level debug . This command is accepted with no errors.
3. Attempts to use the unraid-api that result in errors (such as oidc connection attempts) do not produce any entries in the unraid-api logs command or /var/logs/graphql-api.log file, nor anythig in the /var/log/unraid-api folder.

Also tried

1. Setting LOG_LEVEL=debug directly before starting the api.
2. Settings these (found in an old development.md file in the repo

LOG_LEVEL=trace
LOG_CONTEXT=true
LOG_TRANSPORT=file

3. Manually stopping the api first, then restarting ith the the --log-level debug command.

Expected Behavior

Debug or trace log entries

Actual Behavior

They did not appear.

If I can help by providing specific (redacted) logs I can, but I assume given their lack of information, they won't be of much help.

[ionred]

Well, this comes down primarily to a documentation issue.

LOG_LEVEL=debug unraid-api start --debug is in the documentation on OIDC and
unraid-api start [--log-level <level>] is in the documentation for CLI document.

but
LOG_LEVEL=debug unraid-api restart actually worked

[elibosley]

Great callout. Sorry for the need to update docs - we'll update to say use LOG_LEVEL=trace / LOG_LEVEL=debug unraid-api restart to view full debug logging everywhere.

[ionred]

Oh, and will need to either remove the mention in unraid-api start --help of using unraid-api start -log-level debug

Or preferably, adjust that so it honors the command arguments and sets that LOG_LEVEL variable correctly early enough.