The diagnostic log
A local operational log — errors, timings, sync notes — that never holds audio, prompts, transcripts or model output.
The diagnostic log is the app's own record of what it did: what failed, how long a job took. It is local, plain text, and deliberately empty of content — no audio, no prompts, no transcripts and no model output, so it can be shared for support without sharing a meeting.
How to use it
- Settings → Advanced → Open Diagnostic Log opens the current log file.
- PrivateGoat → Open Diagnostic Log… does the same from the app menu.
- Read it, or attach it to a bug report if you choose to. Nothing is sent anywhere automatically.
What is in it
| Written | Not written |
|---|---|
| Errors and warnings | Audio |
| Job timings and queue notes | Prompts |
| Sync notes | Transcripts |
| Model-load sizes | Model output |
| Which search source was slow and for how long | Meeting content |
| Where the app was stuck, if it stops responding | Text from your meetings or chats |
If the app stops responding
A watchdog checks the app's main thread every half second. When it does not answer for 2 seconds, the log gets a warning with the last few log events and where the main thread was in the code, and again at 10 and 30 seconds. When the app answers again, one more line says how long the stall lasted. These lines hold code addresses and the app's own log lines, never content. If PrivateGoat ever hangs, this is the part of the log that helps find the cause.
Settings
| Setting | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open the log | Settings → Advanced | The only control; there is nothing to configure |
What is stored
| Item | Where |
|---|---|
| The current log | ~/Library/Application Support/Sonavia/Logs/sonavia.log |
| The previous log | ~/Library/Application Support/Sonavia/Logs/sonavia.previous.log |
The file rotates at about 1 MB and keeps one previous file, so the folder never grows without bound.
What leaves your Mac
Nothing. The log stays on the Mac unless you choose to share the file yourself.
When it is off or fails
- A write fails: the app falls back to the system log instead of losing the message.
- A test process: it writes nothing at all.
- The log is large: it has already rotated at about 1 MB; the older file is
sonavia.previous.log. - What it is not: a record of meeting content. For that, read the meeting itself (see What stays on your Mac).
Related
- What stays on your Mac — the data the log deliberately avoids.
- Quick Find — the slow-source note the log records.
- Menu bar and settings — where Advanced sits.
Summary servers
Summaries run on this Mac with Ollama by default. Choose Ollama or an OpenAI-compatible server on another computer, or a cloud service, and see exactly where the text goes.
Keyboard shortcuts
Five global shortcuts, each one changeable or switchable off, plus the fixed keys inside the app.