diff --git a/logging.cc b/logging.cc
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+++ b/logging.cc
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+/* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil -*- */
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2013, Regents of the University of California
+ *                     Alexander Afanasyev
+ *                     Zhenkai Zhu
+ *
+ * BSD license, See the LICENSE file for more information
+ *
+ * Author: Alexander Afanasyev <alexander.afanasyev@ucla.edu>
+ *         Zhenkai Zhu <zhenkai@cs.ucla.edu>
+ */
+
+#include "logging.h"
+
+#ifdef HAVE_LOG4CXX
+
+#include <log4cxx/logger.h>
+#include <log4cxx/basicconfigurator.h>
+#include <log4cxx/consoleappender.h>
+#include <log4cxx/patternlayout.h>
+#include <log4cxx/level.h>
+#include <log4cxx/propertyconfigurator.h>
+#include <log4cxx/defaultconfigurator.h>
+#include <log4cxx/helpers/exception.h>
+using namespace log4cxx;
+using namespace log4cxx::helpers;
+
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+void
+INIT_LOGGERS ()
+{
+  static bool configured = false;
+
+  if (configured) return;
+
+  if (access ("log4cxx.properties", R_OK)==0)
+    PropertyConfigurator::configureAndWatch ("log4cxx.properties");
+  else
+    {
+      PatternLayoutPtr   layout   (new PatternLayout ("%d{HH:mm:ss} %p %c{1} - %m%n"));
+      ConsoleAppenderPtr appender (new ConsoleAppender (layout));
+
+      BasicConfigurator::configure( appender );
+      Logger::getRootLogger()->setLevel (log4cxx::Level::getInfo ());
+    }
+
+  configured = true;
+}
+
+#endif