Index: trac/log.py
===================================================================
--- trac/log.py	(revision 10771)
+++ trac/log.py	(working copy)
@@ -19,12 +19,19 @@
 import logging.handlers
 import sys
 
+from trac.util.translation import _
+from trac.core import TracError
+
+
 def logger_handler_factory(logtype='syslog', logfile=None, level='WARNING',
                            logid='Trac', format=None):
     logger = logging.getLogger(logid)
     logtype = logtype.lower()
     if logtype == 'file':
-        hdlr = logging.FileHandler(logfile)
+        try:
+            hdlr = logging.FileHandler(logfile)
+        except Exception, ex:
+            raise TracError(_("Could not open Trac log file %(dest)s %(error)s", dest=logfile, error=str(ex)))
     elif logtype in ('winlog', 'eventlog', 'nteventlog'):
         # Requires win32 extensions
         hdlr = logging.handlers.NTEventLogHandler(logid,