I've used the Linode startup steps as in https://www.linode.com/docs/getting-started to build up Ubuntu server.

I've just found out that previously Cpanel used to create a error_log file the site home directory, here it is not used.

So where do the PHP syntax errors go?

There should be folder in your root called log, next to your public folder.

Your access.log should be in there too.

Thanks - it indeed is there!