LOGTAIL(8) logtail manual LOGTAIL(8)
NAME
logtail - print log file lines that have not been read
SYNOPSIS
logtail [-t] -flogfile [-ooffsetfile]
DESCRIPTION
logtail reads a specified file (usually a log file) and writes to the
standard output that part of it which has not been read by previous runs
of logtail. It prints the appropriate number of bytes from the end of
logfile, assuming that all changes that are made to it are to add new
characters to it.
logfile must be a plain file. A symlink is not allowed.
logtail stores the information about how much of it has already been
read in a separate file called offsetfile. offsetfile can be omitted.
If omitted, the file named logfile.offset in the same directory which
contains logfile is used by default.
If offsetfile is not empty, the inode of logfile is checked. If the in-
ode is changed, logtail simply prints the entire file. If the inode is
not changed but logfile is shorter than it was at the last run of log-
tail, it writes a warning message to the standard output.
OPTIONS
-f logfile to be read after offset
-o offsetfile stores offset of previous run
-t test mode - do not change offset in offsetfile
RETURN VALUES
0 successful
65 cannot get the size of logfile
66 logfile does not exist, is not a plain file, or is not readable
73 cannot write offsetfile
AUTHOR
The original logtail was written in C by Craig H. Rowland <crow-
land@psionic.com>. This version of logtail is a Perl reimplementation
by Paul Slootman <paul@debian.org>. Enhanced by the Debian Logcheck
Team <logcheck@packages.debian.org>.
This manual was written by Oohara Yuuma <oohara@libra.interq.or.jp>.
SEE ALSO
logcheck(8)
Debian Fri, 19 Nov 2004 LOGTAIL(8)
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