TAIL(1)                          User Commands
TAIL(1)



NNAAMMEE
       tail - output the last part of files

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
       ttaaiill [_O_P_T_I_O_N]... [_F_I_L_E]...

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
       Print  the  last  10  lines of each FILE to standard
       output.  With more than one FILE, precede each with a
       header giving the file  name.   With no FILE, or when
       FILE is -, read standard input.

       Mandatory  arguments  to  long  options are mandatory
       for short options too.

       ----rreettrryy
              keep trying to open a file even if it is
              inaccessible when  tail starts  or if
              it becomes inaccessible later; useful
              when follow‐ ing by name, i.e., with
              ----ffoollllooww=_n_a_m_e

       --cc, ----bbyytteess=_N
              output the last N bytes

       --ff, ----ffoollllooww[[=={name|descriptor}]
              output appended data as the file grows;
              --ff, ----ffoollllooww,
              and ----ffooll‐‐
              llooww=_d_e_s_c_r_i_p_t_o_r are
              equivalent

       --FF     same as ----ffoollllooww=_n_a_m_e
       ----rreettrryy

       --nn, ----lliinneess=_N
              output the last N lines, instead of the last 10

       ----mmaaxx--uunncchhaannggeedd--ssttaattss=_N
              with  ----ffoollllooww=_n_a_m_e,
              reopen  a  FILE which has not changed size after
              N (default 5) iterations to see if it has been
              unlinked or renamed (this is the usual case of
              rotated log files)

       ----ppiidd=_P_I_D
              with --ff, terminate after process ID, PID dies

       --qq, ----qquuiieett, ----ssiilleenntt
              never output headers giving file names

       --ss,
       ----sslleeeepp--iinntteerrvvaall=_S
              with --ff, sleep for approximately S seconds
              (default 1.0) between iterations.

       --vv, ----vveerrbboossee
              always output headers giving file names

       ----hheellpp display this help and exit

       ----vveerrssiioonn
              output version information and exit

       If the first character of N (the number of bytes or
       lines)  is  a  `+', print  beginning  with the Nth
       item from the start of each file, other‐ wise, print
       the last N items in the file.  N may have a multiplier
       suf‐ fix: b 512, k 1024, m 1024*1024.

       With  ----ffoollllooww  (--ff),  tail
       defaults to following the file descriptor,
       which means that even if a tail'ed file is
       renamed, tail will  continue to  track  its  end.
       This  default behavior is not desirable when you
       really want to track the actual name of the file,
       not the file descrip‐ tor (e.g., log rotation).
       Use ----ffoollllooww=_n_a_m_e in that case.
       That causes tail to track the named file by reopening
       it periodically to see if  it has been removed and
       recreated by some other program.

AAUUTTHHOORR
       Written  by Paul Rubin, David MacKenzie, Ian Lance
       Taylor, and Jim Mey‐ ering.

RREEPPOORRTTIINNGG BBUUGGSS
       Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.

CCOOPPYYRRIIGGHHTT
       Copyright © 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       This is free software.  You may redistribute
       copies  of  it  under  the terms       of
       the      GNU      General      Public      License
       <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.  There is NO
       WARRANTY,  to  the extent permitted by law.

SSEEEE AALLSSOO
       The  full documentation for ttaaiill is
       maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the iinnffoo
       and ttaaiill programs are properly installed  at
       your  site,  the command

              iinnffoo ttaaiill

       should give you access to the complete manual.



tail 6.7                         December 2006
TAIL(1)
