tail - output the last part of files


SYNOPSIS

       tail [OPTION]... [FILE]...


DESCRIPTION

       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.

       --retry
              keep trying to open a file even if it is inaccessi­
              ble  when tail starts or if it becomes inaccessible
              later -- useful only with -f

       -c, --bytes=N
              output the last N bytes

       -f, --follow[={name|descriptor}] output appended data as
              the file grows;
              -f, --follow, and --follow=descriptor  are  equiva­
              lent

       -n, --lines=N
              output the last N lines, instead of the last 10

       --max-unchanged-stats=N
              with --follow=name, 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)

       --pid=PID
              with -f, terminate after process ID, PID dies

       -q, --quiet, --silent
              never output headers giving file names

       -s, --sleep-interval=S
              with  -f,  each  iteration  lasts  approximately  S
              (default 1) seconds

       -v, --verbose
              always output headers giving file names

       --help display this help and exit

       --version
              output version information and exit

       If the first character of N (the number of bytes or lines)

       of each file, otherwise, print the last  N  items  in  the
       file.   N  may  have a multiplier suffix: b for 512, k for
       1024, m for 1048576 (1 Meg).  A first OPTION of -VALUE  or
       +VALUE  is treated like -n VALUE or -n +VALUE unless VALUE
       has one of the [bkm] suffix multipliers, in which case  it
       is  treated  like -c VALUE or -c +VALUE.  Warning: a first
       option of +VALUE is obsolescent, and support for  it  will
       be withdrawn.

       With  --follow  (-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 descriptor
       (e.g., log rotation).  Use  --follow=name  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.


AUTHOR

       Written  by Paul Rubin, David MacKenzie, Ian Lance Taylor,
       and Jim Meyering.


REPORTING BUGS

       Report bugs to <bug-textutils@gnu.org>.


COPYRIGHT

       Copyright © 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       This is free software; see the source for  copying  condi­
       tions.  There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY
       or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.


SEE ALSO

       The full documentation for tail is maintained as a Texinfo
       manual.   If  the  info  and  tail  programs  are properly
       installed at your site, the command

              info tail

       should give you access to the complete manual.


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