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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 stan-
     dard  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  log-
     file,  assuming that all changes that are made to it are to add new charac-
     ters 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 omit-
     ted,  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  inode
     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  logtail,  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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<https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=logtail&sektion=8&manpath=FreeBSD+Ports+15.1.quarterly>

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