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 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 <crowland@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)