NAME

       root-tail - print text directly to X11 root window

SYNOPSIS

       root-tail  [-g|--geometry  GEOMETRY]  [-fn|--font  FONTSPEC] [--color color] [--reload SEC
       COMMAND]  [--shade]  [--outline]  [--minspace]   [--noflicker]   [-f|--fork]   [--reverse]
       [--whole]  [--partial]  [--update]  [--cont STRING] [--wordwrap] [--justify] [--noinitial]
       [--frame]    [-id    ID]     [-i|--interval     SECONDS]     [-V]     file1[,color[,desc]]
       [file2[,color[,desc]]]

DESCRIPTION

       Displays  a  given  file  anywhere on your X11 root window, i.e. it is kind of tail -f for
       multiple files using your desktop background as output window.

       All non-option arguments on the command line are files to be logged. A null desc (example:
       "/var/log/messages,red,") will prevent the printing of a description and the []'s.

   General Options
       --color COLOR
              Use COLOR as default.

       --font | -fn FONTSPEC
              Use font FONTSPEC. This can be either a fixed width font like -fn fixed or any font
              using -fn '-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*' with the  appropriate  fields  filled  out
              (see  xfontsel).   Specifying  a different FONTSPEC before each filename will cause
              each file to be displayed in a different font.

       -f | --fork
              Forks to the background.

       --reverse
              Display the files in reverse order, with the newest lines at the top.

       --whole
              Only display whole lines. If the last line of a file doesn't yet end with a newline
              character then wait until it does before displaying it. This is the default if more
              than one file is being displayed.

       --partial
              This is the opposite of the --whole option (see above). It displays lines  even  if
              they  don't  yet have a newline at the end. This is the default if only one file is
              being displayed.

       --update
              Update partial lines 'in place' if they are still  on  the  screen  when  they  are
              updated in their files. Using --update automatically turns on --partial.

       --cont STRING
              When  partial  lines  are broken into two lines in the display, prefix the 2nd line
              with STRING. Defaults to "|| ". Specify the "--whole" argument  to  ensure  partial
              lines  are  never  displayed,  or  specify "--update" to attempt to "repair" broken
              lines in-place.

       --cont-color COLOR
              Use COLOR when displaying the continuation string (as optionally specified with the
              --cont option above).

       --wordwrap
              The  default behaviour is to fit as much as possible onto each line of output, even
              if this means splitting a word between  one  line  and  the  next.  The  --wordwrap
              argument splits lines at spaces if possible.

       --justify
              After  wrapping  long lines, attempt to justify the text to produce a smooth right-
              hand margin.  Implies --wordwrap.

       --reload SEC COMMAND
              Re-display the file(s) and run COMMAND every SEC seconds. The default is  to  never
              re-display the file(s).

       --shade
              Add black shading to the font.

       --outline
              Add a black outline to the font (making redraws quite a bit slower).

       --minspace
              Use  minimum  linespace  even when using shading or outlining. This might result in
              leftover pixels (dependign on font and logfile content).

       --noflicker
              Use slower but flicker-free update.

       --noinitial
              Don't display the end of the file(s) initially.

       -id ID Use the given window ID for output instead of the root window.

       -i | --interval SECONDS
              Use the specified sleeping interval between  checks  instead  of  the  default  2.4
              seconds. Fractional values are OK.

       -V     Print version information.

       --frame
              Draw  a  frame  around  the  selected area.  This is useful when trying to find the
              perfect geometry.

EXAMPLE

       root-tail   -g   800x250+100+50   -font   10x20   /var/log/messages,green   -font    12x24
       /var/log/secure,red,'ALERT'

BUGS

       Some desktop environments open a virtual root window and make it difficult to share it. If
       you cannot see anything after starting root-tail, try to find a setting "allow programs on
       desktop" or similar, or manually specify a window id.

       Should you happen to find any bugs please fix them and send me a diff.

       NOTE:  This  program  was  modified by Marc Lehmann <pcg@goof.com>, who couldn't reach the
       original author. Please direct bug-reports etc. to pcg@goof.com.

       http://root-tail.plan9.de/