1MULTITAIL(1) General Commands Manual MULTITAIL(1)
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6 MultiTail - browse through several files at once
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9 multitail [options]
10 options: [-cs|-Cs|-c-] [-s] [-i] inputfile [-i anotherinputfile] [...]
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15 The program MultiTail lets you view one or multiple files like the
16 original tail program. The difference is that it creates multiple win‐
17 dows on your console (with ncurses). It can also monitor wildcards: if
18 another file matching the wildcard has a more recent modification date,
19 it will automatically switch to that file. That way you can, for exam‐
20 ple, monitor a complete directory of files. Merging of 2 or even more
21 logfiles is possible. It can also use colors while displaying the log‐
22 files (through regular expressions), for faster recognition of what is
23 important and what not. It can also filter lines (again with regular
24 expressions). It has interactive menus for editing given regular ex‐
25 pressions and deleting and adding windows. One can also have windows
26 with the output of shell scripts and other software. When viewing the
27 output of external software, MultiTail can mimic the functionality of
28 tools like 'watch' and such. When new mail arrives for the current
29 user, the statuslines will become green. To reset this "mail has ar‐
30 rived"-state, press ' ' (a space). For help at any time, press F1.
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34 -i file
35 Select a file to monitor. You can have multiple -i file parame‐
36 ters. You only need to add -i file in front of a filename if
37 the filename starts with a dash ('-').
38 -I file
40 Same as -i file but add the output to the previous window (so
41 the output is merged).
42 -iw file interval
44 -Iw file interval Like '-i'/'-I' but expects the parameter to be
45 a wildcard and the second(!) an interval. Initially MultiTail
46 will start monitoring the first file with the most recent modi‐
47 fication time. Every interval it will check if any new files
48 were created (or modified) and start tailing that one. *Don't
49 forget* to put quotation marks around the filename as otherwhise
50 the shell will try to substitute them!
51 -l command
53 Command to execute in a window. Parameter is the command. Do not
54 forget to use "'s if the external command needs parameter! (e.g.
55 -l "ping host").
56 -L command
58 Same as -l but add the output to the previous window (so the
59 output is merged).
60 -j Read from stdin (can be used only once as there is only 1
62 stdin).
63 -J Same as -j but add the output to the previous window (so the
65 output is merged).
66 --mergeall
68 Merge all of the following files into the same window (see
69 '--no-mergeall').
70 --no-mergeall
72 Stop merging all files into one window (see '--mergeall');
73 --no-repeat
75 When the same line is repeated, it will be suppressed while
76 printing a "Last message repeated x times" message.
77 --mark-interval x
79 Print every 'x' seconds a mark-line when nothing else was
80 printed.
81 -q i path
83 Check path for new files with interval 'i', all in new windows.
84 One can enter paths here understood by the shell. E.g. "/tmp/*".
85 Note: do not forget to add quotes around the pathname to prevent
86 the shell from parsing it!
87 -Q i path
89 Like -q: but merge them all in one window.
90 --new-only
92 For -q/-Q: only create windows for files created after MultiTail
93 was started.
94 --closeidle x
96 Close windows when more then 'x' seconds no new data was pro‐
97 cessed.
98 -a x Write the output also to file 'x' (like 'tee') AFTER it was fil‐
100 tered by MultiTail. Note: you need to put "-a file" BEFORE to
101 the file you're monitoring!
102 -A x Write the output also to file 'x' (like 'tee') BEFORE it was
104 filtered by MultiTail. Also see the note for "-a".
105 -g x Send the output also to command 'x' AFTER it was filtered by
107 MultiTail.
108 -G x Send the output also to command 'x' BEFORE it was filtered by
110 MultiTail.
111 -S Prepend merged output with subwindow-number.
113 -t title
115 With this switch, "title" is displayed in the statusline instead
116 of the filename or commandline.
117 -n number_of_lines
119 Number of lines to tail initially. The default depends on the
120 size of the terminal-window.
121 -N number_of_lines
123 Like -n but this parameter will be used for all files/commands
124 you tail after this parameter.
125 -r interval
127 Restart the command (started with -l/-L) after it has exited.
128 With interval you can set how long to sleep before restarting.
129 -R interval
131 Restarts a command like -r only this one shows the difference in
132 output compared to the previous run.
133 -rc / -Rc interval
135 Like -r / -R but clears the window before each iteration.
136 -h The help.
138 -f Follow the following filename, not the descriptor.
140 --follow-all
142 For all files after this switch: follow the following filename,
143 not the descriptor.
144 -fr filter
146 Use the predefined filter(s) from the configfile.
147 -e Use the next regular expression on the following file.
149 -ex Use regular expression on the following file and execute the
151 command when it matches. The command gets as commandline parame‐
152 ter the whole matching line.
153 -eX Like '-ex' but only give the matching substring as parameter.
155 This requires a regular expression with '(' and ')'.
156 -ec Use regular expression on the following file and display the
158 matches.
159 -eC Use regular expression on the following file but display every‐
161 thing and display the matches inverted.
162 -E Use the next regular expression on the following files.
164 -v Negate the next regular expression.
166 -s x Splits the screen vertically in 'x' columns.
168 -sw x At what position to split the screen. e.g. '-sw 20,40,,10' (=4
170 columns)
171 -sn x How many windows per column for vertical split (use with -s or
173 -sw). e.g. '-sn 3,,2'.
174 -wh x Sets the height of a window (advisory: if it won't fit, the
176 height is adjusted).
177 -cS scheme
179 Show the next given file using the colorscheme selected with
180 'scheme' (as defined in multitail.conf).
181 -CS scheme
183 Show all following files using the colorscheme selected with
184 'scheme' (as defined in multitail.conf).
185 -csn Extra switch for the following switches; do not use reverse (in‐
187 verted) colors.
188 -cs Show the next given file in colors (syslog).
190 -c Show the next given file in colors.
192 -Cs Show all following files in color (through syslog-scheme).
194 -C Show all following files in color.
196 -Cf field_index delimiter
198 Show all following files in color depending on field selected
199 with field_index. Fields are delimited by the defined delimiter.
200 -cf field_index delimiter
202 Show the next file in color depending on field selected with
203 field_index. Fields are delimited by the defined delimiter.
204 -ci color
206 Use a specific color. Usefull when merging multiple outputs.
207 -cT terminalmode
209 Interpret terminal codes. Only ANSI supported at this time.
210 -c- Do NOT colorize the following file.
212 -C- Do NOT colorize the following files.
214 -ts Add a timestamp to each line (format is configurable in multi‐
216 tail.conf).
217 -Z color
219 Specify the color-attributes for the markerline.
220 -T A timestamp will be placed in the markerline.
222 -d Do NOT update statusline.
224 -D Do not display a statusline at all.
226 -du Put the statusline above the data window.
228 -z Do not display "window closed" windows.
230 -u Set screen updateinterval (for slow links).
232 -m nlines
234 Set buffersize Set nlines to 0 (zero) if you want no limits on
235 the buffering.
236 -mb x Set scrollback buffer size (in bytes, use xKB/MB/GB).
238 -M nlines
240 Set the buffersize on ALL following files.
241 -p x [y]
243 Set linewrap: a = print everything including linewrap. l = just
244 show everything starting at the left until the rightside of the
245 window is reached. r = show everything starting from the right
246 of the line. s = show everything starting with the processname.
247 S = show everything starting after the processname. o = show ev‐
248 erything starting at offset 'y'.
249 -P x [y]
251 Like -p but for all following windows.
252 -ke x Strip parts of the input using regular expression 'x'.
254 -kr x y
256 Strip parts of the input starting at offset x and ending (not
257 including!) offset y.
258 -kc x y
260 Strip parts of the input: strip column 'y' with delimiter 'x'.
261 -ks x Use editscheme 'x' from configfile.
263 -w Do not use colors.
265 -b n Sets the TAB-width.
267 --config filename
269 Load the configuration from given filename.
270 -x Set xterm-title: %f will be replaced with the last changed file,
272 %h with the hostname, %l with the load of the system, %m with
273 "New mail!" when the current user has new mail, %u with the cur‐
274 rent effective user, %t timestamp of last changed file, %% with
275 a %
276 -o configfile-item
278 Proces a configurationfile item via the commandline in case you
279 cannot edit the default configfile.
280 --cont Reconnect lines with a '´ at the end.
282 --mark-interval interval
284 When nothing comes in, print a '---mark---' line every 'inter‐
285 val' seconds.
286 --mark-change
288 When multiple files are merged an multitail switches between two
289 windows, print a markerline with the filename.
290 --no-mark-change
292 Do NOT print the markerline when the file changes (overrides the
293 configfile).
294 --label text
296 Put "text" in front of each line. Usefull when merging multiple
297 files and/or commands.
298 --retry
300 Keep trying to open the following file if it is inaccessible.
301 --retry-all
303 Like --retry but for all following files.
304 -cv x Use conversion scheme 'x' (see multitail.conf).
306 --basename
308 Only display the filename (and not the path) in the statusline.
309 -F file
311 Use 'file' as configfile (instead of default configfile).
312 --no-load-global-config
314 Do NOT load the global configfile.
315 --beep-interval x
317 Let the terminal beep for every x-th line processed. Press 'i'
318 in the main menu to see how many times it beeped.
319 --bi x Like '--beep-interval' but only for current (sub-)window. Sta‐
321 tistics on the number of beeps can be found in the statistics
322 for this (sub-)window. Press 't' in the main menu.
323 -H Show heartbeat (to keep your sessions alive).
325 -V Show the version and exit.
327
330 You can press a couple of keys while the program runs. To see a list
331 of them, press F1 (or ^h). You can press F1 (or ^h) at any time: it
332 gives you context related information. Press 'q' to exit the program.
333
336 See http://www.vanheusden.com/multitail/examples.html for more and
337 other examples.
338 multitail /var/log/apache/access_log logfile -i -filestartingwithdatsh
340 This creates three windows. One with the contents of
341 /var/log/apache/access_log, one with the contents of logfile and
342 so on.
343 multitail -R 2 -l "netstat -t"
345 This runs netstat every 2 seconds and then shows what has
346 changed since the previous run. That way one can see new connec‐
347 tions being made and closed connections fading away.
348 multitail logfile -l "ping 192.168.1.3"
350 This creates two windows. One with the contents of logfile, one
351 with with the output of 'ping 192.168.1.3'.
352 multitail /var/log/apache/access_log -I /var/log/apache/error_log
354 This creates one window with the contents of /var/log/apache/ac‐
355 cess_log merged with the contents of /var/log/apache/error_log.
356 multitail -M 0 /var/log/apache/access_log -I /var/log/apache/error_log
358 Same as previous example. This example will store all logged en‐
359 tries in a buffer so that you can later on browse through them
360 (by pressing ' b
361 ').
362
365 ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/multitail/config
366 If ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME} is defined.
367 ${HOME}/.multitailrc
369 If ${HOME} is defined.
370 ~/.multitailrc
372 When either ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME} nor ${HOME} is defined, which
373 will use (struct passwd*)pp->pw_dir from the pwd.h standard
374 header.
375
378 As this program grew larger and larger over the time with new function‐
379 ality sometimes added ad-hoc, some bugs may have been introduced.
380 Please notify folkert@vanheusden.com if you find any.
381 Well, except for the resizing of your terminal window. The program
383 might crash when doing such things. Upgrading the ncurses library to at
384 least version 5.3 might help in that case.
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388 http://www.vanheusden.com/multitail/
389
392 This page describes MultiTail as found in the installed multitail pack‐
393 age; other versions may differ slightly. Mail corrections and addi‐
394 tions to folkert@vanheusden.com. Report bugs in the program to folk‐
395 ert@vanheusden.com.
396MultiTail 2007-02 MULTITAIL(1)