MAN page from RedHat Other textutils-1.22-1.1.i386.rpm
TAIL
Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: GNU Text Utilities
Index NAME
tail - output the last part of files
SYNOPSIS
tail[-c [+]N[bkm]] [-n [+]N] [-fqv] [--bytes=[+]N[bkm]] [--lines=[+]N][--follow] [--quiet] [--silent] [--verbose] [--help] [--version][file...]
tail[{-,+}Nbcfklmqv] [file...]
DESCRIPTION
This documentation is no longer being maintained and may be inaccurateor incomplete. The Texinfo documentation is now the authoritative source.
This manual pagedocuments the GNU version oftail.tailprints the last part (10 lines by default) of each given file; itreads from standard input if no files are given or when a filename of`-' is encountered. If more than one file is given, it prints aheader consisting of the file's name enclosed in `==>' and `<=='before the output for each file.
The GNUtailcan output any amount of data, unlike the Unix version, which uses afixed size buffer. It has no-roption (print in reverse). Reversing a file is really a different jobfrom printing the end of a file; the BSDtailcan only reverse files that are at most as large as its buffer, whichis typically 32k. A reliable and more versatile way to reverse files isthe GNUtaccommand.
OPTIONS
tailaccepts two option formats: the new one, in which numbers arearguments to the option letters, and the old one, in which a `+' or`-' and optional number precede any option letters.
If a number (`N') starts with a `+',tailbegins printing with the Nth item from the start of each file, insteadof from the end.
- -c N, --bytes N
- Tail by N bytes. N is a nonzero integer, optionally followed by oneof the following characters to specify a different unit.
- b
- 512-byte blocks.
- k
- 1-kilobyte blocks.
- m
- 1-megabyte blocks.
- -f, --follow
- Loop forever trying to read more characters at the end of the file, onthe assumption that the file is growing. Ignored if reading from apipe. If more than one file is given,tailprints a header whenever it gets output from a different file, to indicatewhich file that output is from.
- -l, -n N, --lines N
- Tail by N lines.-lis only recognized using the old option format.
- -q, --quiet, --silent
- Never print filename headers.
- -v, --verbose
- Always print filename headers.
- --help
- Print a usage message and exit with a status code indicating success.
- --version
- Print version information on standard output then exit.
Index
- NAME
- SYNOPSIS
- DESCRIPTION
- OPTIONS
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