MULTITAIL(1)MULTITAIL(1)NAME
MultiTail - browse through several files at once
SYNOPSIS
MultiTail [options]
options: [-cs|-Cs|-c-] [-s] [-i] inputfile [-i anotherinputfile] [...]
DESCRIPTION
The program MultiTail lets you view one or multiple files like the
original tail program. The difference is that it creates multiple win‐
dows on your console (with ncurses). It can also monitor wildcards: if
another file matching the wildcard has a more recent modification date,
it will automatically switch to that file. That way you can, for exam‐
ple, monitor a complete directory of files. Merging of 2 or even more
logfiles is possible. It can also use colors while displaying the log‐
files (through regular expressions), for faster recognition of what is
important and what not. It can also filter lines (again with regular
expressions). It has interactive menus for editing given regular
expressions and deleting and adding windows. One can also have windows
with the output of shell scripts and other software. When viewing the
output of external software, MultiTail can mimic the functionality of
tools like 'watch' and such. When new mail arrives for the current
user, the statuslines will become green. To reset this "mail has
arrived"-state, press ' ' (a space). For help at any time, press F1.
OPTIONS-i file
Select a file to monitor. You can have multiple -i file parame‐
ters. You only need to add -i file in front of a filename if
the filename starts with a dash ('-').
-I file
Same as -i file but add the output to the previous window (so
the output is merged).
-iw file interval
-Iw file interval Like '-i'/'-I' but expects the parameter to be
a wildcard and the second(!) an interval. Initially MultiTail
will start monitoring the first file with the most recent modi‐
fication time. Every interval it will check if any new files
were created (or modified) and start tailing that one. *Don't
forget* to put quotation marks around the filename as otherwhise
the shell will try to substitute them!
-l command
Command to execute in a window. Parameter is the command. Do not
forget to use "'s if the external command needs parameter! (e.g.
-l "ping host").
-L command
Same as -l but add the output to the previous window (so the
output is merged).
-j Read from stdin (can be used only once as there is only 1
stdin).
-J Same as -j but add the output to the previous window (so the
output is merged).
--mergeall
Merge all of the following files into the same window (see
'--no-mergeall').
--no-mergeall
Stop merging all files into one window (see '--mergeall');
--no-repeat
When the same line is repeated, it will be suppressed while
printing a "Last message repeated x times" message.
--mark-interval x
Print every 'x' seconds a mark-line when nothing else was
printed.
-q i path
Check path for new files with interval 'i', all in new windows.
One can enter paths here understood by the shell. E.g. "/tmp/*".
Note: do not forget to add quotes around the pathname to prevent
the shell from parsing it!
-Q i path
Like -q: but merge them all in one window.
--new-only
For -q/-Q: only create windows for files created after MultiTail
was started.
--closeidle x
Close windows when more then 'x' seconds no new data was pro‐
cessed.
-a x Write the output also to file 'x' (like 'tee') AFTER it was fil‐
tered by MultiTail.
-A x Write the output also to file 'x' (like 'tee') BEFORE it was
filtered by MultiTail.
-g x Send the output also to command 'x' AFTER it was filtered by
MultiTail.
-G x Send the output also to command 'x' BEFORE it was filtered by
MultiTail.
-S Prepend merged output with subwindow-number.
-t title
With this switch, "title" is displayed in the statusline instead
of the filename or commandline.
-n number_of_lines
Number of lines to tail initially. The default depends on the
size of the terminal-window.
-N number_of_lines
Like -n but this parameter will be used for all files/commands
you tail after this parameter.
-r interval
Restart the command (started with -l/-L) after it has exited.
With interval you can set how long to sleep before restarting.
-R interval
Restarts a command like -r only this one shows the difference in
output compared to the previous run.
-rc / -Rc interval
Like -r / -R but clears the window before each iteration.
-h The help.
-f Follow the following filename, not the descriptor.
--follow-all
For all files after this switch: follow the following filename,
not the descriptor.
-fr filter
Use the predefined filter(s) from the configfile.
-e Use the next regular expression on the following file.
-ex Use regular expression on the following file and execute the
command when it matches. The command gets as commandline parame‐
ter the whole matching line.
-eX Like '-ex' but only give the matching substring as parameter.
This requires a regular expression with '(' and ')'.
-ec Use regular expression on the following file and display the
matches.
-eC Use regular expression on the following file but display every‐
thing and display the matches inverted.
-E Use the next regular expression on the following files.
-v Negate the next regular expression.
-s x Splits the screen vertically in 'x' columns.
-sw x At what position to split the screen. e.g. '-sw 20,40,,10' (=4
columns)
-sn x How many windows per column for vertical split (use with -s or
-sw). e.g. '-sn 3,,2'.
-wh x Sets the height of a window (advisory: if it won't fit, the
height is adjusted).
-cS scheme
Show the next given file using the colorscheme selected with
'scheme' (as defined in multitail.conf).
-CS scheme
Show all following files using the colorscheme selected with
'scheme' (as defined in multitail.conf).
-csn Extra switch for the following switches; do not use reverse
(inverted) colors.
-cs Show the next given file in colors (syslog).
-c Show the next given file in colors.
-Cs Show all following files in color (through syslog-scheme).
-C Show all following files in color.
-Cf field_index delimiter
Show all following files in color depending on field selected
with field_index. Fields are delimited by the defined delimiter.
-cf field_index delimiter
Show the next file in color depending on field selected with
field_index. Fields are delimited by the defined delimiter.
-ci color
Use a specific color. Usefull when merging multiple outputs.
-cT terminalmode
Interpret terminal codes. Only ANSI supported at this time.
-c- Do NOT colorize the following file.
-C- Do NOT colorize the following files.
-ts Add a timestamp to each line (format is configurable in multi‐
tail.conf).
-Z color
Specify the color-attributes for the markerline.
-T A timestamp will be placed in the markerline.
-d Do NOT update statusline.
-D Do not display a statusline at all.
-du Put the statusline above the data window.
-z Do not display "window closed" windows.
-u Set screen updateinterval (for slow links).
-m nlines
Set buffersize Set nlines to 0 (zero) if you want no limits on
the buffering.
-mb x Set scrollback buffer size (in bytes, use xKB/MB/GB).
-M nlines
Set the buffersize on ALL following files.
-p x [y]
Set linewrap: a = print everything including linewrap. l = just
show everything starting at the left until the rightside of the
window is reached. r = show everything starting from the right
of the line. s = show everything starting with the processname.
S = show everything starting after the processname. o = show
everything starting at offset 'y'.
-P x [y]
Like -p but for all following windows.
-ke x Strip parts of the input using regular expression 'x'.
-kr x y
Strip parts of the input starting at offset x and ending (not
including!) offset y.
-kc x y
Strip parts of the input: strip column 'y' with delimiter 'x'.
-ks x Use editscheme 'x' from configfile.
-w Do not use colors.
-b n Sets the TAB-width.
--config filename
Load the configuration from given filename.
-x Set xterm-title: %f will be replaced with the last changed file,
%h with the hostname, %l with the load of the system, %m with
"New mail!" when the current user has new mail, %u with the cur‐
rent effective user, %t timestamp of last changed file, %% with
a %
-o configfile-item
Proces a configurationfile item via the commandline in case you
cannot edit the default configfile.
--cont Reconnect lines with a '´ at the end.
--mark-interval interval
When nothing comes in, print a '---mark---' line every 'inter‐
val' seconds.
--mark-change
When multiple files are merged an multitail switches between two
windows, print a markerline with the filename.
--no-mark-change
Do NOT print the markerline when the file changes (overrides the
configfile).
--label text
Put "text" in front of each line. Usefull when merging multiple
files and/or commands.
--retry
Keep trying to open the following file if it is inaccessible.
--retry-all
Like --retry but for all following files.
-cv x Use conversion scheme 'x' (see multitail.conf).
--basename
Only display the filename (and not the path) in the statusline.
-F file
Use 'file' as configfile (instead of default configfile).
--no-load-global-config
Do NOT load the global configfile.
--beep-interval x
Let the terminal beep for every x-th line processed. Press 'i'
in the main menu to see how many times it beeped.
--bi x Like '--beep-interval' but only for current (sub-)window. Sta‐
tistics on the number of beeps can be found in the statistics
for this (sub-)window. Press 't' in the main menu.
-H Show heartbeat (to keep your sessions alive).
-V Show the version and exit.
KEYS
You can press a couple of keys while the program runs. To see a list
of them, press F1 (or ^h). You can press F1 (or ^h) at any time: it
gives you context related information. Press 'q' to exit the program.
EXAMPLES
See http://www.vanheusden.com/multitail/examples.html for more and
other examples.
multitail /var/log/apache/access_log logfile -i -filestartingwithdatsh
This creates three windows. One with the contents of
/var/log/apache/access_log, one with the contents of logfile and
so on.
multitail-R 2 -l "netstat -t"
This runs netstat every 2 seconds and then shows what has
changed since the previous run. That way one can see new connec‐
tions being made and closed connections fading away.
multitail logfile -l "ping 192.168.1.3"
This creates two windows. One with the contents of logfile, one
with with the output of 'ping 192.168.1.3'.
multitail /var/log/apache/access_log -I /var/log/apache/error_log
This creates one window with the contents of
/var/log/apache/access_log merged with the contents of
/var/log/apache/error_log.
multitail-M 0 /var/log/apache/access_log -I /var/log/apache/error_log
Same as previous example. This example will store all logged
entries in a buffer so that you can later on browse through them
(by pressing ' b
').
BUGS
As this program grew larger and larger over the time with new function‐
ality sometimes added ad-hoc, some bugs may have been introduced.
Please notify folkert@vanheusden.com if you find any.
Well, except for the resizing of your terminal window. The program
might crash when doing such things. Upgrading the ncurses library to at
least version 5.3 might help in that case.
SEE ALSO
http://www.vanheusden.com/multitail/
NOTES
This page describes MultiTail as found in the multitail-4.3.1 package;
other versions may differ slightly. Mail corrections and additions to
folkert@vanheusden.com. Report bugs in the program to folkert@vanheus‐
den.com.
MultiTail 2007-02 MULTITAIL(1)
