packages icon



 MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                   2007-02



 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
      windows 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
      example, monitor a complete directory of files. Merging of 2 or even
      more logfiles is possible. It can also use colors while displaying the
      logfiles (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
           parameters.  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
           modification 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.



                                    - 1 -         Formatted:  March 29, 2024






 MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                   2007-02



           -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
           processed.

      -a x Write the output also to file 'x' (like 'tee') AFTER it was
           filtered 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.



                                    - 2 -         Formatted:  March 29, 2024






 MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                   2007-02



      -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
           parameter 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.




                                    - 3 -         Formatted:  March 29, 2024






 MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                   2007-02



      -eC  Use regular expression on the following file but display
           everything 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.




                                    - 4 -         Formatted:  March 29, 2024






 MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                   2007-02



      -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
           multitail.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



                                    - 5 -         Formatted:  March 29, 2024






 MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                   2007-02



           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
           current 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 'interval'
           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.





                                    - 6 -         Formatted:  March 29, 2024






 MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                   2007-02



      -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.
           Statistics 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 connections
           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'.





                                    - 7 -         Formatted:  March 29, 2024






 MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                   2007-02



      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
      functionality 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@vanheusden.com.























                                    - 8 -         Formatted:  March 29, 2024