How Does Tail Work Linux?
Contents

The tail command is a command-line utility for outputting the last part of files given to it via standard input. It writes results to standard output. By default tail returns the last ten lines of each file that it is given. It may also be used to follow a file in real-time and watch as new lines are written to it.

What does tail do in Linux?

The tail command, as the name implies, print the last N number of data of the given input. By default it prints the last 10 lines of the specified files. If more than one file name is provided then data from each file is precedes by its file name.

How do you tail a file in Linux?

How to Use the Tail Command

  1. Enter the tail command, followed by the file you’d like to view: tail /var/log/auth.log. …
  2. To change the number of lines displayed, use the -n option: tail -n 50 /var/log/auth.log. …
  3. To show a real-time, streaming output of a changing file, use the -f or –follow options: tail -f /var/log/auth.log.

10 апр. 2017 г.

Marcus Vance

Marcus Vance

Cybersecurity & Digital Privacy Researcher

Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.

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