TAIL(1L) TAIL(1L) NNAAMMEE tail - output the last part of files SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS ttaaiill [-c [+]N[bkm]] [-n [+]N] [-fqv] [--bytes=[+]N[bkm]] [--lines=[+]N] [--follow] [--quiet] [--silent] [--verbose] [--help] [--version] [file...] ttaaiill [{-,+}Nbcfklmqv] [file...] DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN This manual page documents the GNU version of ttaaiill. ttaaiill prints the last part (10 lines by default) of each given file; it reads from standard input if no files are given or when a filename of `-' is encountered. If more than one file is given, it prints a header consisting of the file's name enclosed in `==>' and `<==' before the output for each file. The GNU ttaaiill can output any amount of data, unlike the Unix version, which uses a fixed size buffer. It has no _-_r option (print in reverse). Reversing a file is really a different job from printing the end of a file; the BSD ttaaiill can only reverse files that are at most as large as its buffer, which is typically 32k. A reliable and more versatile way to reverse files is the GNU ttaacc command. OOPPTTIIOONNSS ttaaiill accepts two option formats: the new one, in which numbers are arguments 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 `+', ttaaiill begins printing with the Nth item from the start of each file, instead of from the end. _-_c _N_, _-_-_b_y_t_e_s _N Tail by N bytes. N is a nonzero integer, option- ally followed by one of the following characters to specify a different unit. b 512-byte blocks. k 1-kilobyte blocks. m 1-megabyte blocks. _-_f_, _-_-_f_o_l_l_o_w Loop forever trying to read more characters at the end of the file, on the assumption that the file is growing. Ignored if reading from a pipe. If more than one file is given, ttaaiill prints a header when- ever it gets output from a different file, to FSF GNU Text Utilities 1 TAIL(1L) TAIL(1L) indicate which file that output is from. _-_l_, _-_n _N_, _-_-_l_i_n_e_s _N Tail by N lines. _-_l is only recognized using the old option format. _-_q_, _-_-_q_u_i_e_t_, _-_-_s_i_l_e_n_t Never print filename headers. _-_v_, _-_-_v_e_r_b_o_s_e Always print filename headers. _-_-_h_e_l_p Print a usage message and exit with a non-zero sta- tus. _-_-_v_e_r_s_i_o_n Print version information on standard output then exit. FSF GNU Text Utilities 2 .