# multitail(1) - man - phpman > **TLDR:** Extension of tail. > - Tail all files matching a pattern in a single stream: `multitail -Q 1 '{{pattern}}'` - Tail all files in a directory in a single stream: `multitail -Q 1 '{{path/to/directory}}/*'` - Automatically add new files to a window: `multitail -Q {{pattern}}` - Show 5 logfiles while merging 2 and put them in 2 columns with only one in the left column: `multitail -s 2 -sn 1,3 {{path/to/mergefile}} -I {{path/to/file1}} {{path/to/file2}} {{path/to/file3}} {{path/to/file4}}` *Source: tldr-pages* --- [MULTITAIL(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MULTITAIL/1/markdown) General Commands Manual [MULTITAIL(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MULTITAIL/1/markdown) ## 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. -l "ping host"). ### -L command Same as **-l** but add the output to the previous window (so the output is merged). ### -j ### -J -j ### --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 Note: you need to put "-a file" BEFORE to the file you're monitoring! ### -A Also see the note for "-a". ### -g ### -G ### -S ### -t title With this switch, "title" is displayed in the statusline instead of the filename or commandline. ### -n Number of lines to tail initially. The default depends on the size of the terminal- window. ### -N Like -n but this parameter will be used for all files/commands you tail after this pa‐ rameter. ### -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 ### -f ### --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 ### -ex The command gets as commandline parameter the whole matching line. ### -eX expression with '(' and ')'. ### -ec ### -eC matches inverted. ### -E ### -v ### -s ### -sw ### -sn ### -wh ### -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 ### -cs ### -c ### -Cs ### -C ### -Cf Show all following files in color depending on field selected with field_index. Fields are delimited by the defined delimiter. ### -cf 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- ### -C- ### -ts ### -Z color Specify the color-attributes for the markerline. ### -T ### -d ### -D ### -du ### -z ### -u ### -m nlines Set buffersize Set **nlines** to 0 (zero) if you want no limits on the buffering. ### -mb ### -M nlines Set the buffersize on ALL following files. ### -p x [y] Set linewrap: a = print everything including linewrap. l = just show everything start‐ ing 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 process‐ name. 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 ### -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 ### -w ### -b ### --config filename Load the configuration from given filename. ### -x %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 de‐ fault 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. ### -cv ### --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 ### -V ## 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 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'. **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 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 ### ## NOTES This page describes **MultiTail** as found in the multitail-4.3.1 package; other versions may differ slightly. Mail corrections and additions to . Report bugs in the program to . MultiTail 2007-02 [MULTITAIL(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MULTITAIL/1/markdown)