---
name: "grabserial"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "grabserial"
version: "2.1.8+git20240709.f7edd29-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/grabserial"
---

# grabserial(1)

Serial line reader

## NAME

grabserial - Serial line reader

## SYNOPSIS

**grabserial**

## DESCRIPTION

**Grabserial** is a small program which reads a serial port and writes the data to standard output. The main purpose of this tool is to collect messages written to the serial console from a target board running Linux, and save the messages on a host machine.

## USAGE

- grabserial \[options\] \<config\_file\>

  ## OPTIONS

- **-h, --help**

   Print this message

- **-d, --device=\<devpath\>**

   Set the device to read (default '/dev/ttyS0')

- **-b, --baudrate=\<val\>**

   Set the baudrate (default 115200)

- **-w, --width=\<val\>**

   Set the data bit width (default 8)

- **-p, --parity=\<val\>**

   Set the parity (default N)

- **-s, --stopbits=\<val\>**

   Set the stopbits (default 1)

- **-x, --xonxoff**

   Enable software flow control (default off)

- **-r, --rtscts**

   Enable RTS/CTS flow control (default off)

- **-f, --force-reset**

   Force pyserial to reset device parameters

- **--endtime=\<secs\>**

   End the program after the specified seconds have elapsed.

- **--command=\<cmd\>**

   Send a command to the port before reading

- **-t, --time**

   Print time for each line received.  The time is\
    when the first character of each line is\
    received by grabserial

- **--systime**

   Print system time for each line received. The time\
    is the absolute local time when the first character\
    of each line is received by grabserial

- **-m, --match=\<pat\>**

   Specify a regular expression pattern to match to\
    set a base time.  Time values for lines after the\
    line matching the pattern will be relative to\
    this base time.

- **-i, --instantpat=\<pat\>**

   Specify a regular expression pattern to have its time\
    reported at end of run.  Works mid-line.

- **-q, --quitpat=\<pat\>**

   Specify a regular expression pattern to end the\
    program. Works mid-line.

- **-l, --launchtime**

   Set base time from launch of program.

- **-o, --output=\<name\>**

   Output data to the named file.

- **-v, --verbose**

   Show verbose runtime messages

- **-V, --version**

   Show version number and exit

## Example

- **grabserial -e 30 -t -m ^Linux version.\***

  This will grab serial input for 30 seconds, displaying the time for each line, and re-setting the base time when the line starting with "Linux version" is seen.

## AUTHOR

This manual page was written by Nobuhiro Iwamatsu \<iwamatsu@debian.org\>, for the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be used by others).