---
name: "logtail2"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "logtail"
version: "1.4.5+deb13u1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/logtail2"
---

# logtail2(8)

print log file lines that have not been read

## NAME

logtail2 - print log file lines that have not been read

## SYNOPSIS

**logtail2** \[-t\] **-f***logfile* \[-o*offsetfile*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**logtail2** reads a specified file (usually a log file) and writes to the standard output that part of it which has not been read by previous runs of **logtail2**. It prints the appropriate number of bytes from the end of *logfile*, assuming that all changes that are made to it are to add new characters to it.

*logfile* must be a plain file.  A symlink is not allowed.

**logtail2** stores the information about how much of it has already been read in a separate file called *offsetfile*. *offsetfile* can be omitted.  If omitted, the file named *logfile.offset* in the same directory which contains *logfile* is used by default.

If *offsetfile* is not empty, the inode of *logfile* is checked.  If the inode is changed, **logtail2** uses the heuristics stored in */usr/share/logtail/detectrotate/* to find a file that might be the rotated *logfile* and prints it starting with the stored offset. It then proceeds to simply print the entire new *file* and generates a new *offsetfile.* If the inode is not changed but *logfile* is shorter than it was at the last run of **logtail2**, it writes a warning message to the standard output.

## OPTIONS

- **-f**

  *logfile* to be read after offset

- **-o**

  *offsetfile* stores offset of previous run

- **-t**

  test mode - do not change offset in *offsetfile*

## RETURN VALUES

- 0

  successful

- 65

  cannot get the size of *logfile*

- 66

  general file or directory access issue

- 73

  cannot write *offsetfile*

## AUTHOR

The original **logtail** was written in C by Craig H. Rowland \<crowland@psionic.com\>. This version of **logtail** is a modification of Paul Slootman's re-implementation in perl. enhanced by the Debian Logcheck Team \<logcheck@packages.debian.org\>.

This manual was written by Oohara Yuuma \<oohara@libra.interq.or.jp\> and enhanced by the Debian Logcheck Team \<logcheck@packages.debian.org\>..

## SEE ALSO

[**logcheck**(8)](/logcheck/8.md)