     MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                       2007-02

     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.

                                        - 1 -          Formatted:  April 4, 2018

     MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                       2007-02

               -l "ping host").

          -L command
               Same as -l but add the output to the previous window (so the
               output is merged).

          -j   Read from stdin (can be used only once as there is only 1 stdin).

          -J   Same as -j but add the output to the previous window (so the
               output is merged).

          --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 x Write the output also to file 'x' (like 'tee') AFTER it was
               filtered by MultiTail.

          -A x Write the output also to file 'x' (like 'tee') BEFORE it was
               filtered by MultiTail.

          -g x Send the output also to command 'x' AFTER it was filtered by
               MultiTail.

                                        - 2 -          Formatted:  April 4, 2018

     MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                       2007-02

          -G x Send the output also to command 'x' BEFORE it was filtered by
               MultiTail.

          -S   Prepend merged output with subwindow-number.

          -t title
               With this switch, "title" is displayed in the statusline instead
               of the filename or commandline.

          -n number_of_lines
               Number of lines to tail initially. The default depends on the
               size of the terminal-window.

          -N number_of_lines
               Like -n but this parameter will be used for all files/commands
               you tail after this parameter.

          -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   The help.

          -f   Follow the following filename, not the descriptor.

          --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   Use the next regular expression on the following file.

          -ex  Use regular expression on the following file and execute the
               command when it matches. The command gets as commandline
               parameter the whole matching line.

          -eX  Like '-ex' but only give the matching substring as parameter.
               This requires a regular expression with '(' and ')'.

          -ec  Use regular expression on the following file and display the
               matches.

                                        - 3 -          Formatted:  April 4, 2018

     MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                       2007-02

          -eC  Use regular expression on the following file but display
               everything and display the matches inverted.

          -E   Use the next regular expression on the following files.

          -v   Negate the next regular expression.

          -s x Splits the screen vertically in 'x' columns.

          -sw x
               At what position to split the screen. e.g. '-sw 20,40,,10' (=4
               columns)

          -sn x
               How many windows per column for vertical split (use with -s or
               -sw). e.g. '-sn 3,,2'.

          -wh x
               Sets the height of a window (advisory: if it won't fit, the
               height is adjusted).

          -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 Extra switch for the following switches; do not use reverse
               (inverted) colors.

          -cs  Show the next given file in colors (syslog).

          -c   Show the next given file in colors.

          -Cs  Show all following files in color (through syslog-scheme).

          -C   Show all following files in color.

          -Cf field_index delimiter
               Show all following files in color depending on field selected
               with field_index. Fields are delimited by the defined delimiter.

          -cf field_index delimiter
               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.

                                        - 4 -          Formatted:  April 4, 2018

     MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                       2007-02

          -cT terminalmode
               Interpret terminal codes. Only ANSI supported at this time.

          -c-  Do NOT colorize the following file.

          -C-  Do NOT colorize the following files.

          -ts  Add a timestamp to each line (format is configurable in
               multitail.conf).

          -Z color
               Specify the color-attributes for the markerline.

          -T   A timestamp will be placed in the markerline.

          -d   Do NOT update statusline.

          -D   Do not display a statusline at all.

          -du  Put the statusline above the data window.

          -z   Do not display "window closed" windows.

          -u   Set screen updateinterval (for slow links).

          -m nlines
               Set buffersize Set nlines to 0 (zero) if you want no limits on
               the buffering.

          -mb x
               Set scrollback buffer size (in bytes, use xKB/MB/GB).

          -M nlines
               Set the buffersize on ALL following files.

          -p x [y]
               Set linewrap: a = print everything including linewrap. l = just
               show everything starting 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 processname. 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 x
               Strip parts of the input using regular expression 'x'.

          -kr x y
               Strip parts of the input starting at offset x and ending (not

                                        - 5 -          Formatted:  April 4, 2018

     MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                       2007-02

               including!) offset y.

          -kc x y
               Strip parts of the input: strip column 'y' with delimiter 'x'.

          -ks x
               Use editscheme 'x' from configfile.

          -w   Do not use colors.

          -b n Sets the TAB-width.

          --config filename
               Load the configuration from given filename.

          -x   Set xterm-title: %f will be replaced with the last changed file,
               %h with the hostname, %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 default 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.

                                        - 6 -          Formatted:  April 4, 2018

     MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                       2007-02

          -cv x
               Use conversion scheme 'x' (see multitail.conf).

          --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   Show heartbeat (to keep your sessions alive).

          -V   Show the version and exit.

     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 http://www.vanheusden.com/multitail/examples.html 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'.

                                        - 7 -          Formatted:  April 4, 2018

     MULTITAIL(1)                     MultiTail                     MULTITAIL(1)
                                       2007-02

          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 folkert@vanheusden.com 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
          http://www.vanheusden.com/multitail/

     NOTES
          This page describes MultiTail as found in the multitail-4.3.1 package;
          other versions may differ slightly.  Mail corrections and additions to
          folkert@vanheusden.com.  Report bugs in the program to
          folkert@vanheusden.com.

                                        - 8 -          Formatted:  April 4, 2018