Cheat Sheet #day58

`tail` Command Cheatsheet

The tail command in Unix-like operating systems is used to display the last part of a file. Here’s a quick reference guide:

Basic Syntax

tail [OPTION]... [FILE]...

Common Options

-n NUM, --lines=NUM: Output the last NUM lines. Default is 10.
```
  tail -n 20 file.txt
```
-c NUM, --bytes=NUM: Output the last NUM bytes.
```
  tail -c 100 file.txt
```
-f, --follow: Output appended data as the file grows. Useful for monitoring log files.
```
  tail -f /var/log/syslog
```
-F, --follow=name --retry: Similar to -f, but will try to reopen the file if it is moved or rotated.
```
  tail -F /var/log/syslog
```
-q, --quiet, --silent: Never output headers giving file names.
```
  tail -q file1.txt file2.txt
```
-v, --verbose: Always output headers giving file names.
```
  tail -v file.txt
```

Examples

Display the last 10 lines of a file:
```
 tail file.txt
```
Display the last 20 lines of a file:
```
 tail -n 20 file.txt
```
Display the last 100 bytes of a file:
```
 tail -c 100 file.txt
```
Follow a log file in real-time:
```
 tail -f /var/log/syslog
```
Follow a log file and retry if it is rotated:
```
 tail -F /var/log/syslog
```
Display the last 10 lines of multiple files:
```
 tail file1.txt file2.txt
```
Display the last 10 lines of multiple files with headers:
```
 tail -v file1.txt file2.txt
```
Quiet mode for multiple files without headers:
```
 tail -q file1.txt file2.txt
```

Additional Information

Display help:
```
  tail --help
```
View tail manual page:
```
  man tail
```

This cheatsheet covers the essential options and usage scenarios for the tail command. For more advanced features, refer to the man page or use tail --help.