OS Manuals

/usr/bin/tail

Cross-platform Rust rewrite of the GNU coreutils.

From uutils 0.12.0-r6 (os), captured 2026-11-07 by running tail --help (exit 0). permalink

Print the last 10 lines of each FILE to standard output.
With more than one FILE, precede each with a header giving the file name.
With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

Usage: tail [OPTION]... [FILE]...

Arguments:
  [files]...

Options:
  -c, --bytes <bytes>            Number of bytes to print
  -f, --follow[=<follow>]        Print the file as it grows [possible values: descriptor, name]
  -n, --lines <lines>            Number of lines to print
      --pid <PID>                With -f, terminate after process ID, PID dies
  -q, --quiet                    Never output headers giving file names [alias: --silent]
  -s, --sleep-interval <N>       Number of seconds to sleep between polling the file when running
                                 with -f
      --max-unchanged-stats <N>  Reopen a FILE which has not changed size after N (default 5)
                                 iterations to see if it has been unlinked or renamed (this is the
                                 usual case of rotated log files); This option is meaningful only
                                 when polling (i.e., with --use-polling) and when --follow=name
  -v, --verbose                  Always output headers giving file names
  -z, --zero-terminated          Line delimiter is NUL, not newline
      --use-polling              Disable 'inotify' support and use polling instead
      --retry                    Keep trying to open a file if it is inaccessible
  -F                             Same as --follow=name --retry
      --debug                    indicate which --follow implementation is used
  -h, --help                     Print help
  -V, --version                  Print version
Options (15)
OptionDescriptionSource
-c, --bytes bytesNumber of bytes to printhelp + man
-f, --follow followPrint the file as it grows [possible values: descriptor, name]help + man
-n, --lines linesNumber of lines to printhelp + man
--pid PIDWith -f, terminate after process ID, PID dieshelp + man
-q, --quietNever output headers giving file names [alias: --silent]help + man
-s, --sleep-interval NNumber of seconds to sleep between polling the file when running with -fhelp + man
--max-unchanged-stats NReopen a FILE which has not changed size after N (default 5) iterations to see if it has been unlinked or renamed (this is the usual case of rotated log files);help + man
-v, --verboseAlways output headers giving file nameshelp + man
-z, --zero-terminatedLine delimiter is NUL, not newlinehelp + man
--use-pollingDisable 'inotify' support and use polling insteadhelp + man
--retryKeep trying to open a file if it is inaccessiblehelp + man
-FSame as --follow=name --retryhelp + man
--debugindicate which --follow implementation is usedhelp + man
-h, --helpPrint helphelp + man
-V, --versionPrint versionhelp + man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.