tail -f
Display the last lines of a file and follow new additions. -f flag follows the file in real-time.
Primary Syntax
$ tail -f /var/log/auth.log
#
Example Usage
tail -n 50 /var/log/syslog
tail -f /var/log/nginx/access.log#
Quick Tips
• Use man tail to read the full manual
• Add --help flag for quick options reference
• Combine with | less for paginated output
Submitted by: admin
Added: 2/9/2026