tail(1)                                                   tail(1)



NAME
     tail - displays the last part of a file

SYNOPSIS
     tail [+[number][[b][f]]] [file]

     tail [+[number][[c][f]]] [file]

     tail [+[number][[l][f]]] [file]

ARGUMENTS
     +number
          Starts copying at the specified distance +number from
          the beginning, or the specified distance -number from
          the end of the input.  If number is null, the value 10
          is assumed.  The specified distance is counted by lines
          (-l) by default.

     b    Counts the specified distance, +number, in units of
          blocks.

     c    Counts the specified distance, +number, in units of
          characters.

     -f   Enters an endless loop (wherein it sleeps for a second
          and then attempts to read and copy further records from
          the input file) instead of terminating after the line
          of the input file has been copied, if the input file is
          not a pipe.  Thus it may be used to monitor the growth
          of a file that is being written by some other process.
          You must interrupt tail to escape this loop.

     file Specifies the file to be used in the tail command.  If
          no file is specified, the standard input is used.

     l    Counts the specified distance, +number, in units of
          lines.  This is the default.

DESCRIPTION
     tail copies the named file to the standard output beginning
     at a designated place.

EXAMPLES
     To print the last ten lines of the file jack, followed by
     any lines that are appended to jack between the time tail is
     initiated and interrupted, enter:

        tail -f jack

     The command:

        tail -15cf jack



January 1992                                                    1

tail(1)                                                   tail(1)



     will print the last 15 characters of the file jack, followed
     by any lines that are appended to jack between the time tail
     is initiated and interrupted.

LIMITATIONS
     Any tails relative to the end of the file are treasured up
     in a buffer, and thus are limited in length.  Various kinds
     of anomalous behavior may happen with character special
     files.

FILES
     /bin/tail
          Executable file

SEE ALSO
     cat(1), dd(1), head(1), more(1), pg(1)







































2                                                    January 1992