futility(1) An idiot admires complexity


     TAIL(1)                                                   TAIL(1)

     NAME
          tail - deliver the last part of a file

     SYNOPSIS
          tail [ +-number[lbc][rf] ] [ file ]

          tail [ -fr ] [ -n nlines ] [ -c nbytes ] [ file ]

     DESCRIPTION
          Tail copies the named file to the standard output beginning
          at a designated place.  If no file is named, the standard
          input is copied.

          Copying begins at position +number measured from the begin-
          ning, or -number from the end of the input.  Number is
          counted in lines, 1K blocks or bytes, according to the
          appended flag `l', `b', or `c'.  Default is -10l (ten ell).

          The further flag `r' causes tail to print lines from the end
          of the file in reverse order; `f' (follow) causes tail,
          after printing to the end, to keep watch and print further
          data as it appears.

          The second syntax is that promulgated by POSIX, where the
          numbers rather than the options are signed.

     EXAMPLES
          tail file
               Print the last 10 lines of a file.

          tail +0f file
               Print a file, and continue to watch data accumulate as
               it grows.

          sed 10q file
               Print the first 10 lines of a file.

     SOURCE
          /sys/src/cmd/tail.c

     BUGS
          Tails relative to the end of the file are treasured up in a
          buffer, and thus are limited in length.

          According to custom, option +number counts lines from 1, and
          counts blocks and bytes from 0.

          Tail is ignorant of UTF.