cvsroot/root-tail/root-tail.man

.TH ROOTTAIL 1 "2004-03-27" "Version 1.0"
.UC 5
.SH NAME
root-tail \- print text directly to X11 root window
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B root-tail
.RB [ \-g \|| \-\-geometry
.IR GEOMETRY ]
.RB [ \-fn \|| \-\-font
.IR FONTSPEC ]
.RB [ \-\-color
.IR color ]
.RB [ \-\-reload
.IR SEC
.IR COMMAND ]
.RB [ \-\-shade ]
.RB [ \-\-outline ]
.RB [ \-\-minspace ]
.RB [ \-\-noflicker ]
.RB [ \-f \|| \-\-fork ]
.RB [ \-\-reverse ]
.RB [ \-\-whole ]
.RB [ \-\-partial ]
.RB [ \-\-update ]
.RB [ \-\-cont
.IR STRING ]
.RB [ \-\-wordwrap ]
.RB [ \-\-justify ]
.RB [ \-\-noinitial ]
.RB [ \-\-frame ]
.RB [ \-id
.IR ID ]
.RB [ \-i \|| \-\-interval
.IR SECONDS ]
.RB [ \-V ]
file1[,color[,desc]]
[file2[,color[,desc]]]
.\" Die Beschreibung
.SH DESCRIPTION
Displays a given file anywhere on your X11 root window, i.e. it is kind of tail -f for multiple files
using your desktop background as output window.
.PP
All non-option arguments on the comamnd line are files to be logged. A
null desc (example: "/var/log/messages,red,") will prevent the printing of
a description and the []'s.
.PP
.SS General Options
.TP
.BI \-\-color " COLOR"
Use COLOR as default.
.TP
.BI "\-\-font \|| -fn" " FONTSPEC"
Use font FONTSPEC. This can be either a fixed width font like \fB\-fn\fI
fixed\fR or any font using \fB\-fn \fR'\fI-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*\fR' with
the appropriate fields filled out (see xfontsel).  Specifying a
different FONTSPEC before each filename will cause each file to be
displayed in a different font.
.TP
.B -f \|| \-\-fork
Forks to the background.
.TP
.B \-\-reverse
Display the files in reverse order, with the newest lines at the top.
.TP
.B \-\-whole
Only display whole lines. If the last line of a file doesn't yet end
with a newline character then wait until it does before displaying
it. This is the default if more than one file is being displayed.
.TP
.B \-\-partial
This is the opposite of the \fB\-\-whole\fR option (see above). It displays
lines even if they don't yet have a newline at the end. This is the
default if only one file is being displayed.
.TP
.B \-\-update
Update partial lines 'in place' if they are still on the screen when
they are updated in their files. Using \fB\-\-update\fR automatically turns on
\fB\-\-partial\fR.
.TP
.BI \-\-cont " STRING"
When partial lines are broken into two lines in the display, prefix
the 2nd line with STRING. Defaults to "\fI|| \fR". Specify the "\fB\-\-whole\fR"
argument to ensure partial lines are never displayed, or specify "\fB\-\-update\fR"
to attempt to "repair" broken lines in-place.
.TP
.BI \-\-cont-color " COLOR"
Use COLOR when displaying the continuation string (as optionally
specified with the \fB\-\-cont\fR option above).
.TP
.B \-\-wordwrap
The default behaviour is to fit as much as possible onto each line of
output, even if this means splitting a word between one line and the
next. The \fB\-\-wordwrap\fR argument splits lines at spaces if
possible.
.TP
.B \-\-justify
After wrapping long lines, attempt to justify the text to produce a
smooth right-hand margin.  Implies \fB\-\-wordwrap\fR.
.TP
.BI \-\-reload " SEC COMMAND"
Re-display the file(s) and run COMMAND every SEC seconds. The
default is to never re-display the file(s).
.TP
.B \-\-shade
Add black shading to the font.
.TP
.B \-\-outline
Add a black outline to the font (making redraws quite a bit slower).
.TP
.B \-\-minspace
Use minimum linespace even when using shading or outlining. This might result in
leftover pixels (dependign on font and logfile content).
.TP
.B \-\-noflicker
Use slower but flicker-free update.
.TP
.B \-\-noinitial
Don't display the end of the file(s) initially.
.TP
.BI "\-id" " ID"
Use the given window ID for output instead of the root window.
.TP
.BI "\-i \|| \-\-interval" " SECONDS"
Use the specified sleeping interval between checks instead of the
default 2.4 seconds. Fractional values are OK.
.TP
.B \-V
Print version information.
.TP
.B \-\-frame
Draw a frame around the selected area.  This is useful when trying to
find the perfect geometry.
.IP
.SH EXAMPLE
.PP
root-tail -g 800x250+100+50 -font 10x20 /var/log/messages,green -font 12x24 /var/log/secure,red,'ALERT'
.SH BUGS
.PP
Some desktop environments open a virtual root window and make it difficult to share it. If
you cannot see anything after starting root-tail, try to find a setting "allow programs
on desktop" or similar, or manually specify a window id.
.PP
Should you happen to find any bugs please fix them and send me a diff.
.PP
NOTE: This program was modified by Marc Lehmann <pcg@goof.com>, who
couldn't reach the original author. Please direct bug-reports etc. to
pcg@goof.com.
.PP
http://root-tail.plan9.de/
Revision:	1.19
Committed:	Sun Apr 11 22:08:16 2004 UTC (22 years, 6 months ago) by pcg
Content type:	application/x-troff-man
Branch:	MAIN
CVS Tags:	rel-1_2
Changes since 1.18:	+51 -46 lines
Log Message:	* empty log message *
#	User	Rev	Content
1	pcg	1.5	.TH ROOTTAIL 1 "2004-03-27" "Version 1.0"
2	pcg	1.1	.UC 5
3			.SH NAME
4			root-tail \- print text directly to X11 root window
5			.SH SYNOPSIS
6			.B root-tail
7	pcg	1.19	.RB [ \-g \\|\| \-\-geometry
8	pcg	1.1	.IR GEOMETRY ]
9	pcg	1.19	.RB [ \-fn \\|\| \-\-font
10	pcg	1.1	.IR FONTSPEC ]
11	pcg	1.19	.RB [ \-\-color
12	pcg	1.1	.IR color ]
13	pcg	1.19	.RB [ \-\-reload
14	pcg	1.1	.IR SEC
15			.IR COMMAND ]
16	pcg	1.19	.RB [ \-\-shade ]
17			.RB [ \-\-outline ]
18			.RB [ \-\-minspace ]
19			.RB [ \-\-noflicker ]
20			.RB [ \-f \\|\| \-\-fork ]
21			.RB [ \-\-reverse ]
22			.RB [ \-\-whole ]
23			.RB [ \-\-partial ]
24			.RB [ \-\-update ]
25			.RB [ \-\-cont
26	chris_moore	1.3	.IR STRING ]
27	pcg	1.19	.RB [ \-\-wordwrap ]
28			.RB [ \-\-justify ]
29			.RB [ \-\-noinitial ]
30			.RB [ \-\-frame ]
31	chris_moore	1.9	.RB [ \-id
32			.IR ID ]
33	pcg	1.19	.RB [ \-i \\|\| \-\-interval
34	pcg	1.1	.IR SECONDS ]
35			.RB [ \-V ]
36			file1[,color[,desc]]
37			[file2[,color[,desc]]]
38			.\" Die Beschreibung
39			.SH DESCRIPTION
40	chris_moore	1.18	Displays a given file anywhere on your X11 root window, i.e. it is kind of tail -f for multiple files
41	pcg	1.17	using your desktop background as output window.
42			.PP
43			All non-option arguments on the comamnd line are files to be logged. A
44			null desc (example: "/var/log/messages,red,") will prevent the printing of
45			a description and the []'s.
46	pcg	1.1	.PP
47			.SS General Options
48			.TP
49	pcg	1.19	.BI \-\-color " COLOR"
50	chris_moore	1.13	Use COLOR as default.
51	pcg	1.1	.TP
52	pcg	1.19	.BI "\-\-font \\|\| -fn" " FONTSPEC"
53			Use font FONTSPEC. This can be either a fixed width font like \fB\-fn\fI
54			fixed\fR or any font using \fB\-fn \fR'\fI--------------\fR' with
55	chris_moore	1.14	the appropriate fields filled out (see xfontsel). Specifying a
56			different FONTSPEC before each filename will cause each file to be
57			displayed in a different font.
58	pcg	1.1	.TP
59	pcg	1.19	.B -f \\|\| \-\-fork
60	pcg	1.12	Forks to the background.
61	chris_moore	1.3	.TP
62	pcg	1.19	.B \-\-reverse
63	chris_moore	1.3	Display the files in reverse order, with the newest lines at the top.
64			.TP
65	pcg	1.19	.B \-\-whole
66	pcg	1.7	Only display whole lines. If the last line of a file doesn't yet end
67	chris_moore	1.3	with a newline character then wait until it does before displaying
68	pcg	1.7	it. This is the default if more than one file is being displayed.
69	chris_moore	1.3	.TP
70	pcg	1.19	.B \-\-partial
71			This is the opposite of the \fB\-\-whole\fR option (see above). It displays
72	pcg	1.7	lines even if they don't yet have a newline at the end. This is the
73	chris_moore	1.3	default if only one file is being displayed.
74			.TP
75	pcg	1.19	.B \-\-update
76	chris_moore	1.3	Update partial lines 'in place' if they are still on the screen when
77	pcg	1.19	they are updated in their files. Using \fB\-\-update\fR automatically turns on
78			\fB\-\-partial\fR.
79	chris_moore	1.3	.TP
80	pcg	1.19	.BI \-\-cont " STRING"
81	chris_moore	1.11	When partial lines are broken into two lines in the display, prefix
82	pcg	1.19	the 2nd line with STRING. Defaults to "\fI\|\| \fR". Specify the "\fB\-\-whole\fR"
83			argument to ensure partial lines are never displayed, or specify "\fB\-\-update\fR"
84	chris_moore	1.11	to attempt to "repair" broken lines in-place.
85	pcg	1.1	.TP
86	pcg	1.19	.BI \-\-cont-color " COLOR"
87	chris_moore	1.13	Use COLOR when displaying the continuation string (as optionally
88	pcg	1.19	specified with the \fB\-\-cont\fR option above).
89	chris_moore	1.13	.TP
90	pcg	1.19	.B \-\-wordwrap
91	chris_moore	1.9	The default behaviour is to fit as much as possible onto each line of
92			output, even if this means splitting a word between one line and the
93	pcg	1.19	next. The \fB\-\-wordwrap\fR argument splits lines at spaces if
94	chris_moore	1.9	possible.
95			.TP
96	pcg	1.19	.B \-\-justify
97	chris_moore	1.13	After wrapping long lines, attempt to justify the text to produce a
98	pcg	1.19	smooth right-hand margin. Implies \fB\-\-wordwrap\fR.
99	chris_moore	1.13	.TP
100	pcg	1.19	.BI \-\-reload " SEC COMMAND"
101	pcg	1.7	Re-display the file(s) and run COMMAND every SEC seconds. The
102	chris_moore	1.3	default is to never re-display the file(s).
103	pcg	1.1	.TP
104	pcg	1.19	.B \-\-shade
105	pcg	1.4	Add black shading to the font.
106			.TP
107	pcg	1.19	.B \-\-outline
108	chris_moore	1.11	Add a black outline to the font (making redraws quite a bit slower).
109	pcg	1.1	.TP
110	pcg	1.19	.B \-\-minspace
111			Use minimum linespace even when using shading or outlining. This might result in
112			leftover pixels (dependign on font and logfile content).
113			.TP
114			.B \-\-noflicker
115	pcg	1.6	Use slower but flicker-free update.
116			.TP
117	pcg	1.19	.B \-\-noinitial
118	pcg	1.1	Don't display the end of the file(s) initially.
119			.TP
120	pcg	1.2	.BI "\-id" " ID"
121	chris_moore	1.3	Use the given window ID for output instead of the root window.
122	pcg	1.2	.TP
123	pcg	1.19	.BI "\-i \\|\| \-\-interval" " SECONDS"
124	chris_moore	1.3	Use the specified sleeping interval between checks instead of the
125	pcg	1.4	default 2.4 seconds. Fractional values are OK.
126	pcg	1.1	.TP
127			.B \-V
128			Print version information.
129			.TP
130	pcg	1.19	.B \-\-frame
131	chris_moore	1.15	Draw a frame around the selected area. This is useful when trying to
132			find the perfect geometry.
133	pcg	1.1	.IP
134			.SH EXAMPLE
135			.PP
136	chris_moore	1.14	root-tail -g 800x250+100+50 -font 10x20 /var/log/messages,green -font 12x24 /var/log/secure,red,'ALERT'
137	pcg	1.1	.SH BUGS
138			.PP
139	pcg	1.16	Some desktop environments open a virtual root window and make it difficult to share it. If
140			you cannot see anything after starting root-tail, try to find a setting "allow programs
141			on desktop" or similar, or manually specify a window id.
142			.PP
143	pcg	1.1	Should you happen to find any bugs please fix them and send me a diff.
144			.PP
145			NOTE: This program was modified by Marc Lehmann <pcg@goof.com>, who
146	chris_moore	1.3	couldn't reach the original author. Please direct bug-reports etc. to
147			pcg@goof.com.
148	pcg	1.1	.PP
149			http://root-tail.plan9.de/