About lnav
lnav is a log file viewer that runs in a terminal. It is built for reading and searching logs on your own machine or over SSH, and it needs no server to set up.
What it does
lnav opens one or more log files, detects their format and lets you merge, tail, search and filter them. It reads compressed files directly, so you do not need to unpack them first. The tool also supports SQL queries over log data through an SQLite interface, which makes it possible to pivot and summarize events quickly. Online help and previews appear while you work, so new users can learn the common operations.
Key features
- Detects common log formats automatically
- Reads compressed files on the fly
- Merges and tails several logs together
- Filters and searches log lines
- Queries log data with SQL through SQLite
Who it's for
System administrators, developers and anyone who checks logs from a terminal. It suits quick investigations on a server, especially when you do not want to install a larger logging stack.
Pricing and good to know
lnav is free and open source under the BSD-2-Clause licence. It runs in a terminal, so there is no graphical window. The project offers a live demo you can reach over SSH, which lets you try the interface before you install anything on your own machine.
Highlights
- Merge and tail several log files together
- Filter and search log lines
- Read compressed logs without unpacking them
- Query log data with SQL
- Detect log formats automatically
