# Install colortail with Homebrew, apt Like tail(1), but with various colors for specified output. Version 0.3.5 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:colortail ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install colortail ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install colortail ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: colortail from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:colortail - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.3.5 - **Source summary:** Like tail(1), but with various colors for specified output - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - colortail (cli) - colortail (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.3.5 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/joakim666/colortail - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage Colortail is a Unix log-watching utility that follows files like `tail` while applying colors to lines or line fragments matched by regular expressions. ### Project history Joakim Ek's README says the idea came from watching multiple log files in an IRC session and wanting unusual lines to stand out quickly. Version 0.1 used a simpler wildcard-style configuration, version 0.2 moved to regular expressions, and later patch activity led to a C++ rewrite. ### Adoption history The README credits external patches for multicolored lines, FreeBSD and OpenBSD compatibility, Debian packaging, and 64-bit testing. The supplied package-manager metadata lists Homebrew, Debian, and Ubuntu, reflecting a small but persistent Unix utility footprint. ### How it is used Users run `colortail` against one or more log files and pass config files with `-k`; a single config can apply globally, or multiple comma-separated configs can be mapped to multiple tailed files. ### Why package nerds care Colortail is package-nerd useful because it preserves the mental model of `tail -f` while adding configurable color rules. It predates many modern log viewers and remains a compact example of log highlighting as a Unix filter-style tool. ### Timeline - 2000s: Initial versions evolved from wildcard matching to regular-expression matching. - 2009: README for Colortail 0.3.5 carries Joakim Ek copyright notice. - 2009: README credits Debian packaging and portability patches from contributors. ### Related projects - Colortail is directly related to `tail`, `regex(7)`, syslog-style log files, and terminal color highlighting tools. ### Sources - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: ~/.colortail/ ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** colortail - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - colortail - 0.3.4+git20191125.ad3bc53-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: colortail from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | log colorizer that makes log checking easier | https://github.com/joakim666/colortail - Ubuntu apt - colortail - 0.3.3-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: colortail from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | log colorizer that makes log checking easier | http://joakimandersson.se/projects/colortail/ ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [abduco](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/abduco/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal. - [cmatrix](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmatrix/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal. - [cocot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cocot/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal. - [dtach](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dtach/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal. - [gtop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gtop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal. - [hwatch](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hwatch/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal. - [lazyjournal](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lazyjournal/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, logging, logs, system. - [less](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/less/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal. - [termbg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/termbg/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, color, system, terminal. - [vivid](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/vivid/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, color, colors, system, terminal. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/colortail.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/colortail.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph