# Install multitail with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper Tail multiple files in one terminal simultaneously. Version 7.1.5 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:multitail ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install multitail ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install multitail ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/multitail/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add multitail ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: multitail from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install multitail ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: multitail from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install multitail ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: multitail from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#multitail ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mu/multitail/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install multitail ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: multitail from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:multitail - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 7.1.5 - **Source summary:** Tail multiple files in one terminal simultaneously - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - multitail (cli) - multitail (alias) ## Dependencies - ncurses ## Build dependencies - pkgconf ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 7.1.5 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/folkertvanheusden/multitail - Upstream latest detected: 7.1.5 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage MultiTail, by Folkert van Heusden, is a terminal log-monitoring program often summarized by its project page as "tail on steroids." It keeps the familiar purpose of `tail -f` but uses an ncurses interface to follow one or many files in separate terminal panes, merge multiple inputs into one view, monitor wildcard-selected log files, and display output from external commands. ### Project history The tool's practical history is tied to Unix system administration before centralized log dashboards became common. Its feature list grew around live incident work: regex filtering, color rules, highlighting, search across windows, hiding and merging panes, status lines, scrollback, labels, and example color schemes for services such as Apache, Postfix, Squid, Asterisk, Sendmail, Samba, Exim, tcpdump, BIND, MySQL logs, and firewall logs. Its project news page shows public releases at least as far back as the mid-2000s, with a stable 7.0.0 release announced in 2022. ### How it is used In package managers, MultiTail occupies the small but durable niche between plain `tail`, `less`, `watch`, log colorizers, and full observability systems. It is packaged across Homebrew, MacPorts, Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, Alpine, Nix, and openSUSE-style ecosystems because it remains useful on servers and SSH sessions where a single terminal is the whole interface. ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** multitail - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - multitail - 7.1.5-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: multitail from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | view multiple logfiles windowed on console - Nix - multitail: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mu/multitail/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - multitail - 6.5.0-6: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: multitail from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | view multiple logfiles windowed on console - apk - multitail - 7.1.5-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: multitail from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | MultiTail lets you view one or multiple files like the original tail program | http://www.vanheusden.com/multitail - apk - multitail-doc - 7.1.5-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: multitail-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | MultiTail lets you view one or multiple files like the original tail program (documentation) | http://www.vanheusden.com/multitail - dnf - multitail - 7.1.5-3.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: multitail from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | View one or multiple files like tail but with multiple windows | https://www.vanheusden.com/multitail/ - zypper - multitail - 6.5.0-2.6: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: multitail from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Tail Multiple Files | https://www.vanheusden.com/multitail/ - MacPorts - multitail: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/multitail/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [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. - [ncurses](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ncurses/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [colortail](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/colortail/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, logs, system, tail, terminal. - [since](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/since/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, log-monitoring, system, tail. - [apachetop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/apachetop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, logs, monitoring, system. - [dfc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dfc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, system, terminal. - [gonzo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gonzo/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, logs, system, terminal. - [gotop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gotop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, system, terminal. - [htop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/htop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, system, terminal. - [hwatch](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hwatch/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, system, terminal. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/multitail.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/multitail.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - 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