# Install tailspin with Homebrew, apk, apt, Nix, pacman, scoop Log file highlighter. Version 6.1.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-14. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:tailspin ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install tailspin ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add tailspin ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: tailspin from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install tailspin ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: tailspin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#tailspin ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ta/tailspin/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S tailspin ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: tailspin from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz ### Windows - Scoop (92%): ```sh scoop install main/tailspin ``` Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/tailspin.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:tailspin - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 6.1.0 - **Source summary:** Log file highlighter - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-05-14T12:05:08Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - tspin (cli) - tspin (alias) ## Build dependencies - rust ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 6.1.0 - Package-manager updated: 2026-05-14 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/bensadeh/tailspin - Upstream latest detected: 6.1.0 (current) ## Project history and usage tailspin is a Rust command-line log highlighter distributed as the `tspin` executable. Its upstream README presents it as a no-setup tool for viewing or tailing arbitrary log files while highlighting common log tokens such as dates, numbers, IP addresses, UUIDs, URLs, paths, keywords, and process names. ### Project history The project fits the modern Rust CLI pattern: a small terminal tool with sensible defaults, TOML customization, Cargo availability, and examples built around Unix pipelines. Its README emphasizes that tailspin does not assume a specific log format, which makes it useful across application, infrastructure, and Kubernetes log streams. ### Adoption history Upstream installation instructions list Homebrew, Cargo, Arch Linux, Nix, NetBSD, FreeBSD, and Scoop, showing that the tool moved beyond source builds into the package-manager channels used by command-line users on several platforms. ### How it is used Common usage is to run `tspin application.log`, pipe log output through `tspin`, or wrap a command such as `kubectl logs` with `--exec`. The README also documents integration with `less`, environment-variable extras, command-line highlights, and a user theme file. ### Why package nerds care Package maintainers care about tailspin because it is a compact example of the Rust terminal-tool wave: a single executable, cross-platform packaging, no required daemon or service, and a configuration file only for users who want themed highlighting. ### Timeline - Current upstream README: Documents `tspin` usage, multiple package-manager installs, and optional `~/.config/tailspin/theme.toml` customization. ### Related projects - tailspin is adjacent to classic pagers and log viewers such as `less`, but it focuses on syntax-style highlighting for generic logs rather than on indexing, querying, or storing log data. ### Sources - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for tailspin. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL. ## 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: ~/.config/tailspin/theme.toml ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** tailspin - **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 - tailspin - 5.4.2~dfsg-1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: tailspin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | log file highlighter | https://github.com/bensadeh/tailspin - Nix - tailspin: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ta/tailspin/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - tailspin - 2.0.0+dfsg-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: tailspin from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | log file highlighter | https://github.com/bensadeh/tailspin - apk - tailspin - 5.5.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: tailspin from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Log file highlighter | https://github.com/bensadeh/tailspin - apk - tailspin-bash-completion - 5.5.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: tailspin-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Bash completions for tailspin | https://github.com/bensadeh/tailspin - apk - tailspin-doc - 5.5.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: tailspin-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Log file highlighter (documentation) | https://github.com/bensadeh/tailspin - apk - tailspin-fish-completion - 5.5.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: tailspin-fish-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Fish completions for tailspin | https://github.com/bensadeh/tailspin - apk - tailspin-zsh-completion - 5.5.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: tailspin-zsh-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Zsh completions for tailspin | https://github.com/bensadeh/tailspin - pacman - tailspin - 6.1.0-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: tailspin from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A log file highlighter | https://github.com/bensadeh/tailspin - Scoop - main/tailspin: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/tailspin.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## 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. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [rust](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rust/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [fblog](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fblog/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, logging, logs, rust. - [clog](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/clog/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, logging, logs. - [hl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, logging, logs. - [humanlog](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/humanlog/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, logging, logs. - [logdy](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/logdy/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, logging, logs. - [codesnap](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/codesnap/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, rust, syntax-highlighting. - [codevis](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/codevis/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, rust, syntax-highlighting. - [git-delta](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/git-delta/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, pager, syntax-highlighting. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/tailspin.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/tailspin.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