Tailspin – A Log File Highlighter
There are multiple programs for working with log files, both inside and outside of the terminal. These tools are feature rich and functional and offer lots of control to the user. However, a lot of the time I found myself just opening raw log files in `less`. I enjoy the simplicity of quickly skimming through the logs, but it was difficult when the wall of text was in one color. For this reason, I created a command line tool called `tailspin` (the name is a take on the `tail` command) that did one thing: highlighting of log files. It is configurable, but requires no setup. It defaults to…
In plain words
Tailspin is a command-line tool that highlights log files to make them easier to read. It requires no setup and works with default configurations, displaying files in less while supporting stdin and stdout. Designed for developers who want a simple alternative to complex log analysis tools, it combines the ease of reading raw logs with color-coded syntax highlighting for quick scanning.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
There are multiple programs for working with log files, both inside and outside of the terminal. These tools are feature rich and functional and offer lots of control to the user. However, a lot of the time I found myself just opening raw log files in `less`. I enjoy the simplicity of quickly skimming through the logs, but it was difficult when the wall of text was in one color. For this reason, I created a command line tool called `tailspin` (the name is a take on the `tail` command) that did one thing: highlighting of log files. It is configurable, but requires no setup. It defaults to opening up a file in `less`, but can also work with stdin and stdout.
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