How to View the Last Lines of a File in Linux

Use tail to inspect recent log entries and control how many lines you see.

Short answer

$ tail -n 50 app.log

Shows the last 50 lines. `tail -n 100` is useful for a larger recent-log window.

Large log files are rarely useful from the beginning. `tail` starts at the end, where the newest entries normally are, making it one of the first commands to reach for during troubleshooting.

Step by step

1 Show the last 10 lines

$ tail app.log

Ten lines is the default.

2 Show a specific number

$ tail -n 50 app.log

Displays the last 50 lines.

3 Show the last bytes

$ tail -c 2000 app.log

Useful when you need a byte-sized slice rather than a line count.

4 Follow new entries

$ tail -f app.log

Keeps the command running and prints new data as it is appended.

Tips worth knowing

Use `less +G app.log` when you need to inspect the end interactively.
Combine tail with grep to focus on recent matching entries.
For rotated logs, make sure you are following the file that the service is actually writing.