If you are a Linux lover, you must have some knowledge about Linux log viewer tools. Log viewer gives you a full visual history of everything happening in your Linux system. We will have each piece of information in the logs file, such as the application log, system log, event log, script log, rewrite log, process ID, etc.
Best Log Viewers and Log Analyzers
We have compiled a list of 15 log file viewers’ tools to give you clear insight and make sure of what will be best for you. So let’s get started.
1. LOGalyze
LOGalyze does its job quite impeccably with a focus on log analysis. Also, it has the usability of network observation which comes with the package. When it comes to processing all of your log information in a single place, LOGalyze is helpful.
Moreover, you don’t have to worry about whether it’s going to support your requirement or not because it goes with Linux/Unix servers, network devices, and Windows hosts.
This software can detect all of your real-time events with the ability of intensive search. LOGalyze can define your events. Plus, it can alert you by comparing your log info. Moreover, you can close your events in haste with the ticketing system.
Features of LOGalyze
- LOGalyze is a Syslog UDP/TCP collector that collects plain text files over HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, and SFTP.
- Works as SNMP trap collector.
- LOGalyze creates real-time multidimensional statistics on individual fields of the log.
- Offers a web-based customizable user interface based on HTML.
- Provides various output like- email, HTML online, CSV, and XLS.
Get LOGalyze
2. Glogg
If you have long log files that are also quite complicated, then Glogg is the right choice for you to browse and search through them. This multi-platform GUI application is built to make things easier for you. Even if you have very complex log files, this application can easily do the job.
Features of Glogg
- This Linux log analyzer runs on Unix systems, Windows, and Mac OS.
- It opens a second window while showing the result of the current search.
- Reading the root file directory from the disk without loading it into memory is much faster.
- Colorize specific log files and search results.
- Supports regular expressions like Grep/egrep.
- Glogg can also read the UTF-8 and ISO-8859-1 files.
Get Glogg
3. GoAccess
When it comes to a weblog analyzer that operates in real-time, GoAccess is the perfect choice for you. This open-source log viewer is quite interactive and is made for the Unix-type system. For both the *nix system and web browser, this Linux log analyzer can easily operate in a terminal. Even if you need a visual server report in haste, it comes in quite handy with very fast HTTP statistics.
Features of GoAccess
- Allows custom log format string & Predefined options.
- This real-time analyzer can be updated on the terminal every 200 ms
- When it comes to HTML output, it can be updated in one second.
- Processing logs in the on-disk B+tree database is another ability of this analyzer.
- A minimal configuration is needed as everything is built-in.
- It can analyze the hits and visitor count.
- Bandwidth and metrics determination is also a plus point of this analyzer.
- It has multiple virtual hosts to monitor which virtual host is consuming most of the server resources.
4. KSystemLog
You can understand your machine’s background work with the KSystemLog. This log analysis tool reads the log file quite differently. If you are a newbie in the game and can’t find your system information or the location of the log files, then this program comes in handy.
The earlier statement doesn’t mean that this program is only for a newbie but advanced users can also use this. Advanced users can observe the issues that are running on their servers.
Features of Ksystemlog
- Supports almost all types of logs (Sys log, Kernel log, Apache log, etc.).
- Has a tab view to display many logs at the same time.
- Reads one log mode from multiple resources.
- Displays new log lines in bold.
- It has a group view to easily display logs considering log level, process, hours, etc.
- Gives every detail of information for each log file.
5. Graylog
Sometimes Graylog can be used as a SIEM, but this platform is for log analysis. With this tool, you can collect and process lots of log data. Plus, storing those files as per your requirement is another great feature of this log management application.
Moreover, this log analyzer has a perfectly designed interface that allows you to search through your log records. Thus, this Linux log viewer can get your desired data quite easily.
Features of Graylog
- Ksystemlog can ingest any structured data, including log messages and network traffic.
- Provides a fully customizable dashboard with the numbers of a widget.
- Use standard Boolean search terms for selecting fields and data types.
- Send real-time alert notifications to the admin in various ways like email, text, and Slack.
- Graylog usually contains sensitive and regulated data so that the system itself remains accessible, secure, and speedy.
- Has predefined templates to display data.
6. Frontail
Frontail is a node.js-made application that streams server logs to the browser. Frontail is a Tail-f with a user interface. It’s an open-source, cross-platform supported tool that runs under Linux, OpenBSD, and macOS.
Features of Frontail
- Frontail scrolls automatically to mark logs.
- Shows a list of unread logs in the favicon.
- Smooth user interface with Default and Dark themes.
- Highlights important log.
- Tail multiple files and standard input.
- Can search the logs and can set a filter from the URL parameter.
7. Multitail
Whether it is your log files or command output, you can observe both of them with Multitail. This log analyzer allows you to observe them in multiple windows. When it comes to viewing multiple files as an original tale program, Multitail does the job quite impeccably. Multitail can make the functionality of tools like “watch”.
Features of Multitail:
- Shows log more than one file in multiple windows.
- You can get online help for a particular context.
- The developer can merge and search multiple log files into one.
- Log files can be filtered with the assistance of one or a lot of regular expressions.
- This tool can act like a “visual pipe” for displaying inputs.
- Configuration can be set from the command line.
Get Multitail
8. Logstash
Logstash is a server-side data processing tool to gather, process, and forward events and system log messages. Assemblage is accomplished via configurable input plugins with raw socket/packet communication, file tailing, and several system messages. This Linux log file analysis tool can load unstructured data quickly, offers you lots of pre-built filters so you can transform and index data, and has a flexible plugin architecture.
Features of Logstash:
- Logstash can insert data from various sources and can send it to multiple destinations.
- Can insert any shapes, sizes, and sources of data.
- Has unified integration with Elasticsearch, Beats, and Kibana.
- When it comes to processing the HTTP request and sending a response, this tool is pretty handy.
- Logstash is also used for sensor data and the Internet of Things.
- Like Apache and Windows events logs, this tool can process all types of data.
9. Logwatch
Logwatch is a powerful multipurpose log analyzer that is considered an integrated report of all the actions on a server. It can recap logs from different machines in a single report. This Linux log viewer generates a periodic report specified by user criteria. The incredible thing about this tool is it scans log files and presents data in a human-readable form.
Features of Logwatch:
- Logwatch sends an instant log alert when any security Breach or performance issue happens.
- The developer can use a personalized dashboard focusing on their importance.
- Powerful search option, including a smart filtering system.
- Has pre-made reports that help developers to create standard reports easily.
- The most important feature of Logwatch is it detects intruders and security breaches.
- Using this tool, developers can protect the network from an internal security breach and analyze security threats.
10. Logcheck
This Linux log file analyzer is an easy and widely used tool that allows a system administrator to analyze the log files created upon hosts under their control. After filtering out the normal entries, it does mail a summarized report to the developer. Logcheck helps to spot the problem on the server and security breach. If any issue happens, it sends mail to the administrator periodically.
Features of Logcheck
- Logcheck has a Cloud-based dispatch management system.
- The developer can access this tool using their mobile phone, also.
- Gives instant information about security problems.
- The log can be filtered easily with regular expression.
- Sends instant notification by email.
- Has Important pre-made report templates to make an instant report.
11. Xlogmaster
When it comes to having a contented and quick way to observe every log file on your system, the Xlogmaster can withstand the competition. This GUI program is the most convenient way to observe everything in your system. This program is based on a graphical interface, and because of its easy configuration, any user can manipulate this interface as per their requirement.
Features of Xlogmaster
- Xlogmaster has an easy plugin integration system.
- Has a completely customizable menu.
- Log execution allows pipes.
- Has excellent Keyboard accelerators.
- Support for a system-wide entry database & personal entry database.
- Xlogmaster now catches log file rotations.
12. Lnav
This Linux log viewer is based on an advanced console system that has lots of similarities with others. However, this particular log viewer is quite popular with developers because of its advanced features. Also, it can decompress all zip-type files.
When you are using this particular log viewer, you won’t need multiple windows. Because of its merging capabilities, you can observe more than one file in a single window. Plus, all the warnings and errors in this log viewing process will be highlighted automatically.
Features of Lnav
- All log files are merged into a single message on timestamps. Users can easily monitor all the logs from one window.
- Lnav can extract data automatically.
- Automatic log format detection is the most amazing feature of Lnav.
- It Displays only those lines that match or do not with a set of regular expressions.
- The Timeline view gives a histogram of the message over time.
- Can perform SQL queries without loading the data into the SQL database.
13. Nagios
The Nagios is also another open-source log monitoring tool. It checks, from time to time, vital parameters of all the applications that are running by the system. Alongside the log files, you can monitor the memory and space usage on your disk. Also, viewing the microprocessor loads and currently running processes is a plus for this log monitoring tool.
Features of Nagios
- Nagios can monitor almost all types of networks like SMTP, POP3, HTTP, NNTP, PING, etc.
- It has an optional web interface to view real-time network status, notifications, problem history, log files, etc.
- Capability to describe event handlers to be routed during service or host events for hands-on problem resolution.
- Has easy parallelized service checking.
- Simple plugin design and UI allow users to customize their service check.
- Nagios can monitor host resources such as memory usage, disk space, microprocessor load, etc.
14. Journalctl
This small system administrator tool named Journalctl comes in pretty handy. Plus, this tool has comfortable operations for Linux-based users. Basically, Journalctl is a journal’s message displaying tool which can be used for querying also. Usually, the journal has lots of binary files, and that’s why journalctl is a perfect method to view all the messages from it.
Features of Journalctl
- You can view logs in Syslog format with Journalctl, which is quite traditional.
- When it comes to filtering the entries, the file path can be specified as an argument.
- The output is paged through less by default, and long lines are “truncated” to the screen.
- Additional constraints can be added using some specified options.
15. Swatch
Swatch is a simple log watcher that was designed to monitor system activity. Swatch can watch any log for regular expression per your configuration. Also, you can use the command line to run these tools in the background. This open-source log viewer tool is now called Swatchdog.
Features of Swatch
- It sweeps your log file on a regular basis to look for the user-defined keyword.
- This tool has protection from DOS attacks.
- It can be defined as watching for specific logs.
- With this log viewer, you can watch out for any suspicious activities.
Ending Thoughts
In this article, we have tried to sort out some of the best Linux log viewers and log file management tools that ultimately help you choose the best one for your system. I strongly suggest you install a few of them and justify the requirement for getting the best one.
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