{"library":"node-red-node-tail","title":"Node-RED File Tail Node","description":"The `node-red-node-tail` package provides a core Node-RED node designed to monitor and process changes in files on the local filesystem. It functions similarly to the `tail -f` command, continuously reading and injecting new lines appended to a specified file directly into a Node-RED flow. This enables real-time processing of log files, data streams, or any continuously updated text files within a Node-RED environment. The latest stable version, 0.4.0, was published over three years ago, indicating that this specific node is currently in a maintenance phase rather than active development. While part of the broader `node-red-nodes` collection, its release cadence is irregular, tied to Node-RED's own lifecycle or specific bug fixes rather than a frequent update schedule. Its primary differentiator is its seamless integration into the Node-RED visual programming paradigm, allowing users to configure file monitoring without writing any code, solely through the editor UI.","language":"javascript","status":"maintenance","last_verified":"Thu Apr 23","install":{"commands":["npm install node-red-node-tail"],"cli":null},"imports":["Install via Node-RED Palette Manager or `npm install node-red-node-tail` in ~/.node-red"],"auth":{"required":false,"env_vars":[]},"quickstart":{"code":"[{\"id\":\"a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8\",\"type\":\"tail\",\"name\":\"Tail syslog\",\"file\":\"/var/log/syslog\",\"delay\":\"0\",\"format\":\"lines\",\"x\":120,\"y\":100,\"wires\":[[\"n1\"]]},{\"id\":\"n1\",\"type\":\"debug\",\"name\":\"Log Output\",\"active\":true,\"tosidebar\":true,\"console\":false,\"tostatus\":false,\"complete\":\"payload\",\"targetType\":\"msg\",\"statusVal\":\"currentPayload\",\"statusType\":\"auto\",\"x\":340,\"y\":100,\"wires\":[]}]","lang":"javascript","description":"This Node-RED flow demonstrates how to install and configure the 'tail' node to monitor a system log file (e.g., /var/log/syslog) and output new lines to the debug sidebar.","tag":null,"tag_description":null,"last_tested":null,"results":[]},"compatibility":null}