LogTail

A lightweight, cross-platform desktop log viewer and real-time log monitoring tool built with Avalonia UI and .NET 10.

Features

• Real-Time Log Monitoring: Automatically tails active log files with minimal CPU and memory overhead.
• Tabbed Interface & Drag-and-Drop: Monitor multiple log files simultaneously; simply drag and drop files into the app.
• High Performance Engine: Indexed file reading and ring buffering designed to handle large log files smoothly.
• Session Persistence: Automatically restores your previous open tabs and application settings on launch.
• Customizable Appearance: Clean, fluent desktop interface with light and dark theme support.
• Cross-Platform: Runs natively on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Installation

Download the latest pre-built standalone binaries for your operating system from the Releases page:

• Windows: win-x64, win-arm64 (.zip)
• Linux: linux-x64, linux-arm64 (.tar.gz)
• macOS: osx-x64, osx-arm64 (.tar.gz)

Extract the archive and run the LogTail executable directly—no external runtime required.

Build from Source

Prerequisites

• .NET 10.0 SDK or later
• Git

Steps

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/azhe403/LogTail.git
   cd LogTail

2. Restore dependencies and build the solution:

   dotnet build LogTail.slnx

3. Run the unit test suite:

   dotnet test LogTail.slnx

4. Launch the desktop application:

   dotnet run --project src/LogTail.UI/LogTail.UI.csproj

Usage

• Open a Log File: Use File > Open or drag and drop any .log, .txt, or text file directly into the application window.
• Multi-Tab Viewing: Each opened log file opens in a dedicated tab. Switch between tabs or close them when done.
• Pause & Resume: Toggle real-time tailing on or off as needed.
• Settings: Access application preferences and theme options via the settings dialog.

Project Structure

LogTail/
├── src/
│   ├── LogTail.Core/       # Core logging engine: tailing, ring buffer, indexing, persistence
│   └── LogTail.UI/         # Desktop application built with Avalonia UI and ReactiveUI
└── tests/
    ├── LogTail.Core.Tests/ # Unit tests for the core engine and indexing
    └── LogTail.UI.Tests/   # UI view model and interaction tests

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.