# How to use "tail"? .. no, the other kind! **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [May 22, 2008, 5:15am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-tail-no-the-other-kind/138339 "2008-05-22T05:15:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rubyfreak)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 5:15am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-tail-no-the-other-kind/138339/1 "2008-05-22T05:15:22Z")
I am reading “The Rails Way”. On page 20, Obie says use $ tail -f log/development\_log OK, I am a windows VB guy. I don’t know what that means. I assume it is a command? does it work in windows do I have to be in IRB. I just get errors. Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rubyfreak)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 5:34am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-tail-no-the-other-kind/138339/2 "2008-05-22T05:34:39Z")
Ruby F. wrote: > I am reading “The Rails Way”. On page 20, Obie says use > $ tail -f log/development\_log Get… - [Cygwin Installation](http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe) - a tutorial on either Linux or BASH The Linux tutorial will cover BASH. Tip: After you learn a little BASH, you will not go back to CMD.EXE. Most of the keystrokes and commands are much easier to use, and more flexible. Also, _don’t_ install CygWin’s version of Ruby, because if you current Ruby is configured well enough to run Rails, you don’t need to … derail that. But you might find yourself running cmd /c rake instead of just rake, for example. And major props, honestly, to any book author who sincerely forgets there are Windows users out there… ---
**Author:** ![rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rubyfreak)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 6:00am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-tail-no-the-other-kind/138339/3 "2008-05-22T06:00:58Z")
Thanks Philp, I do have a Ubuntu box and I can do some rudimentary chugging about, but I bought a new lenovo and feel compelled to use it after dropping that much coin. I tried to install Ubuntu on the Lenovo and it died. Fiesty fawn I believe. Any thoughts on what might run? I have a new harddrive that is circling around town in a UPS truck as we speak, so that I can play around and get some form of linux going as Billy Gates is not on my Christmas card list. Oh the joy of setting up a new system. ought to be fun. I will prolly wait for that rather than cygwin. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rubyfreak)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 10:22am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-tail-no-the-other-kind/138339/4 "2008-05-22T10:22:18Z")
Hi Ruby F. - If you do end up having any type of window installation I do recommend installing cygwin on it. It goes beyond just tail and bash, you get MANY of the unix based tools (which are essential IMHO) available to you! It’s stable too, I have used it in a production environment. ---
**Author:** ![rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rubyfreak)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-tail-no-the-other-kind/138339/5 "2008-05-22T14:18:45Z")
Ruby F. wrote: > I do have a Ubuntu box and I can do some rudimentary chugging about, > but I bought a new lenovo and feel compelled to use it after dropping > that much coin. I tried to install Ubuntu on the Lenovo and it died. > Fiesty fawn I believe. Any thoughts on what might run? > > -[Cygwin Installation](http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe) cygwin is the core set of Linux toys, using Windows as its Hardware Abstraction Layer. ---
**Author:** ![rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rubyfreak)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-tail-no-the-other-kind/138339/6 "2008-05-22T14:37:37Z")
Do a google search on “windows tail”, you’ll get a couple of options there. ---
**Author:** ![rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rubyfreak)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-tail-no-the-other-kind/138339/7 "2008-05-23T04:11:00Z")
Sigh. Come see the repression inherent in the system… ---
**Author:** ![rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rubyfreak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rubyfreak)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-tail-no-the-other-kind/138339/8 "2008-05-22T17:09:07Z")
> And major props, honestly, to any book author who sincerely forgets there are > Windows users out there… Phlip, Thanks for the props. I thought you might like this snippet from the introduction to the book: Required Technology A late-model Apple MacBookPro with 4GB RAM, running OSX 10.4. Just kidding, of course. Linux is pretty good for Rails development also. Microsoft Windows — well, let me just put it this way — your mileage may vary. I’m being nice and diplomatic in saying that. We specifically do not discuss Rails development on Microsoft platforms in this book. To my knowledge, most working Rails professionals develop and deploy on non-Microsoft platforms. Cheers, Obie