DSL Ideas and Suggestions :: Suggestion: root-tail



I have just learned about root-tail - basically, an app which works like tail -f (i.e. continuously displays the contents of a file as it updates; good for log files), but displays the output in the root window like torsmo.

This looks quite lightweight, and I thought it would at least make a useful MyDSL extension. I will see if I can find time to try compiling it on one of my other Linux systems, and then try to get it running on DSL - alternatively, could someone more experienced than myself try it as well? :)

Best regards,
Tim
not as sophisticated, but you could always use the exec function in the .torsmorc config file to do a "tail -f" although it would only update at the set interval.
To get root-tail working, you can use synaptic to install it then just copy out the /usr/X11R6/bin/root-tail file and either copy it back when you want it, create a tar.gz file so you can use mydsl to add it or add it in to the /home/dsl/.filetool.lst so its in your backup.tar.gz as its a very small file at just 13k.

to make your own root-tail.dsl after you've installed it via synaptic you can use:

tar -czvf root-tail.dsl /usr/X11R6/bin/root-tail
I've been using root-tail in DSL nearly as long as I've been using DSL.  As safesys said it's very easy to install, since it's just one file.  It also does not need to be in a particular location....you can run it from your home without trouble, so backing up the file should be very easy.  The only issue i can think of relating to installation is if the binary was compiled with newer libs than what is available in DSL.

One possible problem with running the application in DSL is that it will not play well with torsmo unless one or the other is run in its own window.  Since they both display in the root window by default, they tend to fight over it.
mikshaw said:

Quote
I've been using root-tail in DSL nearly as long as I've been using DSL. ... One possible problem with running the application in DSL is that it will not play well with torsmo unless one or the other is run in its own window.  Since they both display in the root window by default, they tend to fight over it.


That's a thought. I've been using Linux for a couple of years, but haven't had much experience with X apps which use the root window until I started with DSL, so I'm not sure which ones play nicely together :)

For me personally, torsmo is OK but not essential, so I could live without it if I really wanted to monitor /var/log/messages. Or I could just take the non-flashy approach and open an ATerm...

On a sort-of related note: safesys mentioned creating a tar.gz of root-tail for MyDSL. I might well try that, as I've had success with that approach already. I found a dockapp I really wanted for the slit in my DSL setup (wmbinclock), compiled it myself on another of my Linux boxes, made a tar.gz of the executable and renamed it wmbinclock.dsl. Now, I load it at boot time with the other MyDSL packages, and it's running in the slit quite happily.

If anyone else would like wmbinclock in this form, do I need to add any other files from the wmbinclock installation to the package (e.g. licence files, man pages), before I contribute it? (For that matter, I need to find out how to contribute :) )

Thanks for your feedback so far...

Tim
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