A specialized utility for streaming, filtering, and monitoring systemd journal logs directly from the command line.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install log-tail
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install log-tail using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is Log Tail?
Log Tail is a developer-focused skill designed to simplify the process of interacting with the systemd journal. By providing a streamlined interface to journalctl, it allows users to quickly view recent logs or follow live service output without navigating complex command flags. This skill is particularly valuable within the Openclaw Skills ecosystem for developers working on systemd-based distributions who need immediate visibility into service health and application behavior.
Built for speed and reliability, Log Tail ensures that system logs are accessible and readable, enabling faster troubleshooting and system auditing. Whether you are debugging a failing service unit or monitoring deployment logs, this tool provides the necessary transparency to maintain system stability.
Log Tail Use Cases
- Debugging application crashes by inspecting recent systemd journal entries.
- Monitoring live service logs during development or production deployment cycles.
- Filtering system logs for specific service units to isolate relevant diagnostic data.
- Auditing system events across a configurable number of historical log lines.
How Log Tail Works
- The skill receives a command specifying the target service unit or the desired number of log lines.
- It executes a query against the system's native journalctl binary to retrieve the requested data.
- The skill processes the journal output, filtering by unit or line count as defined by the user.
- For real-time monitoring, the skill establishes a persistent stream that updates the display as new logs are written to the journal.
Log Tail Setup
No complex installation is required for this skill. It leverages the existing journalctl binary found on systemd-based Linux distributions.
# Verify journalctl is available on your system
journalctl --version
# Standard usage to view recent logs
log-tail --lines 50
Log Tail Data Schema & Taxonomy
The skill interacts with the systemd journal and accepts the following configuration parameters:
| Parameter | Description | Default Value |
|---|---|---|
| --unit | The specific systemd service unit to filter by (e.g., nginx). | None |
| --lines | The number of recent log lines to retrieve from the journal. | 50 |
| --follow | Initiates a real-time stream for the specified service unit. | None |
Log Tail Advanced Features
- Real-time log streaming using the follow flag for continuous service monitoring.
- Target-specific filtering to isolate logs from individual systemd units.
- Flexible line-count controls to manage the volume of historical data retrieved.
- Zero-dependency architecture that utilizes native system tools for maximum performance within Openclaw Skills.
SKILL.md
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