lnav
About lnav
LNAV, short for Logfile Navigator, is a terminal-based log file viewer designed for efficient log analysis and monitoring. It handles multiple log files by decompressing them as needed, detecting their formats, and merging them chronologically into a single view. LNAV supports features like tailing files, following renames, and indexing errors and warnings.
LNAV provides a text-based user interface (TUI) that allows users to navigate logs, search using regular expressions, filter messages, and analyze data using SQLite. It also includes capabilities like pretty-printing structured text, viewing histograms of messages over time, and highlighting text based on patterns.
The tool is particularly useful for developers and system administrators who need to analyze logs from various sources, such as syslog or web access logs. It offers a more advanced alternative to traditional Unix utilities like tail, grep, and less by understanding log message formats and providing additional functionality.
Key features
- Decompresses log files as needed
- Detects log file formats automatically
- Merges log files chronologically into a single view
- Tails files and follows renames
- Indexes errors and warnings for quick navigation
- Supports pretty-printing JSON-lines
- Allows filtering messages using regular expressions or SQLite
- Provides a histogram view of messages over time
Download v0.14.0
May 10, 2026WindowsWindows
Frequently asked questions
- Is lnav free?
- Yes. lnav is free and open-source software, distributed under the BSD-2-Clause license.
- Which platforms does lnav support?
- lnav provides downloads for Windows, macOS, Linux.
- What is the latest version of lnav?
- The latest version is v0.14.0, released on Apr 12, 2026.
- What is LNAV?
- LNAV is a terminal-based log file viewer that allows users to analyze and monitor log files efficiently. It supports features like decompression, format detection, chronological merging, and advanced filtering.
- How do I install LNAV?
- LNAV can be installed via pre-built binaries for Linux, MacOS, and Windows available on the release page. On MacOS, it can be installed using Homebrew with the command 'brew install lnav'. On FreeBSD, it can be installed using 'pkg install lnav'.
- What platforms does LNAV support?
- LNAV supports Linux, MacOS, and Windows. It can also be used on systems running systemd-journald for viewing journal logs.
- Is LNAV free to use?
- Yes, LNAV is free to use. It is open-source software, and users can download it from the official GitHub repository or install it via package managers like Homebrew or FreeBSD's pkg.
More Developer Tools
PowerToys
microsoft
PowerToys is a set of utilities for enhancing productivity and customization on Windows systems. It includes various tools for developers and power users to streamline workflows.
Windows Terminal
microsoft
Windows Terminal combines the classic Windows console with a modern terminal application in one package. It provides developers with a unified interface for command-line tools and shells. The software supports multiple tabs, rich text, and customization options.
Neovim
neovim
Neovim is a fork of Vim focused on improved extensibility and usability. It maintains compatibility with Vim while offering modern features like embedded terminal support and a built-in LSP client. The project emphasizes maintainability and encourages community contributions.