Explore Logs With lnav
Open log files with format detection, filters, SQL queries and a timeline.
Run lnav /var/log/syslog to open the log in an interactive viewer.
01Command
Command
$ lnav /var/log/syslog02What it does
lnav auto-detects common log formats, colorizes fields, merges multiple files by timestamp and lets you filter or run SQL over the messages. Its histogram view makes spikes in errors easy to spot.
03Risk
!Warning: Reading system logs often requires elevated privileges; grant only the access you need.
04Undo
✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.
05Sources
- Debian package: lnavEvidence: Debian packages lnav, a log file navigator that parses and highlights log formats.
- lnavEvidence: Debian packages lnav, a log file navigator that parses and highlights log formats.
Last verified: 2026-09-22 · Category: System & Settings
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