tail 命令从指定点开始将文件写到标准输出，使用tail命令的-f选项可以方便的查阅正在改变的日志文件，tail -f filename会把filename里最尾部的内容显示在屏幕上，并且不但刷新,使你看到最新的文件内容。
实例：循环查看文件内容
ping 192.168.120.204 > test.log & //在后台ping远程主机，并输出文件到test.log；这种做法也使用于一个以上的档案监视，用Ctrl＋c来终止。
[root@localhost ~]# ping 192.168.120.204 > test.log & [1] 11891
[root@localhost ~]# tail -f test.log PING 192.168.120.204 (192.168.120.204) 56(84) bytes of data. 64 bytes from 192.168.120.204: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.038 ms 64 bytes from 192.168.120.204: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.036 ms 64 bytes from 192.168.120.204: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.033 ms 64 bytes from 192.168.120.204: icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=0.027 ms 64 bytes from 192.168.120.204: icmp_seq=5 ttl=64 time=0.032 ms 64 bytes from 192.168.120.204: icmp_seq=6 ttl=64 time=0.026 ms 64 bytes from 192.168.120.204: icmp_seq=7 ttl=64 time=0.030 ms 64 bytes from 192.168.120.204: icmp_seq=8 ttl=64 time=0.029 ms 64 bytes from 192.168.120.204: icmp_seq=9 ttl=64 time=0.044 ms 64 bytes from 192.168.120.204: icmp_seq=10 ttl=64 time=0.033 ms 64 bytes from 192.168.120.204: icmp_seq=11 ttl=64 time=0.027 ms [root@localhost ~]#
原文：http://www.cnblogs.com/wakey/p/4231808.html