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zomato/log.io

Analysis updated 2026-08-08 · repo last pushed 2023-03-16

2CoffeeScriptAudience · ops devopsComplexity · 4/5DormantLicenseSetup · hard

TLDR

Log.io is a real-time log monitoring tool that shows your application log files live in a web browser, so you can watch logs from multiple servers in one place without SSH-ing into each machine.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Live log viewing
      Web browser dashboard
      Multiple servers at once
    Architecture
      Harvesters on machines
      Central server
      Browser push updates
    Web Interface
      Streams for grouping
      Nodes for machines
      Search through messages
    Use cases
      Multi-server monitoring
      Error spotting live
      Custom log piping
    Tech stack
      CoffeeScript
      Node.js
    Audience
      Ops and devops
      Multi-server admins

Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Watch logs from multiple servers in one browser tab instead of keeping terminal sessions open on each machine.

USE CASE 2

Spot errors as they happen by flipping between web server, database, and background job log streams in a single dashboard.

USE CASE 3

Pipe logs from custom scripts or non-standard sources directly into Log.io using its text-based protocol.

USE CASE 4

Search through live log messages in the web interface to quickly find specific errors or events.

What is it built with?

CoffeeScriptNode.js

How does it compare?

zomato/log.ioctcpip/yakyakomgitsads/coffeescript-twitter-streamer
Stars213
LanguageCoffeeScriptCoffeeScriptCoffeeScript
Last pushed2023-03-162016-09-262011-05-09
MaintenanceDormantDormantDormant
Setup difficultyhardeasymoderate
Complexity4/52/53/5
Audienceops devopsgeneraldeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1h+

Requires deploying harvesters on each machine with log files plus running a central server, and configuring network connectivity between them.

Use freely for any purpose including commercial use, with attribution, Apache 2.0 also grants patent rights.

In plain English

Log.io lets you watch your application's log files update live in a web browser, so you can see what's happening across your systems in real time without SSH-ing into individual servers to tail files. The project works through two pieces. First, small programs called "harvesters" run on the machines where your log files live. They watch those files for new entries and send any new log messages to a central server over a standard network connection. The server then pushes those messages out to any browser tabs that are connected, updating them instantly. In the web interface, you organize logs by "streams" (which you define by mapping file paths to a friendly name) and "nodes" (the machines they come from). You pick which stream and node combination you want to watch, and the messages appear in a screen widget where you can also search through them. This would appeal to anyone running multiple servers or services who wants a single dashboard for spotting errors as they happen. For example, if you have a web server, a database, and a background job processor each writing their own logs, you could configure harvesters on all three and then flip between their streams in one browser window instead of keeping three terminal sessions open. The server also exposes a simple text-based protocol, meaning third-party tools or custom scripts can send log messages directly without using the built-in harvester. This could be handy if you want to pipe in logs from something that doesn't write to standard log files. The project is written in CoffeeScript and built on Node.js. It was originally developed by Narrative Science and is released under the Apache 2.0 license.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Set up Log.io harvesters on three machines, a web server, a database, and a background job processor, and configure streams so I can watch all their logs in one browser window.
Prompt 2
Write a custom script that sends log messages to Log.io's server using its text-based protocol instead of using the built-in harvester.
Prompt 3
Configure Log.io streams by mapping my application's log file paths to friendly names, and show me how to switch between stream and node combinations in the web UI.
Prompt 4
Help me install Log.io on a central server and connect harvesters from remote machines so I can monitor logs in real time from my browser.

Frequently asked questions

What is log.io?

Log.io is a real-time log monitoring tool that shows your application log files live in a web browser, so you can watch logs from multiple servers in one place without SSH-ing into each machine.

What language is log.io written in?

Mainly CoffeeScript. The stack also includes CoffeeScript, Node.js.

Is log.io actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2023-03-16).

What license does log.io use?

Use freely for any purpose including commercial use, with attribution, Apache 2.0 also grants patent rights.

How hard is log.io to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated hard, with roughly 1h+ to a first successful run.

Who is log.io for?

Mainly ops devops.

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