Commands like service SERVICE_NAME status and journalctl -xe are useful for checking a service’s current status or its latest logs.

However, the output is a static snapshot. And it only shows at the moment the command is run and doesn’t update automatically.

These are different from a command like tail -f, which updates continuously. Fortunately, there’s a workaround to get real-time updates.

journalctl -xefu SERVICE_NAME

This command prints live latest logs automatically just like tail -f.

Command Option Breakdown

Let’s breakdown the meaning of each options.

• -x or --catalog: Add message explanations and links to the systemd catalog for more context on log entries.
• -e or --pager-end: Jumps immediately to the end of the journal so you see the newest logs first.
• -f or --follow: Continuously prints new log entries as they are added to the journal.
• -u or --unit=UNIT: Filters the logs to show only those from the specified service unit (service name).