Follow log files after they rotate

[cyaconi]

It would be great if the -F flag could detect when the log file rotates and a new one is created. I'm using hl to monitor a verbose service that frequently rotates the log file, and when that happens, I have to ctrl-c and restart the command.

[pamburus]

It should detect the rotation of files. Could you please share the details?

• Operating system type, distribution and version
• Which hl version do you use?
• Does tail -F work for this file properly?

[pamburus]

Did you notice if the issues with log rotation tracking happen when the file is located on a network share?
I did some research and it seems like this case is not working properly. Not only on Windows but in all operating systems.
If you experience the issue on a local disk as well, please try to find out how to reproduce it.
Also, you can run with HL_DEBUG_LOG=trace and collect the trace of notify crate, it can be helpful.

[cyaconi]

I notice something interesting activating the trace:

[2026-06-10T15:48:55.346152Z TRACE notify::windows] Event: path = `\\?\C:\Windows\trace\file.log`, action = 3
[2026-06-10T15:48:55.346369Z TRACE notify::windows] Event: path = `\\?\C:\Windows\trace\file.log`, action = 3
2026-06-10 11:48:55.334 [DBG] log config applied › format=json add-source=false file-enable=true file-max-size=1 file-max-backups=3 file-max-age=28
2026-06-10 11:48:55.336 [DBG] reusing config DB handle › path=`C:\WINDOWS\trace\trace.db` component=repository.bbolt
2026-06-10 11:48:55.336 [DBG] initializing event hub › component=agent
2026-06-10 11:48:55.343 [DBG] registering broker › broker=actions_session event=user_session_available component=events.hub
[2026-06-10T15:48:55.746888Z TRACE notify::windows] Event: path = `\\?\C:\Windows\trace\trace.db`, action = 3
[2026-06-10T15:48:55.751808Z TRACE notify::windows] Event: path = `\\?\C:\Windows\trace\trace.db`, action = 3
[2026-06-10T15:48:55.754473Z TRACE notify::windows] Event: path = `\\?\C:\Windows\trace\trace.db`, action = 3
[2026-06-10T15:48:55.756685Z TRACE notify::windows] Event: path = `\\?\C:\Windows\trace\trace.db`, action = 3
[2026-06-10T15:48:55.765793Z TRACE notify::windows] Event: path = `\\?\C:\Windows\trace\trace.db`, action = 3
[2026-06-10T15:48:55.768676Z TRACE notify::windows] Event: path = `\\?\C:\Windows\trace\trace.db`, action = 3

Those lines keep logging until I pressed Ctrl-C. I then relaunched hl.exe -F, which started to display and tail the log again, until it began logging the same message: [2026-06-10T15:56:10.769835Z TRACE notify::windows] Event: path = \\?\C:\Windows\trace\trace.db, action = 3 one after another, after which no additional logs appeared until I restart hl.

[pamburus]

How do you perform log rotation?
Is it some program or did you do it somehow manually?

[pamburus]

Could you please try the version from fix-windows-rotation-detection branch?

[cyaconi]

It’s a Go app using slog and lumberjack. I’m happy to test that version, but I don’t have an environment set up to build it. Is the Windows build available for download anywhere?

[cyaconi]

Didn’t run: PS C:\Users\cyaco\Downloads>.\hl-v0.36.3-alpha.2.exe --help Program 'hl-v0.36.3-alpha.2.exe' failed to run: The operation was canceled by the userAt line:1 char:1 + .\hl-v0.36.3-alpha.2.exe --help + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. At line:1 char:1 + .\hl-v0.36.3-alpha.2.exe --help + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + CategoryInfo : ResourceUnavailable: (:) [], ApplicationFailedException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NativeCommandFailed

…

On 11-06-2026 at 15:53:13, Pavel Ivanov ***@***.***> wrote: hl-v0.36.3-alpha.2.zip <https://github.com/user-attachments/files/28853987/hl-v0.36.3-alpha.2.zip> — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#1444?email_source=notifications&email_token=AAAWIETB5AJRMH5CT7MSID347ME2TA5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCNZSGY4TQNJUUZZGKYLTN5XKMYLVORUG64VFMV3GK3TUVRTG633UMVZF6Y3MNFRWW#discussioncomment-17269854>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAAWIEWIB34VWVN3B4QRQND47ME2TAVCNFSNUABIKJSXA33TNF2G64TZHMZDQNBZGA3DQNZWHNCGS43DOVZXG2LPNY5TCMBRHEZTCNRYUF3AE> . Triage notifications, keep track of coding agent tasks and review pull requests on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/ios/AAAWIEV3DTRRIITOY7P2DN347ME2TA5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCNZSGY4TQNJUUZZGKYLTN5XKMYLVORUG64VFMV3GK3TUVJTG633UMVZF62LPOM> and Android <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/android/AAAWIEVGFS6U76NR2VELZE347ME2TA5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCNZSGY4TQNJUUZZGKYLTN5XKMYLVORUG64VFMV3GK3TUVZTG633UMVZF6YLOMRZG62LE>. Download it today! You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[pamburus]

Sorry, this was arm64 build, I will try to prepare x86_64.

By the way, I was able to reproduce the issue with a go application using lumberjack. I will investigate it further.

[pamburus]

Here is x86_64 build: hl-0.36.3-alpha.2-x86-64.zip

[cyaconi]

It works wonderfully! It tracked the new log file perfectly and didn’t get stuck on the notify::windows logs

[pamburus]

Fixed in v0.36.3.