# What \`ipfs log tail\` command means

**URL:** <https://discuss.ipfs.tech/t/what-ipfs-log-tail-command-means/4343>\
**Category:** Help\
**Tags:** go-ipfs\
**Created:** [November 27, 2018, 7:38am UTC](https://discuss.ipfs.tech/t/what-ipfs-log-tail-command-means/4343 "2018-11-27T07:38:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![LastExile16](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.ipfs.tech/lastexile16/32/1353_2.png) [@LastExile16](https://discuss.ipfs.tech/u/LastExile16)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 7:38am UTC](https://discuss.ipfs.tech/t/what-ipfs-log-tail-command-means/4343/1 "2018-11-27T07:38:50Z")

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I would like to understand what the outputs for `ipfs log tail` means which has the different operations like `handleFindPeer`, `handleGetProviders`.  
For example when I see the event with `handleAddProvider` what does it mean and how is it related to my running ipfs node?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Magik6k](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.ipfs.tech/magik6k/32/2318_2.png) [@Magik6k](https://discuss.ipfs.tech/u/Magik6k)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://discuss.ipfs.tech/t/what-ipfs-log-tail-command-means/4343/2 "2018-11-27T20:45:40Z")

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`ipfs log tail` exposes internal debug logs / perf info from the logging system. Most of the messages there will be related to dht, swarm (networking/peer management) and bitswap.

The best way to find where a message comes from is probably to just run a full text search over the ipfs codebase.

For example `handleAddProvider` comes from [https://github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht/blob/fd8d798b512f65a2def035c1efac18081550e759/handlers.go#L342](https://github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-kad-dht/blob/fd8d798b512f65a2def035c1efac18081550e759/handlers.go#L342)