---
layout: "docs"
page_title: "Commands: fs"
sidebar_current: "docs-commands-fs"
description: >
  Introspect an allocation directory on a Nomad client
---

# Command: fs

The `fs` command allows a user to navigate an allocation directory on a Nomad
client. The following functionalities are available - `cat`, `tail`, `ls` and
`stat`.

* `cat`: If the target path is a file, Nomad will `cat` the file.
* `tail`: If the target path is a file and `-tail` flag is specified, Nomad will
        `tail` the file.
* `ls`: If the target path is a directory, Nomad displays the name of a file and
      directories and their associated information.
* `stat`: If the `-stat` flag is used, Nomad will display information about a
        file.

## Usage

```
nomad fs [options] <alloc-id> <path>
```

This command accepts a single allocation ID (unless the `-job` flag is specified,
in which case an allocation is chosen from the given job) and a path. The path is
relative to the root of the allocation directory.  The path is optional and it
defaults to `/` of the allocation directory.

## General Options

<%= partial "docs/commands/_general_options" %>

## Fs Options

* `-H`: Machine friendly output.

* `-verbose`: Display verbose output.

* `-job`: Use a random allocation from the specified job, preferring a running
allocation.

* `-stat`: Show stat information instead of displaying the file, or listing the
directory.

* `-f`: Causes the output to not stop when the end of the file is reached, but
rather to wait for additional output.

* `-tail`: Show the files contents with offsets relative to the end of the file.
If no offset is given, -n is defaulted to 10.

* `-n`: Sets the tail location in best-efforted number of lines relative to the
end of the file.

* `-c`: Sets the tail location in number of bytes relative to the end of the file.

## Examples

```
$ nomad fs eb17e557
Mode        Size  Modified Time        Name
drwxrwxr-x  4096  28 Jan 16 05:39 UTC  alloc/
drwxrwxr-x  4096  28 Jan 16 05:39 UTC  redis/
-rw-rw-r--  0     28 Jan 16 05:39 UTC  redis_exit_status


$ nomad fs eb17e557 redis/local
Mode        Size  Modified Time        Name
-rw-rw-rw-  0     28 Jan 16 05:39 UTC  redis.stderr
-rw-rw-rw-  17    28 Jan 16 05:39 UTC  redis.stdout


$ nomad fs -stat eb17e557 redis/local/redis.stdout
Mode        Size  Modified Time        Name
-rw-rw-rw-  17    28 Jan 16 05:39 UTC  redis.stdout


$ nomad fs eb17e557 redis/local/redis.stdout
foobar
baz

$ nomad fs -tail -f -n 3 eb17e557 redis/local/redis.stdout
foobar
baz
bam
<blocking>
```

## Using Job ID instead of Allocation ID

Setting the `-job` flag causes a random allocation of the specified job to be
selected. Nomad will prefer to select a running allocation ID for the job, but
if no running allocations for the job are found, Nomad will use a dead
allocation.

```
nomad fs -job <job-id> <path>
```


This can be useful for debugging a job that has multiple allocations, and it's
not really required to use a specific allocation ID.