[Bug 1604511] [NEW] `tail -n N` no longer functions, prints all data in specified files instead of only the last N records

[Thomas Ward]

Public bug reported:

While running nginx install/upgrade tests, I was trying to get the last
10 lines of the /var/log/apt/history.log file.  Naturally, I was trying
to use 'tail' for this:

tail -n 10 /var/log/apt/history.log

Instead of only getting the last 10 lines of the file, I get the entire
file spit out to me, as if I used 'cat' instead of 'tail'.  This would
appear to be a MAJOR problem if tail no longer functions as it should.

This is on a fully-updated 16.10 server, by the way, so all the updates
from the 'yakkety' repository are pulled in.

------

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.10
Package: coreutils 8.25-2ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-31.50-generic 4.4.13
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-31-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.2-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
Date: Tue Jul 19 13:39:31 2016
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-05-14 (65 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 16.10 "Yakkety Yak" - Alpha amd64 (20160514)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=linux
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: coreutils
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

** Affects: coreutils (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: Invalid


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug yakkety

** Description changed:

  While running nginx install/upgrade tests, I was trying to get the last
  10 lines of the /var/log/apt/history.log file.  Naturally, I was trying
  to use 'tail' for this:
  
  tail -n 10 /var/log/apt/history.log
  
  Instead of only getting the last 10 lines of the file, I get the entire
  file spit out to me, as if I used 'cat' instead of 'tail'.  This would
  appear to be a MAJOR problem if tail no longer functions as it should.
+ 
+ This is on a fully-updated 16.10 server, by the way, so all the updates
+ from the 'yakkety' repository are pulled in.
+ 
+ ------
  
  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.10
  Package: coreutils 8.25-2ubuntu2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-31.50-generic 4.4.13
  Uname: Linux 4.4.0-31-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.20.2-0ubuntu1
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Tue Jul 19 13:39:31 2016
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-05-14 (65 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 16.10 "Yakkety Yak" - Alpha amd64 (20160514)
  ProcEnviron:
-  TERM=linux
-  PATH=(custom, no user)
-  XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
-  LANG=en_US.UTF-8
-  SHELL=/bin/bash
+  TERM=linux
+  PATH=(custom, no user)
+  XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
+  LANG=en_US.UTF-8
+  SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: coreutils
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

** Changed in: coreutils (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Incomplete

** Changed in: coreutils (Ubuntu)
       Status: Incomplete => Invalid

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1604511

Title:
  `tail -n N` no longer functions, prints all data in specified files
  instead of only the last N records

Status in coreutils package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid

Bug description:
  While running nginx install/upgrade tests, I was trying to get the
  last 10 lines of the /var/log/apt/history.log file.  Naturally, I was
  trying to use 'tail' for this:

  tail -n 10 /var/log/apt/history.log

  Instead of only getting the last 10 lines of the file, I get the
  entire file spit out to me, as if I used 'cat' instead of 'tail'.
  This would appear to be a MAJOR problem if tail no longer functions as
  it should.

  This is on a fully-updated 16.10 server, by the way, so all the
  updates from the 'yakkety' repository are pulled in.

  ------

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.10
  Package: coreutils 8.25-2ubuntu2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-31.50-generic 4.4.13
  Uname: Linux 4.4.0-31-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.20.2-0ubuntu1
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Tue Jul 19 13:39:31 2016
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-05-14 (65 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 16.10 "Yakkety Yak" - Alpha amd64 (20160514)
  ProcEnviron:
   TERM=linux
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: coreutils
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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