@var{number} be an integer. However, GNU @command{tail} accepts
an arbitrary floating point number (using a period before any
fractional digits).
+When @command{tail} uses inotify, this polling-related option is ignored.
@itemx --pid=@var{pid}
@opindex --pid
When following a log file that is rotated, this is approximately the
number of seconds between when tail prints the last pre-rotation lines
and when it prints the lines that have accumulated in the new log file.
-This option is meaningful only when following by name.
+This option is meaningful only when polling (i.e., without inotify)
+and when following by name.
@itemx -n @var{k}
@itemx --lines=@var{k}
with --follow=name, reopen a FILE which has not\n\
changed size after N (default %d) iterations\n\
to see if it has been unlinked or renamed\n\
- (this is the usual case of rotated log files)\n\
+ (this is the usual case of rotated log files).\n\
+ With inotify, this option is rarely useful.\n\
"),
DEFAULT_N_LINES,
DEFAULT_MAX_N_UNCHANGED_STATS_BETWEEN_OPENS
"), stdout);
fputs (_("\
-s, --sleep-interval=N with -f, sleep for approximately N seconds\n\
- (default 1.0) between iterations\n\
+ (default 1.0) between iterations.\n\
+ With inotify, this option is rarely useful.\n\
-v, --verbose always output headers giving file names\n\
"), stdout);
fputs (HELP_OPTION_DESCRIPTION, stdout);