UNIX style log files

Plain text files that are generated by operating systems and application software for logging purposes, while these exist for any OS they are usually associated with UNIX due to the Unix like systems using a sort on an informal semi-standard format for the output text, although that format actually predates UNIX by a number of years.

A few OS/2 applications, primarily servers of some kind, use the format and a number of tool offer analysis or editing functions for log files.

Note that a log file is also a generic term for any file that is generated by a software or hardware device that logs something, be it its own actions and interactions or external events, these can be anything from text files to binary blobs, it is therefore advisable to use "UNIX style" as a prefix for the ones discussed above.