# Cat logs in when using logstash as service **URL:** \ **Category:** Logstash\ **Created:** [March 1, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cat-logs-in-when-using-logstash-as-service/43151 "2016-03-01T19:16:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dkota](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dkota](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dkota)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cat-logs-in-when-using-logstash-as-service/43151/1 "2016-03-01T19:16:38Z")
how can we cat/redirect logs when using logstash as service.? I am not able to locate the command to cat logs as input while running logstash as service. similar to cat filename|bin/logstash -f logstash-syslog.conf ---
**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cat-logs-in-when-using-logstash-as-service/43151/2 "2016-03-01T21:09:58Z")
You may be able to use exec to invoke this, but it seems a bit loopy. ---
**Author:** ![magnusbaeck](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/magnusbaeck/32/44943_2.png) [@magnusbaeck](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/magnusbaeck)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cat-logs-in-when-using-logstash-as-service/43151/3 "2016-03-01T21:16:41Z")
Logstash's stdin input shuts down Logstash when it encounters EOF so it's possible. What's the scenario? If you want to do one-shot processing of files I don't see the point of running Logstash as a service. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 5:09am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cat-logs-in-when-using-logstash-as-service/43151/4 "2017-07-06T05:09:03Z")
Closed on July 6, 2017, 5:09am UTC