# New to logstash: file input and stdout output not working

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/new-to-logstash-file-input-and-stdout-output-not-working/1140>\
**Category:** Logstash\
**Created:** [May 22, 2015, 1:51am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/new-to-logstash-file-input-and-stdout-output-not-working/1140 "2015-05-22T01:51:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**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:** [May 22, 2015, 7:03am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/new-to-logstash-file-input-and-stdout-output-not-working/1140/2 "2015-05-22T07:03:10Z")

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You've probably processed the file before and then Logstash will remember what you've read and only tail the end of the file. If you want the file processed from the beginning you have to

- delete its sincedb file (or set sincedb\_path to null for the file input), and
- set start\_position to beginning.

You can confirm that this is the problem by appending a line to the log (`echo foo >> /home/user/data/trace_collector.log`).

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_[View the full topic](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/new-to-logstash-file-input-and-stdout-output-not-working/1140)._