capistrano_log.rb

# Capistrano recipe to tail log files on remote servers and open them in Textmate

namespace :log do

  namespace :mate do
    unset :_log
    %w(access error production).each do |file|
      desc "View #{file}.log from remote server in Textmate." 
      task file.to_sym, :roles => :app do
        set :_log, file
        mate_log
      end
    end
    
    desc "[internal] View log files from remote server in textmate." 
    task :mate_log, :roles => :app do
      require 'tempfile'
      tmp = Tempfile.open('w')
      logs = Hash.new { |h,k| h[k] = '' }

      run "tail -n500 #{shared_path}/log/#{_log}.log" do |channel, stream, data|
        logs[channel[:host]] << data
        break if stream == :err
      end

      logs.each do |host, log|
        tmp.write("--- #{host} ---\n\n")
        tmp.write(log + "\n")
      end

      exec "mate -w #{tmp.path}" 
      tmp.close
    end
  end

  namespace :tail do
    unset :_log    
    %w(access error production).each do |file|
      desc "Tail #{file}.log files on remote server." 
      task file.to_sym, :roles => :app do
        set :_log, file
        tail_log
      end
    end

    desc "[internal] Tail Log Files"
    task :tail_log do
      run "tail -f #{shared_path}/log/#{_log}.log" do |channel, stream, data|
        puts  # for an extra line break before the host name
        puts "#{channel[:host]}: #{data}" 
        break if stream == :err    
      end
    end
  end  

end