User Guide

Master Gonzo's features and workflows with these comprehensive guides. Whether you're analyzing application logs, debugging system issues, or monitoring services in real-time, this section covers everything you need to become proficient with Gonzo.

What You'll Learn

The User Guide is organized to take you from understanding the interface to mastering advanced analysis techniques:

🖥️ Understanding the Interface

Learn how Gonzo's k9s-inspired 2x2 grid layout provides four specialized views of your log data, each optimized for different aspects of analysis.

🎮 Mastering Navigation

Discover keyboard shortcuts, mouse controls, and navigation techniques that make log analysis fast and efficient.

📊 Input Methods & Sources

Explore all the ways to get log data into Gonzo - from simple files to real-time streams, OpenTelemetry integration, and advanced piping scenarios.

🔍 Search & Filtering

Master advanced filtering techniques, regex patterns, and search strategies to quickly find what matters in your logs.

🚀 Advanced Workflows

Put it all together with real-world usage patterns, performance optimization, and power-user techniques.

Guide Overview

New to Gonzo? Start with Interface Overview to understand the core layout, then work through the guides in order.

Interface Overview

Essential foundation for all Gonzo usage

Understand the 2x2 grid layout and what each panel does:

• Log Viewer - Real-time log feed with color-coded severity levels

• Word Frequency - Most common terms and keywords in your logs

• Attributes - Structured data extracted from JSON and logfmt logs

• Counts - Analytics hub with patterns, trends, and time-series data

Time to complete: 10-15 minutes Prerequisites: Basic Gonzo installation

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Navigation & Controls

Master efficient log analysis workflows

Complete reference for keyboard shortcuts and mouse controls:

• Panel switching and focus management

• Scrolling and selection techniques

• Global controls (pause, reset, filtering)

• Context-sensitive shortcuts for each panel

Time to complete: 15-20 minutes Prerequisites: Interface Overview

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Log Input Methods

Get data into Gonzo from any source

Comprehensive coverage of all input methods:

• File analysis (single, multiple, glob patterns)

• Real-time log following (--follow mode)

• Stdin processing and piping workflows

• OpenTelemetry Protocol (OTLP) integration

• Advanced streaming scenarios

Time to complete: 20-25 minutes Prerequisites: Basic command-line familiarity

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Filtering & Search

Find exactly what you need in your logs

Advanced techniques for log filtering and search:

• Regex patterns and examples

• Attribute-based filtering

• Severity-level filtering

• Text highlighting and search

• Performance optimization for large datasets

Time to complete: 20-30 minutes Prerequisites: Interface Overview, basic regex knowledge helpful

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Detailed Usage Guide

Real-world patterns and advanced techniques

Comprehensive usage patterns and power-user techniques:

• Complex multi-source analysis

• Performance tuning and optimization

• Integration with existing toolchains

• Troubleshooting common scenarios

• Best practices from the community

Time to complete: 30-45 minutes Prerequisites: All previous User Guide sections

Learning Paths

Choose your path based on your current experience and goals:

New User Path

Complete beginner to Gonzo

1. Interface Overview - Understand the layout

2. Navigation & Controls - Learn basic shortcuts

3. Log Input Methods - Start with file analysis

4. Filtering & Search - Find relevant logs

5. Practice with your own log files

Estimated time: 2-3 hours total

Experienced User Path

Integration Focused

Quick Reference

Once you're familiar with the basics, these quick references will be handy:

Most-Used Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Action	Context
Tab / Shift+Tab	Switch panels	Global
Space	Pause/unpause	Global
/	Enter filter mode	Global
↑/↓ or k/j	Navigate	Any list
Enter	View details	Selected item
r	Reset data	Global
q	Quit	Global

Essential Command Patterns

# Basic file analysis
gonzo -f application.log

# Real-time monitoring
gonzo -f /var/log/app.log --follow

# Multiple sources
gonzo -f "*.log" --follow

# Piping from other tools
kubectl logs -f deployment/app | gonzo

What's Next?

After completing the User Guide, you'll be ready for:

• Advanced Features - AI integration, pattern analysis, and complex workflows

• Configuration - Customize Gonzo for your specific needs

• Integration Examples - Real-world scenarios and use cases

• Troubleshooting - Solutions to common problems

Getting Help

If you get stuck while working through these guides:

• 📖 Check the specific guide's troubleshooting sections

• 🔍 Use the search function to find related topics

• 🐛 Report documentation issues on GitHub

• 💬 Ask questions in GitHub Discussions

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Ready to become a Gonzo power user? 🚀 Start with the Interface Overview and work your way through each guide!