What Klunk is
Klunk - Log Viewer is a desktop application for reading logs from — local files, databases, Kubernetes pods, SFTP servers, and HTTP endpoints — in one place. It merges multiple sources into a single timeline, filters them with a SQL-like query language, and stays responsive at millions of rows. Everything runs on your own machine.
Why I built it
Klunk started as a personal tool to help me read and analyze logs more efficiently. It has grown from a weekend utility into the log viewer that I now reach for when I need to dig through dev logs, and it is shared in the hope that it is useful to other people who spend their time in logs.
Who makes it
Klunk was designed and built by myself - Mike, operating as KookaKlunka Studios, LLC. It is an independent, self-funded project — no investors, no outside stakeholders, just one developer and hopefully further progressed by any users who find it useful and/or send in bug reports and ideas.
What it stands for
- Local-first. Your log data is parsed, indexed, and stored only on your own machine. Nothing is uploaded. See the Privacy Policy.
- No telemetry. No analytics, no crash reporting, no feature-usage metrics. Not now, not later.
- Free to use. No license key, no seat count, no subscription — see the Terms of Use.
- A real desktop app. Native windows, keyboard shortcuts, dockable tabs, and session persistence — not a browser tab pretending to be an application.
- Built to last. A focused tool that does one job well and is maintained over the long term.
How it's built
Klunk is a JavaFX 26 application built on Java 25, with an embedded SQLite database powering its virtual-scrolling and filtering engine. It builds on a number of open-source libraries, each under its own license — they are listed under Third-party software below. The installer bundles its own Java runtime, so there is nothing else to install.
Third-party software
Klunk bundles and depends on the following open-source components. Each remains under its own license; the license terms and copyright notices for each component are preserved in the application distribution.
| Component | License |
|---|---|
| OpenJDK (bundled Java runtime) | GPL v2 with Classpath Exception |
| OpenJFX / JavaFX (base, graphics, controls, fxml) | GPL v2 with Classpath Exception |
| SQLite (embedded database engine) | Public Domain |
| SQLite JDBC (org.xerial) | Apache License 2.0 |
| Jackson (core, databind, annotations, jsr310) | Apache License 2.0 |
| Apache Log4j (api, core, slf4j2-impl, jul) | Apache License 2.0 |
| SLF4J API | MIT License |
| Apache Commons IO | Apache License 2.0 |
| Apache Commons Compress | Apache License 2.0 |
| Kubernetes Java Client (io.kubernetes:client-java) | Apache License 2.0 |
| Bouncy Castle (bcprov, bcpkix, bcutil — jdk18on) | Bouncy Castle License (MIT-style) |
| JSch (mwiede fork, com.github.mwiede:jsch) | BSD-style License |
This list covers Klunk's direct dependencies. Some of these libraries pull in further transitive open-source components; the complete set of licenses and notices is included with the installed application.
Pricing and licensing
Klunk is free to use under a proprietary license: install it and use it at no cost, on as many machines as you like. Copying, modification, redistribution, and reverse engineering are not permitted — the full terms are in the Terms of Use and the LICENSE file.
Status and roadmap
Klunk is currently in beta and believed to be very stable, but please report any bugs you find. The roadmap is to continue improving the core log-viewing experience, but of course, depends on whether users find it useful enough to keep it going. Feature requests are welcome, but there are no guarantees that they will be implemented. Releases and release notes will be published on the releases page.
Contact and support
Found a bug? GitHub Issues is the best place to report it.
Have a question or want to discuss something? GitHub Discussions is the place to go.
Klunk is a one-person project, so a reply may take a little time, but every report will be read. kookaklunka@gmail.com
Questions/Discussions/Announcements
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the maintainers of the projects Klunk depends on and a special thanks to Github for providing the platform to host and build the project and to everyone who takes the time to use it, file a bug report or a feature request.
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