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Tool Comparison

See how PentLog compares to traditional terminal logging tools and why professionals choose it for security engagements.

Feature Comparison Matrix

  • Full Support
  • Partial Support
  • Not Supported
Feature script tmux PentLog
Terminal Fidelity
Full-Text Search
Automatic Organization
Timestamps
Compliance Ready
Session Replay
Report Generation
Database Index
Live Sharing
Crash Recovery
AI Analysis
GIF Export

Detailed Breakdown

Terminal Fidelity

  • Captures raw output stream
  • Breaks on ANSI escape codes
  • Cursor movements not handled
  • Terminal artifacts in output

Not suitable for evidence

Output contains garbled text from cursor movements and color codes.

  • Better than script
  • Captures pane content
  • Missing redraws and some sequences
  • Lossy capture

Partial fidelity

Some terminal sequences are lost, especially during rapid output.

  • Virtual Terminal Emulator
  • Perfect fidelity: colors, overwrites, redraws
  • What you see is exactly what you get

Evidence-grade quality

Every visual element is captured with perfect accuracy.

Search Capability

  • Manual grep only
  • No metadata or context
  • Session-by-session files
  • No cross-session search
  • Copy mode (current session only)
  • No search history
  • No regex support
  • Full-text search across all sessions
  • Regex support: pentlog search "nmap.*-sV" --regex
  • Boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT
  • Filter by date, client, engagement
  • Interactive TUI with live results

:material-folder-tree: Organization

  • Manual file naming
  • No structure or hierarchy
  • Easy to lose track
  • Flat file organization
  • Session names only
  • No hierarchy
  • Limited metadata
  • Client → Engagement → Phase hierarchy
  • Automatic organization
  • Context-aware operations
  • SQLite database index

Compliance

  • No integrity verification
  • No encryption
  • No audit trail
  • Not admissible as evidence
  • SHA256 integrity hashes (pentlog freeze)
  • AES-256 encrypted archives
  • Detailed audit trails
  • Timestamped everything
  • Compliance-ready

When to Use Each Tool

  • Use script when:

    • Quick one-off logging
    • No compliance requirements
    • Simple debugging
    • Need universal availability (pre-installed)

  • Use tmux when:

    • Need session persistence
    • Multiple windows/panes required
    • Remote work with reconnect capability
    • Team screen sharing

  • Use PentLog when:

    • Professional penetration testing
    • Compliance requirements (SOC2, ISO27001)
    • Evidence documentation for legal
    • Client report generation
    • Long-term organization needed
    • Audit trail required

Migration Guide

From script

Before vs After

# Start recording
script session.log

# Do your work...
nmap -sV target.com

# Stop recording
exit

# Search: manual grep
grep "nmap" session.log

# Report: manual copy/paste
# No organization, no metadata

# Setup once
pentlog create

# Start recording
pentlog shell

# Do your work...
nmap -sV target.com

# Stop recording
exit

# Search: powerful TUI
pentlog search "nmap.*-sV" --regex

# Report: auto-generated
pentlog export --analyze

From tmux

Before vs After

# Create session
tmux new -s pentest

# Do your work...
# Detach to save
tmux detach

# Later: reattach
tmux attach -t pentest

# No search, no export
# No organization

# Setup once
pentlog create

# Start recorded shell
pentlog shell

# Do your work...
# Exit to save
exit

# Replay with exact timing
pentlog replay

# Search across sessions
pentlog search

# Export professional report
pentlog export

Performance Comparison

Metric script tmux PentLog
Startup Time ~10ms ~50ms ~100ms
Disk Usage Low Medium Medium
CPU Overhead Minimal Low Low
Search Speed Slow (grep) N/A Fast (SQLite)
Concurrent Sessions 1 Many Many

Performance Note

PentLog's slight startup overhead is negligible compared to the productivity gains from search, organization, and report generation.

Summary

Use Case Recommended Tool
Quick debugging script
Session persistence tmux
Professional pentesting PentLog
Compliance/auditing PentLog
Evidence documentation PentLog
Team collaboration PentLog
Certification prep (OSCP) PentLog

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