Skip to content

less

  • View the content one line at a time
# Read text file line by line (q quits)
less "file.txt"
less "file.txt" "file2.txt" # :n (next file), :p (previous file)
less +F "/var/log/syslog" # tail-like
ls -la | less

# Follow
less +F "/var/log/syslog"

  • Forward search

  • /: search for a pattern which will take you to the next occurrence

  • n: for next match in forward

  • N: for previous match in backward

  • You must escape slashes on forward search: /\/home\/ramesh\/

  • Backward Search

  • ?: search for a pattern which will take you to the previous occurrence.

  • n: for next match in backward direction

  • N: for previous match in forward direction

  • You don't need to escape slashes on backward search: ?/home/ramesh/

  • j: forward one line
  • 10j: forward 10 lines
  • CTRL+D: forward half window

  • CTRL+F: forward one window

  • k: backward by one line

  • 10k: backward 10 lines
  • CTRL+U: backward half window

  • CTRL+B: backward one window

  • g: start of file

  • G: end of file
  • q or ZZ: exit

Info

  • CTRL+G: current file name, line, byte and percentage
  • v: using the configured editor edit the current file.
  • h: summary of less commands
  • &pattern: display only the matching lines, not all.