1 2 SSUUMMMMAARRYY OOFF LLEESSSS CCOOMMMMAANNDDSS 3 4 Commands marked with * may be preceded by a number, _N. 5 Notes in parentheses indicate the behavior if _N is given. 6 A key preceded by a caret indicates the Ctrl key; thus ^K is ctrl-K. 7 8 h H Display this help. 9 q :q Q :Q ZZ Exit. 10 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 12 MMOOVVIINNGG 13 14 e ^E j ^N CR * Forward one line (or _N lines). 15 y ^Y k ^K ^P * Backward one line (or _N lines). 16 f ^F ^V SPACE * Forward one window (or _N lines). 17 b ^B ESC-v * Backward one window (or _N lines). 18 z * Forward one window (and set window to _N). 19 w * Backward one window (and set window to _N). 20 ESC-SPACE * Forward one window, but don't stop at end-of-file. 21 d ^D * Forward one half-window (and set half-window to _N). 22 u ^U * Backward one half-window (and set half-window to _N). 23 ESC-) RightArrow * Right one half screen width (or _N positions). 24 ESC-( LeftArrow * Left one half screen width (or _N positions). 25 ESC-} ^RightArrow Right to last column displayed. 26 ESC-{ ^LeftArrow Left to first column. 27 F Forward forever; like "tail -f". 28 ESC-F Like F but stop when search pattern is found. 29 r ^R ^L Repaint screen. 30 R Repaint screen, discarding buffered input. 31 --------------------------------------------------- 32 Default "window" is the screen height. 33 Default "half-window" is half of the screen height. 34 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35 36 SSEEAARRCCHHIINNGG 37 38 /_p_a_t_t_e_r_n * Search forward for (_N-th) matching line. 39 ?_p_a_t_t_e_r_n * Search backward for (_N-th) matching line. 40 n * Repeat previous search (for _N-th occurrence). 41 N * Repeat previous search in reverse direction. 42 ESC-n * Repeat previous search, spanning files. 43 ESC-N * Repeat previous search, reverse dir. & spanning files. 44 ESC-u Undo (toggle) search highlighting. 45 ESC-U Clear search highlighting. 46 &_p_a_t_t_e_r_n * Display only matching lines. 47 --------------------------------------------------- 48 A search pattern may begin with one or more of: 49 ^N or ! Search for NON-matching lines. 50 ^E or * Search multiple files (pass thru END OF FILE). 51 ^F or @ Start search at FIRST file (for /) or last file (for ?). 52 ^K Highlight matches, but don't move (KEEP position). 53 ^R Don't use REGULAR EXPRESSIONS. 54 ^W WRAP search if no match found. 55 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56 57 JJUUMMPPIINNGG 58 59 g < ESC-< * Go to first line in file (or line _N). 60 G > ESC-> * Go to last line in file (or line _N). 61 p % * Go to beginning of file (or _N percent into file). 62 t * Go to the (_N-th) next tag. 63 T * Go to the (_N-th) previous tag. 64 { ( [ * Find close bracket } ) ]. 65 } ) ] * Find open bracket { ( [. 66 ESC-^F _<_c_1_> _<_c_2_> * Find close bracket _<_c_2_>. 67 ESC-^B _<_c_1_> _<_c_2_> * Find open bracket _<_c_1_>. 68 --------------------------------------------------- 69 Each "find close bracket" command goes forward to the close bracket 70 matching the (_N-th) open bracket in the top line. 71 Each "find open bracket" command goes backward to the open bracket 72 matching the (_N-th) close bracket in the bottom line. 73 74 m_<_l_e_t_t_e_r_> Mark the current top line with <letter>. 75 M_<_l_e_t_t_e_r_> Mark the current bottom line with <letter>. 76 '_<_l_e_t_t_e_r_> Go to a previously marked position. 77 '' Go to the previous position. 78 ^X^X Same as '. 79 ESC-M_<_l_e_t_t_e_r_> Clear a mark. 80 --------------------------------------------------- 81 A mark is any upper-case or lower-case letter. 82 Certain marks are predefined: 83 ^ means beginning of the file 84 $ means end of the file 85 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 86 87 CCHHAANNGGIINNGG FFIILLEESS 88 89 :e [_f_i_l_e] Examine a new file. 90 ^X^V Same as :e. 91 :n * Examine the (_N-th) next file from the command line. 92 :p * Examine the (_N-th) previous file from the command line. 93 :x * Examine the first (or _N-th) file from the command line. 94 :d Delete the current file from the command line list. 95 = ^G :f Print current file name. 96 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 97 98 MMIISSCCEELLLLAANNEEOOUUSS CCOOMMMMAANNDDSS 99 100 -_<_f_l_a_g_> Toggle a command line option [see OPTIONS below]. 101 --_<_n_a_m_e_> Toggle a command line option, by name. 102 __<_f_l_a_g_> Display the setting of a command line option. 103 ___<_n_a_m_e_> Display the setting of an option, by name. 104 +_c_m_d Execute the less cmd each time a new file is examined. 105 106 !_c_o_m_m_a_n_d Execute the shell command with $SHELL. 107 |XX_c_o_m_m_a_n_d Pipe file between current pos & mark XX to shell command. 108 s _f_i_l_e Save input to a file. 109 v Edit the current file with $VISUAL or $EDITOR. 110 V Print version number of "less". 111 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 112 113 OOPPTTIIOONNSS 114 115 Most options may be changed either on the command line, 116 or from within less by using the - or -- command. 117 Options may be given in one of two forms: either a single 118 character preceded by a -, or a name preceded by --. 119 120 -? ........ --help 121 Display help (from command line). 122 -a ........ --search-skip-screen 123 Search skips current screen. 124 -A ........ --SEARCH-SKIP-SCREEN 125 Search starts just after target line. 126 -b [_N] .... --buffers=[_N] 127 Number of buffers. 128 -B ........ --auto-buffers 129 Don't automatically allocate buffers for pipes. 130 -c ........ --clear-screen 131 Repaint by clearing rather than scrolling. 132 -d ........ --dumb 133 Dumb terminal. 134 -D xx_c_o_l_o_r . --color=xx_c_o_l_o_r 135 Set screen colors. 136 -e -E .... --quit-at-eof --QUIT-AT-EOF 137 Quit at end of file. 138 -f ........ --force 139 Force open non-regular files. 140 -F ........ --quit-if-one-screen 141 Quit if entire file fits on first screen. 142 -g ........ --hilite-search 143 Highlight only last match for searches. 144 -G ........ --HILITE-SEARCH 145 Don't highlight any matches for searches. 146 -h [_N] .... --max-back-scroll=[_N] 147 Backward scroll limit. 148 -i ........ --ignore-case 149 Ignore case in searches that do not contain uppercase. 150 -I ........ --IGNORE-CASE 151 Ignore case in all searches. 152 -j [_N] .... --jump-target=[_N] 153 Screen position of target lines. 154 -J ........ --status-column 155 Display a status column at left edge of screen. 156 -k [_f_i_l_e] . --lesskey-file=[_f_i_l_e] 157 Use a lesskey file. 158 -K ........ --quit-on-intr 159 Exit less in response to ctrl-C. 160 -L ........ --no-lessopen 161 Ignore the LESSOPEN environment variable. 162 -m -M .... --long-prompt --LONG-PROMPT 163 Set prompt style. 164 -n -N .... --line-numbers --LINE-NUMBERS 165 Don't use line numbers. 166 -o [_f_i_l_e] . --log-file=[_f_i_l_e] 167 Copy to log file (standard input only). 168 -O [_f_i_l_e] . --LOG-FILE=[_f_i_l_e] 169 Copy to log file (unconditionally overwrite). 170 -p [_p_a_t_t_e_r_n] --pattern=[_p_a_t_t_e_r_n] 171 Start at pattern (from command line). 172 -P [_p_r_o_m_p_t] --prompt=[_p_r_o_m_p_t] 173 Define new prompt. 174 -q -Q .... --quiet --QUIET --silent --SILENT 175 Quiet the terminal bell. 176 -r -R .... --raw-control-chars --RAW-CONTROL-CHARS 177 Output "raw" control characters. 178 -s ........ --squeeze-blank-lines 179 Squeeze multiple blank lines. 180 -S ........ --chop-long-lines 181 Chop (truncate) long lines rather than wrapping. 182 -t [_t_a_g] .. --tag=[_t_a_g] 183 Find a tag. 184 -T [_t_a_g_s_f_i_l_e] --tag-file=[_t_a_g_s_f_i_l_e] 185 Use an alternate tags file. 186 -u -U .... --underline-special --UNDERLINE-SPECIAL 187 Change handling of backspaces. 188 -V ........ --version 189 Display the version number of "less". 190 -w ........ --hilite-unread 191 Highlight first new line after forward-screen. 192 -W ........ --HILITE-UNREAD 193 Highlight first new line after any forward movement. 194 -x [_N[,...]] --tabs=[_N[,...]] 195 Set tab stops. 196 -X ........ --no-init 197 Don't use termcap init/deinit strings. 198 -y [_N] .... --max-forw-scroll=[_N] 199 Forward scroll limit. 200 -z [_N] .... --window=[_N] 201 Set size of window. 202 -" [_c[_c]] . --quotes=[_c[_c]] 203 Set shell quote characters. 204 -~ ........ --tilde 205 Don't display tildes after end of file. 206 -# [_N] .... --shift=[_N] 207 Set horizontal scroll amount (0 = one half screen width). 208 --follow-name 209 The F command changes files if the input file is renamed. 210 --incsearch 211 Search file as each pattern character is typed in. 212 --line-num-width=N 213 Set the width of the -N line number field to N characters. 214 --mouse 215 Enable mouse input. 216 --no-keypad 217 Don't send termcap keypad init/deinit strings. 218 --no-histdups 219 Remove duplicates from command history. 220 --rscroll=C 221 Set the character used to mark truncated lines. 222 --save-marks 223 Retain marks across invocations of less. 224 --status-col-width=N 225 Set the width of the -J status column to N characters. 226 --use-backslash 227 Subsequent options use backslash as escape char. 228 --use-color 229 Enables colored text. 230 --wheel-lines=N 231 Each click of the mouse wheel moves N lines. 232 233 234 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 235 236 LLIINNEE EEDDIITTIINNGG 237 238 These keys can be used to edit text being entered 239 on the "command line" at the bottom of the screen. 240 241 RightArrow ..................... ESC-l ... Move cursor right one character. 242 LeftArrow ...................... ESC-h ... Move cursor left one character. 243 ctrl-RightArrow ESC-RightArrow ESC-w ... Move cursor right one word. 244 ctrl-LeftArrow ESC-LeftArrow ESC-b ... Move cursor left one word. 245 HOME ........................... ESC-0 ... Move cursor to start of line. 246 END ............................ ESC-$ ... Move cursor to end of line. 247 BACKSPACE ................................ Delete char to left of cursor. 248 DELETE ......................... ESC-x ... Delete char under cursor. 249 ctrl-BACKSPACE ESC-BACKSPACE ........... Delete word to left of cursor. 250 ctrl-DELETE .... ESC-DELETE .... ESC-X ... Delete word under cursor. 251 ctrl-U ......... ESC (MS-DOS only) ....... Delete entire line. 252 UpArrow ........................ ESC-k ... Retrieve previous command line. 253 DownArrow ...................... ESC-j ... Retrieve next command line. 254 TAB ...................................... Complete filename & cycle. 255 SHIFT-TAB ...................... ESC-TAB Complete filename & reverse cycle. 256 ctrl-L ................................... Complete filename, list all. 257