2 S
\bSU
\bUM
\bMM
\bMA
\bAR
\bRY
\bY O
\bOF
\bF L
\bLE
\bES
\bSS
\bS C
\bCO
\bOM
\bMM
\bMA
\bAN
\bND
\bDS
\bS
4 Commands marked with * may be preceded by a number, _
\bN.
5 Notes in parentheses indicate the behavior if _
\bN is given.
9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 M
\bMO
\bOV
\bVI
\bIN
\bNG
\bG
13 e ^E j ^N CR * Forward one line (or _
\bN lines).
14 y ^Y k ^K ^P * Backward one line (or _
\bN lines).
15 f ^F ^V SPACE * Forward one window (or _
\bN lines).
16 b ^B ESC-v * Backward one window (or _
\bN lines).
17 z * Forward one window (and set window to _
\bN).
18 w * Backward one window (and set window to _
\bN).
19 ESC-SPACE * Forward one window, but don't stop at end-of-file.
20 d ^D * Forward one half-window (and set half-window to _
\bN).
21 u ^U * Backward one half-window (and set half-window to _
\bN).
22 ESC-( RightArrow * Left one half screen width (or _
\bN positions).
23 ESC-) LeftArrow * Right one half screen width (or _
\bN positions).
24 F Forward forever; like "tail -f".
25 r ^R ^L Repaint screen.
26 R Repaint screen, discarding buffered input.
27 ---------------------------------------------------
28 Default "window" is the screen height.
29 Default "half-window" is half of the screen height.
30 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
32 S
\bSE
\bEA
\bAR
\bRC
\bCH
\bHI
\bIN
\bNG
\bG
34 /_
\bp_
\ba_
\bt_
\bt_
\be_
\br_
\bn * Search forward for (_
\bN-th) matching line.
35 ?_
\bp_
\ba_
\bt_
\bt_
\be_
\br_
\bn * Search backward for (_
\bN-th) matching line.
36 n * Repeat previous search (for _
\bN-th occurrence).
37 N * Repeat previous search in reverse direction.
38 ESC-n * Repeat previous search, spanning files.
39 ESC-N * Repeat previous search, reverse dir. & spanning files.
40 ESC-u Undo (toggle) search highlighting.
41 ---------------------------------------------------
42 Search patterns may be modified by one or more of:
43 ^N or ! Search for NON-matching lines.
44 ^E or * Search multiple files (pass thru END OF FILE).
45 ^F or @ Start search at FIRST file (for /) or last file (for ?).
46 ^K Highlight matches, but don't move (KEEP position).
47 ^R Don't use REGULAR EXPRESSIONS.
48 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
50 J
\bJU
\bUM
\bMP
\bPI
\bIN
\bNG
\bG
52 g < ESC-< * Go to first line in file (or line _
\bN).
53 G > ESC-> * Go to last line in file (or line _
\bN).
54 p % * Go to beginning of file (or _
\bN percent into file).
55 t * Go to the (_
\bN-th) next tag.
56 T * Go to the (_
\bN-th) previous tag.
57 { ( [ * Find close bracket } ) ].
58 } ) ] * Find open bracket { ( [.
59 ESC-^F _
\b<_
\bc_
\b1_
\b> _
\b<_
\bc_
\b2_
\b> * Find close bracket _
\b<_
\bc_
\b2_
\b>.
60 ESC-^B _
\b<_
\bc_
\b1_
\b> _
\b<_
\bc_
\b2_
\b> * Find open bracket _
\b<_
\bc_
\b1_
\b>
61 ---------------------------------------------------
62 Each "find close bracket" command goes forward to the close bracket
63 matching the (_
\bN-th) open bracket in the top line.
64 Each "find open bracket" command goes backward to the open bracket
65 matching the (_
\bN-th) close bracket in the bottom line.
67 m_
\b<_
\bl_
\be_
\bt_
\bt_
\be_
\br_
\b> Mark the current position with <letter>.
68 '_
\b<_
\bl_
\be_
\bt_
\bt_
\be_
\br_
\b> Go to a previously marked position.
69 '' Go to the previous position.
71 ---------------------------------------------------
72 A mark is any upper-case or lower-case letter.
73 Certain marks are predefined:
74 ^ means beginning of the file
75 $ means end of the file
76 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
78 C
\bCH
\bHA
\bAN
\bNG
\bGI
\bIN
\bNG
\bG F
\bFI
\bIL
\bLE
\bES
\bS
80 :e [_
\bf_
\bi_
\bl_
\be] Examine a new file.
82 :n * Examine the (_
\bN-th) next file from the command line.
83 :p * Examine the (_
\bN-th) previous file from the command line.
84 :x * Examine the first (or _
\bN-th) file from the command line.
85 :d Delete the current file from the command line list.
86 = ^G :f Print current file name.
87 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
89 M
\bMI
\bIS
\bSC
\bCE
\bEL
\bLL
\bLA
\bAN
\bNE
\bEO
\bOU
\bUS
\bS C
\bCO
\bOM
\bMM
\bMA
\bAN
\bND
\bDS
\bS
91 -_
\b<_
\bf_
\bl_
\ba_
\bg_
\b> Toggle a command line option [see OPTIONS below].
92 --_
\b<_
\bn_
\ba_
\bm_
\be_
\b> Toggle a command line option, by name.
93 __
\b<_
\bf_
\bl_
\ba_
\bg_
\b> Display the setting of a command line option.
94 ___
\b<_
\bn_
\ba_
\bm_
\be_
\b> Display the setting of an option, by name.
95 +_
\bc_
\bm_
\bd Execute the less cmd each time a new file is examined.
97 !_
\bc_
\bo_
\bm_
\bm_
\ba_
\bn_
\bd Execute the shell command with $SHELL.
98 |X
\bX_
\bc_
\bo_
\bm_
\bm_
\ba_
\bn_
\bd Pipe file between current pos & mark X
\bX to shell command.
99 v Edit the current file with $VISUAL or $EDITOR.
100 V Print version number of "less".
101 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
103 O
\bOP
\bPT
\bTI
\bIO
\bON
\bNS
\bS
105 Most options may be changed either on the command line,
106 or from within less by using the - or -- command.
107 Options may be given in one of two forms: either a single
108 character preceded by a -, or a name preceeded by --.
111 Display help (from command line).
112 -a ........ --search-skip-screen
113 Forward search skips current screen.
114 -b [_
\bN] .... --buffers=[_
\bN]
116 -B ........ --auto-buffers
117 Don't automatically allocate buffers for pipes.
118 -c -C .... --clear-screen --CLEAR-SCREEN
119 Repaint by scrolling/clearing.
122 -D [_
\bx_
\bn_
\b._
\bn] . --color=_
\bx_
\bn_
\b._
\bn
123 Set screen colors. (MS-DOS only)
124 -e -E .... --quit-at-eof --QUIT-AT-EOF
127 Force open non-regular files.
128 -F ........ --quit-if-one-screen
129 Quit if entire file fits on first screen.
130 -g ........ --hilite-search
131 Highlight only last match for searches.
132 -G ........ --HILITE-SEARCH
133 Don't highlight any matches for searches.
134 -h [_
\bN] .... --max-back-scroll=[_
\bN]
135 Backward scroll limit.
136 -i ........ --ignore-case
137 Ignore case in searches that do not contain uppercase.
138 -I ........ --IGNORE-CASE
139 Ignore case in all searches.
140 -j [_
\bN] .... --jump-target=[_
\bN]
141 Screen position of target lines.
142 -J ........ --status-column
143 Display a status column at left edge of screen.
144 -k [_
\bf_
\bi_
\bl_
\be] . --lesskey-file=[_
\bf_
\bi_
\bl_
\be]
146 -m -M .... --long-prompt --LONG-PROMPT
148 -n -N .... --line-numbers --LINE-NUMBERS
150 -o [_
\bf_
\bi_
\bl_
\be] . --log-file=[_
\bf_
\bi_
\bl_
\be]
151 Copy to log file (standard input only).
152 -O [_
\bf_
\bi_
\bl_
\be] . --LOG-FILE=[_
\bf_
\bi_
\bl_
\be]
153 Copy to log file (unconditionally overwrite).
154 -p [_
\bp_
\ba_
\bt_
\bt_
\be_
\br_
\bn] --pattern=[_
\bp_
\ba_
\bt_
\bt_
\be_
\br_
\bn]
155 Start at pattern (from command line).
156 -P [_
\bp_
\br_
\bo_
\bm_
\bp_
\bt] --prompt=[_
\bp_
\br_
\bo_
\bm_
\bp_
\bt]
158 -q -Q .... --quiet --QUIET --silent --SILENT
159 Quiet the terminal bell.
160 -r -R .... --raw-control-chars --RAW-CONTROL-CHARS
161 Output "raw" control characters.
162 -s ........ --squeeze-blank-lines
163 Squeeze multiple blank lines.
164 -S ........ --chop-long-lines
166 -t [_
\bt_
\ba_
\bg] .. --tag=[_
\bt_
\ba_
\bg]
168 -T [_
\bt_
\ba_
\bg_
\bs_
\bf_
\bi_
\bl_
\be] --tag-file=[_
\bt_
\ba_
\bg_
\bs_
\bf_
\bi_
\bl_
\be]
169 Use an alternate tags file.
170 -u -U .... --underline-special --UNDERLINE-SPECIAL
171 Change handling of backspaces.
172 -V ........ --version
173 Display the version number of "less".
174 -w ........ --hilite-unread
175 Highlight first new line after forward-screen.
176 -W ........ --HILITE-UNREAD
177 Highlight first new line after any forward movement.
178 -x [_
\bN[,...]] --tabs=[_
\bN[,...]]
180 -X ........ --no-init
181 Don't use termcap init/deinit strings.
183 Don't use termcap keypad init/deinit strings.
184 -y [_
\bN] .... --max-forw-scroll=[_
\bN]
185 Forward scroll limit.
186 -z [_
\bN] .... --window=[_
\bN]
188 -" [_
\bc[_
\bc]] . --quotes=[_
\bc[_
\bc]]
189 Set shell quote characters.
191 Don't display tildes after end of file.
192 -# [_
\bN] .... --shift=[_
\bN]
193 Horizontal scroll amount (0 = one half screen width)
195 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
197 L
\bLI
\bIN
\bNE
\bE E
\bED
\bDI
\bIT
\bTI
\bIN
\bNG
\bG
199 These keys can be used to edit text being entered
200 on the "command line" at the bottom of the screen.
202 RightArrow ESC-l Move cursor right one character.
203 LeftArrow ESC-h Move cursor left one character.
204 CNTL-RightArrow ESC-RightArrow ESC-w Move cursor right one word.
205 CNTL-LeftArrow ESC-LeftArrow ESC-b Move cursor left one word.
206 HOME ESC-0 Move cursor to start of line.
207 END ESC-$ Move cursor to end of line.
208 BACKSPACE Delete char to left of cursor.
209 DELETE ESC-x Delete char under cursor.
210 CNTL-BACKSPACE ESC-BACKSPACE Delete word to left of cursor.
211 CNTL-DELETE ESC-DELETE ESC-X Delete word under cursor.
212 CNTL-U ESC (MS-DOS only) Delete entire line.
213 UpArrow ESC-k Retrieve previous command line.
214 DownArrow ESC-j Retrieve next command line.
215 TAB Complete filename & cycle.
216 SHIFT-TAB ESC-TAB Complete filename & reverse cycle.
217 CNTL-L Complete filename, list all.