NAME

more, less — page through text

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

The more utility shows text one screen at a time. It reads each file, or the standard input. Invoked as less, it behaves the same. When the standard output is not a terminal, the input is copied to it unchanged.

Bold and underline, as escape sequences or as backspace overstrike, are shown as such; tabs expand to every eighth column, and long lines fold.

The options are as follows:

-c, -R

Accepted for compatibility.

-e

Exit on reaching the end of the last file.

-F

Exit at once, after printing it, if the text fits on one screen.

-i

Ignore case in searches.

-n number

Show number lines per screen.

-p command, +command

Run command first: ‘/pattern’, ‘G’, or a line number.

-s

Show runs of blank lines as one.

-t pattern

Start at the first line matching pattern.

-u

Show backspaces as they are, with no bold or underline.

The commands are single keys, some preceded by a count N:

SPACE f ^F

Forward one screen, or N. At the end of a file, go to the next.

b ^B

Back one screen.

RETURN j e ^N

Forward one line, or N.

k y ^Y ^P

Back one line.

d ^D, u ^U

Forward or back half a screen.

g <

The first line, or line N.

G >

The last line, or line N.

/pattern

Search forward for pattern, a literal string; matches are highlighted.

?pattern

Search backward.

n, N

Repeat the last search, or repeat it the other way.

:n, :p

The next or previous file.

= ^G

Show the position.

r ^L

Redraw the screen.

h

Summarize the commands.

q Q ZZ

Quit.

SEE ALSO

man(1), oxdoc(1)

STANDARDS

The more utility follows IEEE Std 1003.1-2008 (“POSIX.1”), except that patterns are literal strings, not regular expressions.

HISTORY

A more command appeared in 3.0BSD. This implementation was written for OxideBSD.