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