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