SUMMARY OF LESS COMMANDS Commands marked with * may be preceded by a number, N. Notes in parentheses indicate the behavior if N is given. A key preceded by a caret indicates the Ctrl key; thus ^K is ctrl-K. h H Display this help. q :q Q :Q ZZ Exit. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- MOVING e ^E j ^N CR * Forward one line (or N lines). y ^Y k ^K ^P * Backward one line (or N lines). J * Forward one line, but don't stop at end-of-file. K Y * Backward one line, but don't stop at beginning-of-file. ESC-j * Forward one file line (or N file lines). ESC-k * Backward one file line (or N file lines). f ^F ^V SPACE * Forward one window (or N lines). b ^B ESC-v * Backward one window (or N lines). z * Forward one window (and set window to N). w * Backward one window (and set window to N). ESC-SPACE * Forward one window, but don't stop at end-of-file. ESC-b * Backward one window, but don't stop at beginning-of-file. d ^D * Forward one half-window (and set half-window to N). u ^U * Backward one half-window (and set half-window to N). ESC-) RightArrow * Right one half screen width (or N positions). ESC-( LeftArrow * Left one half screen width (or N positions). ESC-] ESC-RArrow * Right like ESC-) but stop at longest line. ESC-} ^RightArrow Right to last column displayed. ESC-{ ^LeftArrow Left to first column. F Forward forever; like "tail -f". ESC-F Like F but stop when search pattern is found. ESC-f Like F but ring the bell when search pattern is found. r ^R ^L Repaint screen. R Repaint screen, discarding buffered input. --------------------------------------------------- Default "window" is the screen height. Default "half-window" is half of the screen height. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEARCHING /pattern * Search forward for (N-th) matching line. ?pattern * Search backward for (N-th) matching line. n * Repeat previous search (for N-th occurrence). N * Repeat previous search in reverse direction. ESC-n * Repeat previous search, spanning files. ESC-N * Repeat previous search, reverse dir. & spanning files. ^O^N ^On * Search forward for (N-th) OSC8 hyperlink. ^O^P ^Op * Search backward for (N-th) OSC8 hyperlink. ^O^L ^Ol Jump to the currently selected OSC8 hyperlink. ESC-u Undo (toggle) search highlighting. ESC-U Clear search highlighting. &pattern * Display only matching lines. --------------------------------------------------- Search is case-sensitive unless changed with -i or -I. A search pattern may begin with one or more of: ^N or ! Search for NON-matching lines. ^E or * Search multiple files (pass thru END OF FILE). ^F or @ Start search at FIRST file (for /) or last file (for ?). ^K Highlight matches, but don't move (KEEP position). ^R Don't use REGULAR EXPRESSIONS. ^S n Search for match in n-th parenthesized subpattern. ^W WRAP search if no match found. ^L Enter next character literally into pattern. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- JUMPING g < ESC-< HOME * Go to first line in file (or line N). G > ESC-> END * Go to last line in file (or line N). p % * Go to beginning of file (or N percent into file). t * Go to the (N-th) next tag. T * Go to the (N-th) previous tag. { ( [ * Find close bracket } ) ]. } ) ] * Find open bracket { ( [. ESC-^F * Find close bracket . ESC-^B * Find open bracket . --------------------------------------------------- Each "find close bracket" command goes forward to the close bracket matching the (N-th) open bracket in the top line. Each "find open bracket" command goes backward to the open bracket matching the (N-th) close bracket in the bottom line. m * Mark the top line (or line N) with . M * Mark the bottom line (or line N) with . ' * Go to a previously marked position (put on position N). '' * Go to the previous position. ^X^X * Same as '. ESC-m Clear a mark. --------------------------------------------------- A mark is any upper-case or lower-case letter. Certain marks are predefined: ^ means beginning of the file $ means end of the file --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHANGING FILES :e [file] Examine a new file. ^X^V Same as :e. :n * Examine the (N-th) next file from the command line. :p * Examine the (N-th) previous file from the command line. :x * Examine the first (or N-th) file from the command line. ^O^O Open the currently selected OSC8 hyperlink. :d Delete the current file from the command line list. = ^G :f Print current file name. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- MISCELLANEOUS COMMANDS - Toggle a command line option [see OPTIONS below]. -- Toggle a command line option, by name. _ Display the setting of a command line option. __ Display the setting of an option, by name. +cmd Execute the less cmd each time a new file is examined. !command Execute the shell command with $SHELL. #command Execute the shell command, expanded like a prompt. |Xcommand Pipe file between current pos & mark X to shell command. ||XYcommand Pipe file between mark X and mark Y to shell command. s file Save input to a file. v Edit the current file with $VISUAL or $EDITOR. V Print version number of "less". --------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPTIONS Most options may be changed either on the command line, or from within less by using the - or -- command. Options may be given in one of two forms: either a single character preceded by a -, or a name preceded by --. -? ........ --help Display help (from command line). -a ........ --search-skip-screen Search skips current screen. -A ........ --SEARCH-SKIP-SCREEN Search starts just after target line. -b [N] .... --buffers=[N] Number of buffers. -B ........ --auto-buffers Don't automatically allocate buffers for pipes. -c ........ --clear-screen Repaint by clearing rather than scrolling. -d ........ --dumb Dumb terminal. -D xcolor . --color=xcolor Set screen colors. -e -E .... --quit-at-eof --QUIT-AT-EOF Quit at end of file. -f ........ --force Force open non-regular files. -F ........ --quit-if-one-screen Quit if entire file fits on first screen. -g ........ --hilite-search Highlight only last match for searches. -G ........ --HILITE-SEARCH Don't highlight any matches for searches. -h [N] .... --max-back-scroll=[N] Backward scroll limit. -i ........ --ignore-case Ignore case in searches that do not contain uppercase. -I ........ --IGNORE-CASE Ignore case in all searches. -j [N] .... --jump-target=[N] Screen position of target lines. -J ........ --status-column Display a status column at left edge of screen. -K ........ --quit-on-intr Exit less in response to ctrl-C. -L ........ --no-lessopen Ignore the LESSOPEN environment variable. -m -M .... --long-prompt --LONG-PROMPT Set prompt style. -n ......... --line-numbers Suppress line numbers in prompts and messages. -N ......... --LINE-NUMBERS Display line number at start of each line. -o [file] .. --log-file=[file] Copy to log file (standard input only). -O [file] .. --LOG-FILE=[file] Copy to log file (unconditionally overwrite). -p pattern . --pattern=[pattern] Start at pattern (from command line). -P [prompt] --prompt=[prompt] Define new prompt. -q -Q .... --quiet --QUIET --silent --SILENT Quiet the terminal bell. -r -R .... --raw-control-chars --RAW-CONTROL-CHARS Output "raw" control characters. -s ........ --squeeze-blank-lines Squeeze multiple blank lines. -S ........ --chop-long-lines Chop (truncate) long lines rather than wrapping. -t tag .... --tag=[tag] Find a tag. -T [tagsfile] --tag-file=[tagsfile] Use an alternate tags file. -u -U .... --underline-special --UNDERLINE-SPECIAL Change handling of backspaces, tabs and carriage returns. -V ........ --version Display the version number of "less". -w ........ --hilite-unread Highlight first new line after full screen movement. -W ........ --HILITE-UNREAD Highlight first new line after any movement. -x [N[,...]] --tabs=[N[,...]] Set tab stops. -X ........ --no-init Don't use termcap init/deinit strings. -y [N] .... --max-forw-scroll=[N] Forward scroll limit. -z [N] .... --window=[N] Set size of window. -" [c[c]] . --quotes=[c[c]] Set shell quote characters. -~ ........ --tilde Don't display tildes after end of file. -# [N] .... --shift=[N] Set horizontal scroll amount (0 = one half screen width). --autosave=[m/!*] Actions which cause the history file to be saved. --emouse=[vscroll,vdrag,hscroll,hdrag,lclick,rclick] Enable mouse features. --end-prompt=[string] String to be printed after erasing the prompt. --exit-follow-on-close Exit F command on a pipe when writer closes pipe. --file-size Automatically determine the size of the input file. --follow-name The F command changes files if the input file is renamed. --form-feed Stop scrolling when a form feed character is reached. --header=[L[,C[,N]]] Use L lines (starting at line N) and C columns as headers. --hilite-target Highlight the target line. --incsearch Search file as each pattern character is typed in. --intr=[C] Use C instead of ^X to interrupt a read. --lesskey-context=text Use lesskey source file contents. --lesskey-src=file Use a lesskey source file. --line-num-width=[N] Set the width of the -N line number field to N characters. --match-shift=[N] Show at least N characters to the left of a search match. --modelines=[N] Read N lines from the input file and look for vim modelines. --mouse Enable mouse clicking and vertical scrolling. --no-edit-warn Don't warn when using v command on a file opened via LESSOPEN. --no-keypad Don't send termcap keypad init/deinit strings. --no-histdups Remove duplicates from command history. --no-number-headers Don't give line numbers to header lines. --no-paste Ignore pasted input. --no-search-header-lines Searches do not include header lines. --no-search-header-columns Searches do not include header columns. --no-search-headers Searches do not include header lines or columns. --no-vbell Disable the terminal's visual bell. --redraw-on-quit Redraw final screen when quitting. --rscroll=[C] Set the character used to mark truncated lines. --save-marks Retain marks across invocations of less. --search-options=[EFKNRW-] Set default options for every search. --show-preproc-errors Display a message if preprocessor exits with an error status. --past-eof Scrolling commands continue past end of file. --proc-backspace Process backspaces for bold/underline. --PROC-BACKSPACE Treat backspaces as control characters. --proc-return Delete carriage returns before newline. --PROC-RETURN Treat carriage returns as control characters. --proc-tab Expand tabs to spaces. --PROC-TAB Treat tabs as control characters. --status-col-width=[N] Set the width of the -J status column to N characters. --status-line Highlight or color the entire line containing a mark. --time-file-size=[N] Don't take more than N milliseconds for --file-size. --use-backslash Subsequent options use backslash as escape char. --use-color Enables colored text. --wheel-lines=[N] Each click of the mouse wheel moves N lines. --wordwrap Wrap lines at spaces. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LINE EDITING These keys can be used to edit text being entered on the "command line" at the bottom of the screen. RightArrow ..................... ESC-l ... Move cursor right one character. LeftArrow ...................... ESC-h ... Move cursor left one character. ctrl-RightArrow ESC-RightArrow ESC-w ... Move cursor right one word. ctrl-LeftArrow ESC-LeftArrow ESC-b ... Move cursor left one word. HOME ........................... ESC-0 ... Move cursor to start of line. END ............................ ESC-$ ... Move cursor to end of line. BACKSPACE ................................ Delete char to left of cursor. DELETE ......................... ESC-x ... Delete char under cursor. ctrl-BACKSPACE ESC-BACKSPACE ........... Delete word to left of cursor. ctrl-DELETE .... ESC-DELETE .... ESC-X ... Delete word under cursor. ctrl-U ......... ESC (MS-DOS only) ....... Delete entire line. INSERT ......................... ESC-i ... Toggle insert/overwrite mode. UpArrow ........................ ESC-k ... Retrieve previous command line. DownArrow ...................... ESC-j ... Retrieve next command line. TAB ...................................... Complete filename & cycle. SHIFT-TAB ...................... ESC-TAB Complete filename & reverse cycle. ctrl-L ................................... Complete filename, list all.