more -- Command

Display text one page at a time
more [ -cdflsu ] [ -window_size ] [ +line_number ] [ +/pattern ] [ file ... ] [ - ]

more is a filter for paging  through text one screenful at a time.  file is
a text  file; the operator  - tells more  to read and  display the standard
input.

Command-line Options

more  reads  options  from the  command  line  and  from the  environmental
variable MORE. In case of a conflict, the options given on the command line
take precedence.   Every cluster of options must be  preceded with a hyphen
`-', even if passed via the environmental variable MORE.

more recognizes the following options:

-c Paint the  screen from  the top line  down.  more normally  repaints the
   screen by scrolling from the bottom of the screen.

-d Prompt the user at the end of each screen with the message:

       [Press space to continue, 'q' to quit.]

   The default is to not issue a prompt.

-f Count actual  lines from the input file rather  than screen lines.  This
   option is useful when the input contains escape sequences that more does
   not recognize.

-l Do  not treat  the  formfeed character  <ctrl-L>  as special.   By
   default, more pauses at each formfeed character, as if a full screen had
   been displayed.

-s Squeeze consecutive blank lines into one blank line.  This is useful for
   looking at nroff output, such as manual pages.

-u Display backspaces as  control characters and leave the carriage return-
   linefeed (CR-LF) pair  alone.  By default, more displays backspaces that
   appear  adjacent   to  an  underscore  character   as  underlined  text;
   backspaces that  appear between  two identical characters  as emboldened
   text; and compresses CR-LF sequences.

+/pattern
   Search  for pattern  before  displaying a  file.  pattern  is a  regular
   expression, as  recognized by  commands ed  or egrep. pattern  should be
   escaped to avoid being processed by the shell.

-window_size
   Set the size of the window that more displays to window_size, which is a
   decimal  integer less  than or  equal  to the  number of  lines on  your
   terminal.  The default window  size is read from the termcap description
   for your terminal.

+line_number
   Make line_number the beginning  line to display in  file. line_number is
   a decimal integer less than the number of lines in file.

Commands

The following  describes more's  interactive commands.  These  commands are
based on  those for  the UNIX  editor vi. Some  commands may  optionally be
preceded by a  decimal number.  If you enter an  invalid command, more will
beep at you.

h

7
?  Help: display a summary of these commands.

[N]<space>
   Display the next N lines of text (default, one screenful).

[N]z
   If N is not specified, display the next screenful.  Otherwise, display N
   lines  and  set the  default  scrolling  size to  N  for all  subsequent
   <space> and z commands.

[N]<ctrl-F>

7
[N]f
   Scroll forward N screenfuls (default, one screenful).  If N is more than
   the screen size, only the final screenful is displayed.

[N]<ctrl-B>

7
[N]b
   Scroll backward  N screenfuls  (default, one  screenful).  If N  is more
   than the screen size, only the final screenful is displayed.

[N]s
   Skip forward N lines (default, one line) and display one screenful.

[N]<return>

7
[N]<enter>
   Scroll forward N  lines (default, one).  Display all N  lines, even if N
   is more than the screen size.

[N]<ctrl-D>

7
[N]d
   Scroll forward N lines (default, one  half of the screen size).  If N is
   specified, it  becomes the  new default  for subsequent d  and <ctrl-
   D> commands.

<ctrl-L>
   Redraw the screen.

'  (Apostrophe)  Return  to the  position  in the  current  file where  the
   previous search command  started, or to the beginning of  the file if no
   search commands have occurred.  This information is lost when a new file
   is examined.

[N]/pattern
   Search forward  for the N-th line that  contains pattern (default, one).
   pattern  is a  regular expression,  as  recognized by  ed or  egrep. The
   search starts at the second line displayed.

n  Repeat previous search.

:f Display the name of the current file with the current line number.

[N]:n
   Examine the  N-th file after the  current file, as given  in the command
   line (default, the next file).

[N]:p
   Examine the  N-th file  previous to  the current file,  as given  in the
   command line (default, the previous file).

! command

7
:! command
   Pass command  to the shell  specified by environment  variable SHELL for
   execution.  The default shell is /bin/sh.

v  Invoke an  editor to edit  the current file.   The editor is  set by the
   environment  variables  VISUAL  and EDITOR,  in  that  order.  If  these
   variables are not set, use vi.

=  Display the current line number.

q

7
:q

7
Q

7
:Q Quit.

Environment

more uses the following environment variables:

EDITOR  Specify default editor.

MORE    Set default options for more

SHELL   Specify the shell being used (normally set at login time).

TERM    Specify  the  type  of terminal  you  are  using.   more uses  this
        variable  to read  from /etc/termcap  the  terminal characteristics
        needed to manipulate the screen.

VISUAL  Specify default visual editor.

See Also

commands,
egrep,
scat,
vi,
zmore

Author

This  software is  derived from  software contributed  to Berkeley  by Mark
Nudleman.   more  is  copyright ©  1988,1990  by  The  Regents of  the
University  of California.   Copyright © 1988  by Mark  Nudleman.  All
rights reserved.

© 2012 by Stephen A. Ness