Overview
The 'more' command reads a text file and displays its content one screen at a time. When a screen is full, it automatically pauses, and the user can press the spacebar to move to the next page. This prevents the content from scrolling too quickly when reading large files. While `less` is considered a more advanced tool that extends the functionality of `more`, `more` is still useful for simple file content viewing.
Key Features
The main features of the 'more' command are:
- Outputs text files page by page.
- Press the spacebar to move to the next page.
- Searching (`/:search_term`) is only possible from the beginning of the file; you cannot go backward.
- Automatically exits when the end of the file is reached.
Difference between more and less
less is a command that addresses the shortcomings of more. It includes all the features of more and provides even more functionality.
- more: You can only scroll forward through the file. Once content has passed, you cannot view it again.
- less: You can scroll freely forward and backward through the file. It provides search and navigation features similar to `vim`. It is a more flexible and powerful tool.
Key Options
The 'more' command controls the output method through simple options.
1) Execution Options
2) Interactive Mode
Generated command:
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Description:
`more` Executes the command.
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Usage Examples
Learn the functionality of the more command through various usage examples.
View Large File Content
dmesg | morePipe the output of the `dmesg` command to `more` to view it page by page.
View File Content Page by Page
more /var/log/syslogView the content of a large file, `/var/log/syslog`, one page at a time.
View 20 Lines Per Page
more -20 /etc/servicesUse the `-20` option to output 20 lines per screen.
Tips & Cautions
Important points to note when using the more command.
Tips
- For free forward and backward navigation through file content, using `less` instead of `more` is much more convenient. `less` includes all the functionalities of `more` and offers more powerful features.
- In interactive mode, `more` shows the current position in the file as a percentage (e.g., `--More--(45%)`).
- `more` is particularly useful for viewing large file contents by piping the output of the `cat` command (e.g., `cat bigfile.txt | more`).