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Linux less Command: Display File Content

The less command in Linux is a versatile and convenient text file viewer that allows you to view the contents of a file while providing advanced navigation features. In this tutorial, we'll cover basic usage examples and navigation shortcuts for the less command.

Open a file with less:

To open a file using less, simply type less followed by the file name:

less file_name.txt

Navigating through the file:

Once a file is open in less, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts to navigate through the file:

Up arrow or k: Move up by one line
Down arrow or j: Move down by one line
Page Up or b: Move up by one page
Page Down or Space: Move down by one page
g: Go to the beginning of the file
G: Go to the end of the file
q: Quit less

Search within the file:

You can search for text within the file using the following shortcuts:

/search_term: Search forward for the given search term
?search_term: Search backward for the given search term
n: Repeat the last search in the same direction
N: Repeat the last search in the opposite direction

Follow mode:

If you are viewing a file that is being actively written to, such as a log file, you can use less's follow mode to display new content as it is added:

Press F while the file is open to enter follow mode
Press Ctrl + C to exit follow mode

Open multiple files:

You can open multiple files with less and navigate between them using the following commands:

Open multiple files:
```
less file1.txt file2.txt
```
Navigate between files:
- :n: Go to the next file
- :p: Go to the previous file

Display line numbers:

To display line numbers while viewing a file, press the -N option:

less -N file_name.txt

In summary, the less command is a powerful text file viewer in Linux that provides advanced navigation and search features. By understanding the basic usage examples and shortcuts, you can efficiently view and navigate through text files.

How to use less command in Linux:
The less command is a pager that allows you to view and navigate through text files.
Example code:
```
less filename
```
Viewing file contents with less:
Use less to open and view the contents of a file. Scroll using arrow keys.
Example code:
```
less filename
```
Navigating and searching within files using less:
Navigate through files using arrow keys. Search within files by typing / followed by the search term.
Example code:
```
less filename
```
Press / and type the search term.
Displaying line numbers and file information in less:
Show line numbers with the -N option. Display file information with the -M option.
Example code (with line numbers):
```
less -N filename
```
Example code (with file information):
```
less -M filename
```
Piping command output to less in Linux:
Pipe the output of a command to less for easy navigation.
Example code:
```
command | less
```
Scrolling and paging through large files with less:
Scroll through files using arrow keys or use spacebar to page down. Press b to page up.
Exiting and quitting less command in Linux:
Exit less by pressing q. Press Q (Shift + q) to force quit without confirmation.
Setting options and customizing less behavior:
Customize less behavior using command-line options. For example, set line-wrap with -S.
Example code:
```
less -S filename
```