Linux more Command: View Text One Screen at a Time
The more command is a terminal pager that shows long text one screen at a time. It is widely available and simple to use, although less generally offers more flexible backward navigation and searching.
This guide explains the basic syntax, key options, practical examples, related commands, common cautions, and frequently asked questions for more.
What Is the more Command?
It reads files or standard input, fills the terminal screen, and waits for an interactive key. Space advances a screen, Enter advances a line, and q quits. Backward movement and option behavior depend on the implementation and whether input is a regular file or a pipe.
Basic Syntax
more [OPTION]... [FILE]...
Options and edge cases can vary by implementation and version. Check more --help and man more on the target system before relying on implementation-specific behavior.
Basic more Usage
Read a file screen by screen
A progress indicator or status prompt may appear at the bottom of the terminal.
more README.txt
Advance or exit
During execution, press Space for the next screen, Enter for the next line, or q to exit.
more changelog.txt
Page through command output
Place more at the end of a pipeline when the preceding output is too long for one screen.
dmesg | more
Understanding Page Boundary Display
more sample.txt shows the content one screen at a time and waits for the next input. At the end of the output, a progress indicator or --More-- may appear.
more sample.txt
Example status display:
--More--(50%)
Space is used for the next screen, Enter for the next line, and q to quit. The display format and whether going back is possible depend on the implementation and whether the input is a file or a pipe.
Key Options
| Option | Purpose |
|---|---|
-d |
Display key guidance and friendlier invalid-key messages. |
-s |
Squeeze repeated blank lines. |
-f |
Count logical rather than screen lines in supported implementations. |
-NUM |
Use NUM lines per screen. |
+NUM |
Begin at a specified line number. |
+/PATTERN |
Begin near the first matching pattern. |
Practical Examples
Start at a line number
Use the implementation-supported +NUM form to skip directly to an approximate location.
more +200 server.log
Start near a search match
Quote the argument when the pattern contains shell metacharacters.
more +/'ERROR' server.log
Compress blank lines
The -s option reduces scrolling in text with large blank regions.
more -s report.txt
more and Related Commands
| Command | Primary role | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
more |
Simple screen-by-screen paging | Mostly forward reading |
less |
Rich navigation and search | Long-file analysis |
cat |
Immediate full output | Short files |
head |
Only the beginning | Quick format checks |
Important Cautions
Implementations differ
util-linux, BSD, and other versions can support different keys and options. Read the local manual.
Piped input may restrict backward movement
Unlike a seekable regular file, a stream may not provide previously consumed data.
Avoid interactive pagers in unattended scripts
Use noninteractive selectors such as head, sed, or awk when output must be processed automatically.
FAQ
How do I exit more?
Press q.
How do I advance one line?
Press Enter in typical implementations.
Should I use more or less?
Use more for basic paging; use less when you need stronger searching and backward navigation.
Can more start at a specific line?
Supported implementations accept a form such as more +200 FILE.
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