More and less commands are both used to view the contents of text files in a terminal window. They are both “pagers”, which means that they display the file one screenful at a time, and you can use the keyboard to scroll through the file.
The main difference between more and less is that less has more features. For example, less allows you to:
- Scroll up and down in the file.
- Search for text in the file.
- Go to the beginning or end of the file.
- Mark lines in the file for later reference.
- Edit the file with a text editor.
In addition, less is more efficient than more, so it is generally faster to use.
Here is a table summarizing the differences between more and less:
| Feature | more | less |
|---|---|---|
| Displays file one screenful at a time | Yes | Yes |
| Scrolls through file | Yes | Yes |
| Searches for text in file | No | Yes |
| Goes to beginning or end of file | No | Yes |
| Marks lines in file | No | Yes |
| Edits file with text editor | No | Yes |
| Efficiency | Less efficient | More efficient |
In general, you should use less if you need the extra features that it provides. However, if you are just looking for a simple way to view the contents of a text file, then more is a good option.
Here are some examples of how to use the more and less commands:
# View the contents of the file "myfile.txt" one screenful at a time
more myfile.txt
# Search for the word "hello" in the file "myfile.txt"
less myfile.txt | grep hello
# Go to the beginning of the file "myfile.txt"
less myfile.txt +<enter>
# Mark the line that contains the word "hello" in the file "myfile.txt"
less myfile.txt | m hello
# Edit the file "myfile.txt" with the text editor vim
less myfile.txt | vim