more Command Linux: Complete Guide to Paginated File Viewing

The more command is one of the most essential Linux utilities for viewing file contents in a controlled, paginated manner. Instead of overwhelming your terminal with entire file contents at once, the more command displays text one screen at a time, making it perfect for reading large files, logs, and documentation.

What is the more Command?

The more command is a pager program that allows you to view text files page by page. It’s particularly useful when dealing with lengthy files that would otherwise flood your terminal screen, making it difficult to read or navigate through the content effectively.

Unlike simple commands like cat that dump entire file contents to the terminal, more provides interactive navigation controls, allowing you to scroll through content at your own pace.

Basic Syntax and Usage

The basic syntax of the more command is straightforward:

more [options] [file...]

Simple File Viewing

To view a file using more, simply specify the filename:

more filename.txt

Example Output:

This is the first line of the file
This is the second line
This is the third line
...more content...
--More--(45%)

The --More--(45%) at the bottom indicates that you’re viewing 45% of the file, and more content is available.

Navigation Controls

Once you’re in the more interface, you can use various keyboard shortcuts to navigate:

Command Line Options

The more command supports several useful options to customize its behavior:

-n (Number of Lines)

Specify the number of lines to display per screen:

more -10 largefile.txt

This displays only 10 lines at a time instead of the default screen size.

-d (Display Help)

Show helpful prompts for navigation:

more -d logfile.txt

Example Output:

Log entry 1
Log entry 2
Log entry 3
--More--(25%) [Press space to continue, 'q' to quit.]

-s (Squeeze Blank Lines)

Replace multiple consecutive blank lines with a single blank line:

more -s document.txt

+num (Start at Line Number)

Begin displaying from a specific line number:

more +50 largefile.txt

This starts displaying from line 50 of the file.

+/pattern (Start at Pattern)

Begin displaying from the first occurrence of a pattern:

more +/error application.log

This starts displaying from the first line containing “error”.

Practical Examples

Example 1: Viewing System Logs

more /var/log/syslog

Sample Output:

Aug 24 10:15:23 server kernel: [12345.678901] USB disconnect
Aug 24 10:15:24 server systemd[1]: Started Update UTMP
Aug 24 10:15:25 server NetworkManager[892]: <info> device (eth0): state change
Aug 24 10:15:26 server kernel: [12346.789012] TCP: Peer unexpectedly shrunk
--More--(12%)

Example 2: Reading Configuration Files

more /etc/ssh/sshd_config

This allows you to read SSH configuration settings page by page, making it easier to understand the configuration structure.

Example 3: Viewing Command Output

You can pipe command output to more for paginated viewing:

ps aux | more

Sample Output:

USER       PID %CPU %MEM    VSZ   RSS TTY      STAT START   TIME COMMAND
root         1  0.0  0.1 169564 11420 ?        Ss   Aug23   0:03 /sbin/init
root         2  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        S    Aug23   0:00 [kthreadd]
root         3  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        I<   Aug23   0:00 [rcu_gp]
--More--(15%)

Example 4: Interactive Search

While viewing a file with more, you can search for specific content:

more application.log

Then type /ERROR to search for “ERROR” in the file. The display will jump to the first occurrence.

Combining more with Other Commands

Using with grep

grep -n "error" application.log | more

This searches for “error” in the log file and displays results with line numbers, paginated through more.

Using with find

find /var/log -name "*.log" -exec more {} \;

This finds all .log files and opens each one with more for viewing.

Using with tail

tail -100 /var/log/messages | more

Display the last 100 lines of a log file using more for pagination.

Advanced Usage Tips

Setting Environment Variables

You can customize more’s behavior using the MORE environment variable:

export MORE="-d -s"
more largefile.txt

This sets default options (-d for help prompts, -s for squeezing blank lines).

Viewing Multiple Files

More can handle multiple files sequentially:

more file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt

After reaching the end of one file, press Space to move to the next file.

Binary File Detection

More automatically detects binary files and asks for confirmation:

more binaryfile.exe

Output:

"binaryfile.exe" may be a binary file. See it anyway?

more vs less vs cat

Understanding when to use more versus other file viewing commands:

Common Use Cases

System Administration

• Log Analysis: more /var/log/auth.log
• Configuration Review: more /etc/fstab
• Process Monitoring: ps aux | more

Development

• Code Review: more large_script.py
• Documentation: more README.md
• Build Logs: more build.log

Data Analysis

• CSV Files: more data.csv
• Report Files: more monthly_report.txt
• Database Dumps: more database_export.sql | more

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Terminal Size Issues

If more doesn’t display correctly, check your terminal size:

echo $LINES $COLUMNS

You can also force a specific screen size:

LINES=20 COLUMNS=80 more filename.txt

Encoding Problems

For files with special characters, ensure proper locale settings:

LC_ALL=C more filename.txt

Permission Denied

If you can’t read a file, check permissions:

ls -l filename.txt
sudo more filename.txt

Performance Considerations

The more command is efficient with memory usage because it doesn’t load the entire file into memory at once. However, for very large files (gigabytes), consider these alternatives:

• For large logs: Use tail -f for real-time monitoring
• For structured data: Use head and tail to preview
• For searchable content: Use grep with more

Security Considerations

When using more with sensitive files:

• Be aware that more creates temporary files in some cases
• Avoid using more on files containing passwords or secrets in shared environments
• Consider using sudo appropriately for system files

Conclusion

The more command is an indispensable tool for Linux users, providing a simple yet effective way to view file contents without overwhelming the terminal. While newer alternatives like less offer more features, more remains valuable for its simplicity and universal availability across Unix-like systems.

Whether you’re a system administrator analyzing logs, a developer reviewing code, or a regular user exploring file contents, mastering the more command will significantly improve your command-line efficiency. Practice with different file types and sizes to become comfortable with its navigation controls and options.

Remember that the key to effective use of more lies in understanding its navigation shortcuts and knowing when to combine it with other commands for powerful file analysis workflows.