LESSKEY(1) General Commands Manual LESSKEY(1) (NAME) lesskey - less (SYNOPSIS) ( ) lesskey [-o output] -- input lesskey [--output=output] -- input lesskey -V lesskey --version (SCOPE) lesskey less 582 . less lesskey lesskey less. lesskey less . (DESCRIPTION) lesskey less. (FILE FORMAT) . . : #command . #line-edit . #env . . (#) . (COMMAND SECTION) : #command . : string action [extra-string] Whitespace / . string () . string . action less EXAMPLE . string (^) . . : \b BACKSPACE (0x08) \e ESCAPE (0x1B) \n NEWLINE (0x0A) \r RETURN (0x0D) \t TAB (0x09) \k () : \kb BACKSPACE ( BACKSPACE \b ) \kB ctrl-BACKSPACE \kd DOWN ARROW ( ) \kD PAGE DOWN ( ) \ke END () \kE ctrl-END \kF shift-END \kh HOME () \kH ctrl-HOME \kI shift-HOME \ki INSERT () \kl LEFT ARROW ( ) \kL ctrl-LEFT ARROW \kM shift-LEFT ARROW \kr RIGHT ARROW ( ) \kR ctrl-RIGHT ARROW \kS shift-RIGHT ARROW \kt BACKTAB \ku UP ARROW ( ) \kU PAGE UP ( ) \kx DELETE () \kX ctrl-DELETE \k1 F1 \kp1 \kp2 \kp3 \kp4 \kp5 \kp6 \kp7 \kp8 \kp9 \kp0 0 \kp* * \kp/ / \kp- - \kp+ + \kp. . \kp, , \kpe ENTER . (^) (#) . <<>> (extra) . less less . . <<{>> <<:t>> . . lesskey <> <> <> : B set-mark b/next\n <> : less ASCII . (EXAMPLES) less . less . #command \r forw-line \n forw-line e forw-line j forw-line \kd forw-line ^E forw-line ^N forw-line k back-line y back-line ^Y back-line ^K back-line ^P back-line \ku back-line J forw-line-force K back-line-force Y back-line-force d forw-scroll ^D forw-scroll u back-scroll ^U back-scroll \40 forw-screen f forw-screen ^F forw-screen ^V forw-screen \kD forw-screen b back-screen ^B back-screen \ev back-screen \kU back-screen z forw-window w back-window \e\40 forw-screen-force \eb back-screen-force \ej forw-newline \ek back-newline F forw-forever \eF forw-until-hilite \ef forw-bell-hilite R repaint-flush r repaint ^R repaint ^L repaint \eu undo-hilite \eU clear-search g goto-line \kh goto-line \kH goto-line \e{ \kI goto-line \e{ \ke goto-end \kE goto-end \e} \kF goto-end \e} < goto-line \e< goto-line p percent % percent \e( left-scroll \e) right-scroll \e{ no-scroll \e} end-scroll \kl left-scroll \kr right-scroll \kL no-scroll \kM no-scroll \kR end-scroll \kS end-scroll { forw-bracket {} } back-bracket {} ( forw-bracket () ) back-bracket () [ forw-bracket [] ] back-bracket [] \e^F forw-bracket \e^B back-bracket G goto-end \e> goto-end > goto-end P goto-pos \eG goto-end-buffered = status ^G status :f status / forw-search ? back-search \e/ forw-search * \e? back-search * n repeat-search \en repeat-search-all N reverse-search \eN reverse-search-all & filter m set-mark M set-mark-bottom \em clear-mark ' goto-mark ^X^X goto-mark E examine :e examine ^X^V examine :n next-file :p prev-file ^O^N osc8-forw-search ^On osc8-forw-search ^O^P osc8-back-search ^Op osc8-back-search ^O^O osc8-open ^Oo osc8-open ^O^L osc8-jump ^Ol osc8-jump t next-tag T prev-tag :x index-file :d remove-file - toggle-option :t toggle-option t s toggle-option o ## ## : ## s toggle-option -log-file\n _ display-option | pipe v visual ! shell # pshell + firstcmd \e[M mouse \e[< mouse6 \kp1 goto-end \kp2 forw-line \kp3 forw-screen \kp4 left-scroll \kp6 right-scroll \kp7 goto-line \kp8 back-line \kp9 back-screen \kp0 noaction 0 \kp* noaction * \kp/ noaction / \kp- noaction - \kp+ noaction + \kp. noaction . \kp, noaction , H help h help \k1 help V version 0 digit 1 digit 2 digit 3 digit 4 digit 5 digit 6 digit 7 digit 8 digit 9 digit q quit Q quit :q quit :Q quit ZZ quit (PRECEDENCE) lesskey . "invalid" . "noaction" . "noaction" "invalid" less "invalid" "noaction" . : #stop . #stop . #stop . #stop . "quit" . (LINE EDITING SECTION) : #line-edit #command . . (EXAMPLE) less : #line-edit \t forw-complete \17 back-complete \ekt back-complete \e\t back-complete ^L expand ^V literal ^A literal \el right \kr right \eh left \kl left \eb word-left \e\kl word-left \e\kL word-left \ew word-right \e\kr word-right \e\kR word-right \ei insert \ki insert \ex delete \kx delete \eX word-delete \ekx word-delete \kX word-delete \e\b word-backspace \kB word-backspace \e0 home \kh home \e$ end \ke end \ek up \ku up \ej down \kd down ^G abort \kp1 end \kp2 down \kp4 left \kp6 right \kp7 home \kp8 up \kp0 noaction 0 \kp* noaction * \kp/ noaction / \kp- noaction - \kp+ noaction + \kp. noaction . \kp, noaction , \e[M mouse \e[< mouse6 LESS (LESS ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES) : #env . (=) . . less . lesskey lesskey . = += . += ( =) . . . ( += .) = ${NAME} "NAME" . lesskey lesskey . ${NAME/STRING/REPL} . "STRING" "REPL" . STRING (metacharacter) . STRING REPL . REPL STRING . . ${NAME/STRING1/REPL1/STRING2/REPL2} . (CONDITIONAL CONFIGURATION) #version less ( lesskey) . lesskey less . 'sideways-search' 777 less . Q less . 777 . #version >= 777 Q sideways-search : > < >= <= = != #version less lesskey 594 . #version . (EXAMPLES) less -i -S 595 --color . #env ## (Note that there must be a space at the end of the next line, ## to separate the --color option from the -S option.) LESS = -i -S #version >= 595 LESS += --color=Hkc (SEE ALSO) less(1) (WARNINGS) MS-DOS OS/2 NUL (0) . NUL lesskey \340 . (COPYRIGHT) Copyright (C) 1984-2026 Mark Nudelman less GNU . (1) GNU General Public License Free Software Foundation (2) Less License / . README less . GNU General Public License less COPYING . Free Software Foundation 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA . Less License LICENSE . less (MERCHANTABILITY) (FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE). GNU General Public License . (AUTHOR) Mark Nudelman https://github.com/gwsw/less/ issues. less 704 30 May 2026 LESSKEY(1)