Quickly page through text or piped output on the command line with a tiny, reliable pager. 12.04.2026 | reading time: 2 min The `more` command lets the user view text a screen at a time on the terminal; it works on files and on piped output and is ideal for quick inspection when scrolling is unwanted. A hands-on demo Try this on a shell: ```bash $ seq 1 15 | more 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 --More-- (press SPACE to show the next page or q to quit) ``` Practical navigation and behavior Press SPACE to advance a screen, press ENTER to advance one line, and press q to quit; `more` reads files or stdin, so use `command | more` to page long command output, and remember that `more` is typically simpler than `less` and often cannot scroll backward. Useful options and workflows Many installations support `-d` to show helpful prompts, `-s` to squeeze multiple blank lines, and `-c` to repaint the screen instead of scrolling; combine `zcat file.gz | more` to page compressed output and set the `PAGER` environment variable when scripts should use a default pager. When to pick another pager For searching, backward movement, or advanced navigation use `less`; for quick dumps use `cat`; for continuous monitoring use `tail -f`; `more` stays useful when a tiny, ubiquitous pager is enough. Final thought Mastery of small tools like `more` sharpens fluency at the shell; keep exploring pagers and automation and consider deepening skills toward certifications such as CompTIA Linux+ or LPIC-1 with intensive exam preparation at bitsandbytes.academy. Join Bits & Bytes Academy First class LINUX exam preparation. utilities filesystem troubleshooting
