changing default (man) pager











up vote
2
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I'm working on Solaris 10, using bash. Want to change default pager from "more" to "less" (because "less is more" :). Tried to do the following:



PAGER=less


PS. When I do it in csh via



setenv PAGER less


then it works






bash man pager







share|improve this question




















  • 1




    Do not use just less since the default is to use more -s. less seems to implement the same option. BTW: if you have an editor that allows you to exit a binary without destroing the binary, edit /usr/bin/man and replace nroff -u0 by nroff -u1 for better readable output. IIRC, there are three such strings in the binary.
    – schily
    Nov 8 at 11:24












  • @schily; I think you wanted to say edit a binary and not exit a binary, right? Hm, not sure that I have such a thing, what would it be, some hexeditor? I can see the strings with strings.Thank you for the suggestion!
    – stevica
    Nov 8 at 12:51












  • Ok, it seems that I made 2 typos and fixed only one. Any modern editor schould be able to so this, vi is not usable.
    – schily
    Nov 8 at 13:03










  • Notice the (small but important) distinction with setenv saying that it sets environment variables.
    – Jeff Schaller
    Nov 8 at 13:54






  • 1




    @JeffSchaller I do notice. The thing is that with csh I have more experience and still fighting my way through bash. Up to now I was even thinking that Bash doesn't make a distinction between environment and any other variable.
    – stevica
    Nov 8 at 17:33

















up vote
2
down vote

favorite












I'm working on Solaris 10, using bash. Want to change default pager from "more" to "less" (because "less is more" :). Tried to do the following:



PAGER=less


PS. When I do it in csh via



setenv PAGER less


then it works






bash man pager







share|improve this question




















  • 1




    Do not use just less since the default is to use more -s. less seems to implement the same option. BTW: if you have an editor that allows you to exit a binary without destroing the binary, edit /usr/bin/man and replace nroff -u0 by nroff -u1 for better readable output. IIRC, there are three such strings in the binary.
    – schily
    Nov 8 at 11:24












  • @schily; I think you wanted to say edit a binary and not exit a binary, right? Hm, not sure that I have such a thing, what would it be, some hexeditor? I can see the strings with strings.Thank you for the suggestion!
    – stevica
    Nov 8 at 12:51












  • Ok, it seems that I made 2 typos and fixed only one. Any modern editor schould be able to so this, vi is not usable.
    – schily
    Nov 8 at 13:03










  • Notice the (small but important) distinction with setenv saying that it sets environment variables.
    – Jeff Schaller
    Nov 8 at 13:54






  • 1




    @JeffSchaller I do notice. The thing is that with csh I have more experience and still fighting my way through bash. Up to now I was even thinking that Bash doesn't make a distinction between environment and any other variable.
    – stevica
    Nov 8 at 17:33















up vote
2
down vote

favorite









up vote
2
down vote

favorite











I'm working on Solaris 10, using bash. Want to change default pager from "more" to "less" (because "less is more" :). Tried to do the following:



PAGER=less


PS. When I do it in csh via



setenv PAGER less


then it works






bash man pager







share|improve this question















I'm working on Solaris 10, using bash. Want to change default pager from "more" to "less" (because "less is more" :). Tried to do the following:



PAGER=less


PS. When I do it in csh via



setenv PAGER less


then it works






bash man pager




bash man pager






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Nov 8 at 11:45

























asked Nov 8 at 9:56









stevica

255




255








  • 1




    Do not use just less since the default is to use more -s. less seems to implement the same option. BTW: if you have an editor that allows you to exit a binary without destroing the binary, edit /usr/bin/man and replace nroff -u0 by nroff -u1 for better readable output. IIRC, there are three such strings in the binary.
    – schily
    Nov 8 at 11:24












  • @schily; I think you wanted to say edit a binary and not exit a binary, right? Hm, not sure that I have such a thing, what would it be, some hexeditor? I can see the strings with strings.Thank you for the suggestion!
    – stevica
    Nov 8 at 12:51












  • Ok, it seems that I made 2 typos and fixed only one. Any modern editor schould be able to so this, vi is not usable.
    – schily
    Nov 8 at 13:03










  • Notice the (small but important) distinction with setenv saying that it sets environment variables.
    – Jeff Schaller
    Nov 8 at 13:54






  • 1




    @JeffSchaller I do notice. The thing is that with csh I have more experience and still fighting my way through bash. Up to now I was even thinking that Bash doesn't make a distinction between environment and any other variable.
    – stevica
    Nov 8 at 17:33
















  • 1




    Do not use just less since the default is to use more -s. less seems to implement the same option. BTW: if you have an editor that allows you to exit a binary without destroing the binary, edit /usr/bin/man and replace nroff -u0 by nroff -u1 for better readable output. IIRC, there are three such strings in the binary.
    – schily
    Nov 8 at 11:24












  • @schily; I think you wanted to say edit a binary and not exit a binary, right? Hm, not sure that I have such a thing, what would it be, some hexeditor? I can see the strings with strings.Thank you for the suggestion!
    – stevica
    Nov 8 at 12:51












  • Ok, it seems that I made 2 typos and fixed only one. Any modern editor schould be able to so this, vi is not usable.
    – schily
    Nov 8 at 13:03










  • Notice the (small but important) distinction with setenv saying that it sets environment variables.
    – Jeff Schaller
    Nov 8 at 13:54






  • 1




    @JeffSchaller I do notice. The thing is that with csh I have more experience and still fighting my way through bash. Up to now I was even thinking that Bash doesn't make a distinction between environment and any other variable.
    – stevica
    Nov 8 at 17:33










1




1




Do not use just less since the default is to use more -s. less seems to implement the same option. BTW: if you have an editor that allows you to exit a binary without destroing the binary, edit /usr/bin/man and replace nroff -u0 by nroff -u1 for better readable output. IIRC, there are three such strings in the binary.
– schily
Nov 8 at 11:24






Do not use just less since the default is to use more -s. less seems to implement the same option. BTW: if you have an editor that allows you to exit a binary without destroing the binary, edit /usr/bin/man and replace nroff -u0 by nroff -u1 for better readable output. IIRC, there are three such strings in the binary.
– schily
Nov 8 at 11:24














@schily; I think you wanted to say edit a binary and not exit a binary, right? Hm, not sure that I have such a thing, what would it be, some hexeditor? I can see the strings with strings.Thank you for the suggestion!
– stevica
Nov 8 at 12:51






@schily; I think you wanted to say edit a binary and not exit a binary, right? Hm, not sure that I have such a thing, what would it be, some hexeditor? I can see the strings with strings.Thank you for the suggestion!
– stevica
Nov 8 at 12:51














Ok, it seems that I made 2 typos and fixed only one. Any modern editor schould be able to so this, vi is not usable.
– schily
Nov 8 at 13:03




Ok, it seems that I made 2 typos and fixed only one. Any modern editor schould be able to so this, vi is not usable.
– schily
Nov 8 at 13:03












Notice the (small but important) distinction with setenv saying that it sets environment variables.
– Jeff Schaller
Nov 8 at 13:54




Notice the (small but important) distinction with setenv saying that it sets environment variables.
– Jeff Schaller
Nov 8 at 13:54




1




1




@JeffSchaller I do notice. The thing is that with csh I have more experience and still fighting my way through bash. Up to now I was even thinking that Bash doesn't make a distinction between environment and any other variable.
– stevica
Nov 8 at 17:33






@JeffSchaller I do notice. The thing is that with csh I have more experience and still fighting my way through bash. Up to now I was even thinking that Bash doesn't make a distinction between environment and any other variable.
– stevica
Nov 8 at 17:33












1 Answer
1






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oldest

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up vote
6
down vote



accepted










Your



PAGER=less


sets the shell variable PAGER to the value less. For man (or anything other than the current shell) to see this, you will have to additionally make PAGER an environment variable. You do this with export, either through



PAGER=less

export PAGER


or



export PAGER=less


A shell variable is "exported into the environment" with export. This is the same in all sh-like shells. Exporting a variable in this way is the corollary to the csh/tcsh setenv command.






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    up vote
    6
    down vote



    accepted










    Your



    PAGER=less


    sets the shell variable PAGER to the value less. For man (or anything other than the current shell) to see this, you will have to additionally make PAGER an environment variable. You do this with export, either through



    PAGER=less
    
export PAGER


    or



    export PAGER=less


    A shell variable is "exported into the environment" with export. This is the same in all sh-like shells. Exporting a variable in this way is the corollary to the csh/tcsh setenv command.






    share|improve this answer



























      up vote
      6
      down vote



      accepted










      Your



      PAGER=less


      sets the shell variable PAGER to the value less. For man (or anything other than the current shell) to see this, you will have to additionally make PAGER an environment variable. You do this with export, either through



      PAGER=less
      
export PAGER


      or



      export PAGER=less


      A shell variable is "exported into the environment" with export. This is the same in all sh-like shells. Exporting a variable in this way is the corollary to the csh/tcsh setenv command.






      share|improve this answer

























        up vote
        6
        down vote



        accepted







        up vote
        6
        down vote



        accepted






        Your



        PAGER=less


        sets the shell variable PAGER to the value less. For man (or anything other than the current shell) to see this, you will have to additionally make PAGER an environment variable. You do this with export, either through



        PAGER=less
        
export PAGER


        or



        export PAGER=less


        A shell variable is "exported into the environment" with export. This is the same in all sh-like shells. Exporting a variable in this way is the corollary to the csh/tcsh setenv command.






        share|improve this answer














        Your



        PAGER=less


        sets the shell variable PAGER to the value less. For man (or anything other than the current shell) to see this, you will have to additionally make PAGER an environment variable. You do this with export, either through



        PAGER=less
        
export PAGER


        or



        export PAGER=less


        A shell variable is "exported into the environment" with export. This is the same in all sh-like shells. Exporting a variable in this way is the corollary to the csh/tcsh setenv command.







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited Nov 9 at 13:26

























        answered Nov 8 at 10:03









        Kusalananda

        116k15218351




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