# Install less with Homebrew, apk, chocolatey, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, winget, zypper

Pager program similar to more. Version 704 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-06.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:less
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install less
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

- MacPorts (94%):

```sh
sudo port install less
```

  Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: textproc/less/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

### Linux

- apk (92%):

```sh
sudo apk add less
```

  Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: less from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install less
```

  Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: less from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

- dnf (92%):

```sh
sudo dnf install less
```

  Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: less from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#less
```

  Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/le/less/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

- pacman (92%):

```sh
sudo pacman -S less
```

  Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: less from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/core/os/x86_64/core.db.tar.gz

- zypper (92%):

```sh
sudo zypper install less
```

  Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: less from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

### Windows

- Chocolatey (92%):

```sh
choco install Less
```

  Evidence: Chocolatey community package catalog: Less from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','kubectx'

- Scoop (92%):

```sh
scoop install main/less
```

  Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/less.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

- winget (92%):

```sh
winget install --id jftuga.less -e
```

  Evidence: Windows Package Manager source index: jftuga.less from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:less
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Package manager page:** <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/less>
- **Version:** 704
- **Source summary:** Pager program similar to more
- **Homepage:** <https://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/index.html>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/gwsw/less>
- **Upstream docs:** <https://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/faq.html>
- **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later
- **Source archive:** <https://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/less-704.tar.gz>
- **Last updated:** 2026-06-06T20:47:51Z
- **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00

## Executables

- less (cli)
- lesskey (cli)
- less (alias)
- lesskey (alias)

## Dependencies

- ncurses
- pcre2

## Install behavior

- Post-install hook: not defined
- Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-07-08
- Package-manager version: 704
- Package-manager updated: 2026-06-06
- Local data: ok
- Upstream repository: https://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/index.html
- info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.
## Project history and usage

less is a classic terminal pager: a free, open source program for viewing text one screen at a time, similar to more but with richer navigation and search behavior.

### Project history

The official FAQ says less was written by Mark Nudelman and is maintained by him. The source tree's copyright file dates the code line to 1984, and the README identifies the distribution as part of the GNU project while also documenting a separate Less License option.

The program has stayed under active maintenance for decades. Greenwood Software's release page records many numbered releases from the 2010s and 2020s, while the NEWS file tracks ongoing pager features such as OSC 8 hyperlink handling, command mapping, prompt expansion, mouse support, regex behavior, and platform fixes.

### Adoption history

The official home page describes less as present on most Linux, Unix, and Mac OS systems and on many other operating systems. The FAQ also notes distribution through standard Unix-like system software and GNU archives.

Its adoption is helped by being a drop-in pager for commands and environment variables such as PAGER. Developers use it through man, git, shells, build logs, and package-manager output without always invoking it directly.

### How it is used

less opens files or standard input for interactive viewing, with forward and backward movement, searching, marks, filtering, follow mode, and configurable key bindings through lesskey-style configuration.

Package builds usually install the less and lesskey executables plus manual pages. The README recommends downloading numbered release packages from Greenwood Software for ordinary use and cloning the Git repository only for source development.

### Why package nerds care

less is package-nerd bedrock: a tiny command that sits in the path of almost every Unix developer workflow. Its value is partly invisible because many tools delegate paging to it, making the package a system utility dependency rather than an application people consciously launch.

### Timeline

- 1984: The less source copyright line begins with Mark Nudelman's 1984 copyright.
- 2011: Greenwood Software recorded less-444 as a general-use release on June 9, 2011.
- 2021: less-581.2 was released for general use on April 28, 2021.
- 2026: less-702 was released for general use on May 22, 2026.

### Related projects

- more is the older pager less is explicitly compared with.
- GNU distributes less, and many Unix-like systems ship it as part of their standard toolset.

### Sources

- <https://github.com/gwsw/less>
- <https://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/>
- <https://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/faq.html>


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals


## Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.


## Configuration files

- Unix: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/lesskey, ~/.config/lesskey, ~/.lesskey, /usr/local/etc/syslesskey
- Windows: ~/_lesskey, lesskey.ini, c:\syslesskey
## Source Database Details

- **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API
- **Tap:** homebrew/core
- **Full Name:** less
- **Version Scheme:** 0
- **Revision:** 0
- **Head Version:** HEAD
- **Bottle Stable Root URL:** <https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core>
- **Deprecated:** no
- **Disabled:** no
- **Keg Only:** no
- **URL Keys:** head, stable

## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - less - 668-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: less from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | pager program similar to more | http://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/
- Nix - less: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/le/less/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - less - 590-2ubuntu2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: less from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | pager program similar to more | http://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/
- apk - less - 702-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: less from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | File pager | https://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/
- apk - less-doc - 702-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: less-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | File pager (documentation) | https://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/
- dnf - less - 702-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: less from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | A text file browser similar to more, but better | https://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/
- dnf - less-color - 702-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: less-color from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Colorizers for less | https://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/
- pacman - less - 1:704-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: less from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/core/os/x86_64/core.db.tar.gz | A terminal based program for viewing text files | https://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/
- zypper - less - 702-1.1: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: less from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Text File Browser and Pager Similar to more | https://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/
- MacPorts - less: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: textproc/less/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Chocolatey - Less: normalized package name match | Chocolatey community package catalog: Less from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','kubectx'
- Scoop - main/less: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/less.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- winget - jftuga.less: normalized package name match | Windows Package Manager source index: jftuga.less from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix


## Related links

- [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata.
- [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata.
- [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata.
- [Web development packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/web-dev-tools/) - Matched web development metadata.
- [ncurses](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ncurses/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew.
- [pcre2](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pcre2/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew.
- [ov](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ov/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, pager, system, terminal, text-viewer.
- [abduco](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/abduco/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal.
- [cmatrix](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmatrix/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal.
- [cocot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cocot/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal.
- [colortail](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/colortail/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal.
- [dtach](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dtach/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal.
- [gtop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gtop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal.
- [hwatch](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hwatch/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal.
- [mtm](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mtm/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, ncurses, system, terminal.
- [lesspipe](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lesspipe/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, less, pager, system, terminal.
- [less](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/npm/less/) - Same normalized package name in another local ecosystem.

## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/less.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/less.yml)


## Sources

- Nucleus package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- package-page enrichment
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- package version freshness
- av.db category and tag curation
- package relationship graph
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph