Re: Default PAGER -> less

[Marc Balmer <mhbalmer%gmail.com@localhost>]

> Am 10.09.2017 um 08:25 schrieb Robert Elz <kre%munnari.OZ.AU@localhost>:
> 
> You can just set your PAGER to be less, in your private startup
> files, and change nothing else, right?
> 
> This is one of those "which do you prefer x or y...?" type questions that
> has no right answer.

Imo, It is about sane defaults.  This is not about taste.  With more you "fall off" the
man page on the last page, with less you can scroll back, you "stay in" the man page
until you explicitely quit.

Manual pages are sth you usually browse a bit in, reading it quickly through, then
go back to the top to re-read the synopsis of the function etc.  So staying on the
manpage until explicitely stopping makes sense.


> Some people prefer one, others the other, and there is little hope
> of reaching any general agreement.   Just asking the question just
> incites meaningless messages (like this one!)
> 
> Personally, I hate it when I have to type something special to finish
> whatever I am reading at the end, I like that "more" just exits, and
> think that is a better interface (particularly for man pages.)
> 
> It is bad enough that we have to suffer having more just being less
> with a different UI (huge monstrosity that it is) - the original more
> would be much nicer to have.
> 
> kre
>