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Display Line Numbers While Using Less
Including line numbers while viewing files with less can provide useful
context for understanding where you are within the file. This is especially true
if you've used & to filter down to lines that match a pattern.
You can start less with line numbers with the -N flag (or --LINE-NUMBERS
if you really want to spell it out).
$ less -N log/development.log
If you've already started up less and wish you had included line numbers,
there is no reason to restart it with the flag. Instead, toggle the line numbers
option on within the less process. To do this, type -N. It will prompt you
with Constantly display line numbers (press RETURN). Hit enter and line
numbers will appear to the left of each line in the file.
Similarly, to toggle line numbers back off within less, hit -n (lower-case
n), accept the prompt, and back off they go.
Both of these (-N/-n) are options being set (toggled) via the - command.
There are many other options like these that can be configured within a less
session in the same way.
See man less and find the - command and the available OPTIONS.