Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[musher0]

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Edit, Dec. 20, 2013. For latest compile of less version 458, please go to:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=745241&sort=lastpost#745241
(I've deleted the version 451 that was attached to this initial post.)
Thanks.
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Update, April 25, 2013: less-458 is out. See message at bottom of page.

Update, Jan. 11, 2013 : I forgot to indicate the link to the less website, which is http://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less.
Update, Aug. 31, 2012.

Hello, all!
Here is less 4.51, dated July 2012, compiled from source. This pet includes lesspipe and numerous right-click accesses. More compact size than v. 4-44 obtained by stripping and upx'ing of executable. This one also replaces outright the "defaulttextviewer" file.

From the less viewer, if you need to edit a file, press "V" and the file will load in your text editor. You will be brought back to the less viewer upon closing your editor.

Enjoy!

/////////////////

Rationale:
The less included by default in Puppy is the cut-down version integrated in busybox. It does the job, barely. If you need more sophisticated viewing capacity, then you need this full version of less.

For example I've replaced Puppy's defaulttextviewer with less-4.51, with no regrets. It loads the text extremely fast, it allows you to view text -- or binary material, which leafpad, nicodedit or even geany do not load at all.

This pet also comprises (minimal) docs created by the compilation. Look for "less.hlp" under /usr/local/share/doc and view it with... less ??

(You can also view the help file of less while reading any other text, simply by typing "h". After you've consulted less's help, type "q" to return to reading your initial text.)

The default text viewer has been replaced with this script:

[GustavoYz]

Thanks, it works like a charm.
I've to tweak some things in order to make puppy less (busybox one) work with man pages, but this full less has no issues.
Thanks again.

EDIT: I've replaced the original less symlink for an equal symlink pointing to less-444, no regrets.

[musher0]

Hi, Gustavo.

My pleasure!

BFN.

[musher0]

Confused by the less commands?

Here's a little script that will launch the less help at the same time as the document you want to view with less.

You can link this script as a context command in ~/.config/rox-sourceforge.net/SendTo/text_plain, for example, or any other of the directories there with text_something.

The help text will appear black on white, and the consulted text as white on black. No fancy transparency.

Enjoy!

[musher0]

Hello, all.

A new version of less is available. Please see first post for download.

Enjoy!

[GustavoYz]

@musher0: Thanks, check this out:
http://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/faq.html#tricks

[GustavoYz]

You can set options into a system variable called `$LESS`, so the next time is executed, less will use those (useful when "piping").

For example, to see a script with sintax highlights, I often use pygmentize + less on this way (I use a custom bash function with this in reality):

[musher0]

Thanks for those tips, Gustavo!

[musher0]

less-458 is just out.
Enjoy!

musher0

PS. Almost forgot:
* if this is your first install of less, you can ignore this note.
* if you already have less installed, remove all previous "less"-related files (such as lesskey, lessopen) with pfind before you install this version. The executables of this version are entirely in /usr/bin, and we don't want interference from earlier versions, right ?
In particular remove any previous versions you may have in /usr/local/bin or /root/my-applications/bin.
Also, it's not fresh to my mind, but I believe BK has a "less" linked to busybox in /bin in some Puppies. Never remove BK stuff from a Puppy; simply rename it to "less-NO", or something like that. The new 458 full version will then have full precedence, and there will be no confusion in the system.
Thanks.

[tallboy]

Hi musher0
I downloaded less_458 to my LupuPlus_5.2.8. As you mentioned, the existing /usr/bin/less was a link to busybox.

Less only flashed on the screen for a fraction of a second when I tried it.

[musher0]

Hi, tallboy.

Ah ? I compiled this version in wheezy 3.5.2.5. Strange...

But it's normal, in a way, because less needs "food", it does indeed sort of flash and close if it does not have any text to show.

Re-reading your message, I see that you did give it "food". Ok, I'll do another compile on lupu 5.28 specifically.

musher0

[musher0]

To test "less" :

Does the following show in a console window or just flashes?

[musher0]

@tallboy and others who might be experiencing library problems with the wheezypup build of less above:

please try this one, compiled on Small Business Pup (SBP) by e_mattis, a derivative of lupu 5.28.

Tests were ok on my lupu. Reports appreciated if not on your machine.

The less-458 version and the libtinfo.so.5.7 library are presented separately. You'll need both for less-458 to work on lupu 5.28.

Enjoy.

musher0

Note. The attached libtinfo library pet was extracted from this package: http://pkgs.org/centos-6-rhel-6/centos-rhel-i386/ncurses-libs-5.7-3.20090208.el6.i686.rpm/download/.

[tallboy]

Hi musher0.
The /root/my-applications/bin/ directory containing 4 scripts in the original less_458.pet package, is not present in the less_458lupu version.

Will there be any problems if I just copy the scripts into /my-applications/bin? Any hardcoding with references?

tallboy

[musher0]