cat 和 less 命令用于查看文件的内容，关于如何编辑文件内容，我们将在后面的章节中介绍。


为什么查看文件内容需要两个不同的命令呢？事实上，这两个命令各有所长, 下面我们就来介绍如何在合适的情况下选择正确的命令。


以 /var/log 目录下的 syslog 文件为例，首先进入该目录


mateo21@mateo21-desktop:~$ cd /var/log

我们在目录结构中提到过，/var 是一个用来存放系统运行产生的文件，日志就属于此类文件，他记录系统运行留下的痕迹。syslog 文件记录了当前主机最近的运行情况。



cat: 一次性输出所有内容

使用 cat 加要显示的文件名作为参数，该命令会一次性将文件的所有内容输出到控制台，以 syslog 为例：


mateo21@mateo21-desktop:/var/log$ cat syslog
Nov 14 00:44:23 mateo21-desktop syslogd 1.4.1#21ubuntu3: restart.
Nov 14 00:44:23 mateo21-desktop anacron[6725]: Job `cron.daily' terminated
Nov 14 00:44:23 mateo21-desktop anacron[6725]: Normal exit (1 job run)
Nov 14 00:44:25 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  eth1: link timed out.
Nov 14 00:44:51 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  eth1: link timed out.
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <debug> [1194997508.332093] nm_device_802_11_wireless_get_activation_ap(): Forcing AP 'WIFI'
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  User Switch: /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Devices/eth1 / WIFI
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  Deactivating device eth1.
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (eth1): cancelling...
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (eth1) cancellation handler scheduled...
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (eth1): waiting for device to cancel activation.
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (eth1) cancellation handled.
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (eth1): cancelled.
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  SUP: sending command 'DISABLE_NETWORK 0'
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  SUP: response was 'OK'
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  SUP: sending command 'AP_SCAN 0'
Nov 14 00:45:16 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: nm_act_request_get_ap: assertion `req != NULL' failed
Nov 14 00:45:16 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: nm_act_request_get_stage: assertion `req != NULL' failed
Nov 14 00:45:16 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  eth1: link timed out.
Nov 14 00:45:21 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: nm_act_request_get_ap: assertion `req != NULL' failed
Nov 14 00:45:21 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: ap_is_auth_required: assertion `ap != NULL' failed
Nov 14 00:45:21 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (eth1/wireless): association took too long (>120s), asking for new key.
Nov 14 00:45:21 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: nm_dbus_get_user_key_for_network assertion `req != NULL' failed
Nov 14 00:47:45 mateo21-desktop init: tty4 main process (4517) killed by TERM signal
Nov 14 00:47:45 mateo21-desktop init: tty5 main process (4518) killed by TERM signal
Nov 14 00:47:45 mateo21-desktop init: tty2 main process (4520) killed by TERM signal
Nov 14 00:47:45 mateo21-desktop init: tty3 main process (4522) killed by TERM signal
Nov 14 00:47:45 mateo21-desktop init: tty1 main process (4524) killed by TERM signal
Nov 14 00:47:45 mateo21-desktop init: tty6 main process (4525) killed by TERM signal
Nov 14 00:47:46 mateo21-desktop avahi-daemon[5390]: Got SIGTERM, quitting.
Nov 14 00:47:48 mateo21-desktop exiting on signal 15
Nov 14 00:48:42 mateo21-desktop syslogd 1.4.1#21ubuntu3: restart.
...

我们可以看到，当文件内容过多时，会导致溢出屏幕，需要拖动滚动条才能看到文件开头。更有甚者，如果文件开头内容实在太多，由于控制台容量有限，很有可能滚动条拖到同也无法看到文件的开头部分。


由此可见，cat 并不适合显示过大的文件比如日志类文件。cat 是一个很基本的命令，并没有什么特别实用的参数。如果一定要列一个的话，-n 可以用于在显示内容是添加行号，如下图所示


mateo21@mateo21-desktop:/var/log$ cat -n syslog
     1        Nov 14 00:44:23 mateo21-desktop syslogd 1.4.1#21ubuntu3: restart.
     2        Nov 14 00:44:23 mateo21-desktop anacron[6725]: Job `cron.daily' terminated
     3        Nov 14 00:44:23 mateo21-desktop anacron[6725]:         Normal exit (1 job run)
     4        Nov 14 00:44:25 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  eth1: link timed out.
     5        Nov 14 00:44:51 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  eth1: link timed out.
     6        Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <debug> [1194997508.332093]
...



less: 分页显示内容

前面说 cat 不适合显示内容过多的文件，比如日志。那我们用什么命令查看日志呢？答案就是 less 了。less 会从头开始一页一页的显示文件内容。与 cat 类似，less 后加文件名作为参数，可以进入阅读模式，其中可以通过空格键向后翻页，而 b 键向前翻页。


注：这里存在一个和 less 相似的命令 more , 区别在于 more 是一个更老的命令，比 less 少一些功能，比如 more 无法向前翻页。所以，一般用 less 代替 more, 这里提到是为了下次看见别人用时能够认识


mateo21@mateo21-desktop:/var/log$ less syslog
Nov 14 00:44:23 mateo21-desktop syslogd 1.4.1#21ubuntu3: restart.
Nov 14 00:44:23 mateo21-desktop anacron[6725]: Job `cron.daily' terminated
Nov 14 00:44:23 mateo21-desktop anacron[6725]: Normal exit (1 job run)
Nov 14 00:44:25 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  eth1: link timed out.
Nov 14 00:44:51 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  eth1: link timed out.
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <debug> [1194997508.332093] nm_device_802_11_wireless_get_activation_ap(): Forcing AP 'WIFI'
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  User Switch: /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Devices/eth1 / WIFI
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  Deactivating device eth1.
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (eth1): cancelling...
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (eth1) cancellation handler scheduled...
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (eth1): waiting for device to cancel activation.
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (eth1) cancellation handled.
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (eth1): cancelled.
Nov 14 00:45:08 mateo21-desktop NetworkManager: <info>  SUP: sending command 'DISABLE_NETWORK 0'

除了前后翻页，less  显示文件后，还有其他一些快捷键用于查看不同页面中的内容

  • 方向键 ↑ ↓ : 用于显示下一行 （也可以用Enter），或向上翻一行 (也可以用 y），也就是逐行添加显示。

  • d : 向下翻半页

  • u : 向上翻半页

  • q : 退出阅读模式


接下来是几个比较高级的快捷查找方式。less 常用于查看服务器日志，而我们查看日志往往是因为服务器出现了一些问题，如果有过类似经验，应该能理解这里快捷方式的重要性。

  • = ：在控制台底部显示你在文档中的位置 （当前页显示了文档中的第x行到第y行和截止目前显示了文档的x%）

  • h ： 显示帮助（这里写的所有快捷方式都来自帮助），进入后按 q 退出

  • / ：在 / 之后加上想查找的内容，按下回车键，可以在文件中搜索匹配的内容（支持正则表达式，正则表达式之后会有专门的章节）

  • n ：在用 / 进行搜索时，按 n 可以跳到下一个结果

  • N：与 n 相反，跳到上一个搜索结果