Keep ls Output from Scrolling

Red Hat Linux 8.0: The Official Red Hat Linux Getting Started Guide
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# Keep `ls` Output from Scrolling

Whenever I type `ls` I can barely see the output of the directory because it scrolls by too quickly. How can I actually read the output?

To prevent the output of `ls` from scrolling by too quickly, pipe the output to a utility such as `less` or `more`. You will then be able to see the output one screen, or "page" at at time.

To read the contents of `/etc` with `less`, type the following command at the shell prompt:

    ls -al /etc | less

To move forward a screen, press [Space] bar; to move back a screen, press the [b] key; to quit, press [q].

You can achieve the same results with `more`, another paging utility.

## Printing ls Output

You can also print directory listings by piping the output to a printer in the same way that you piped the output to your screen. If you have configured a printer, type the following to pipe the output of a command to the printer:

    ls -al /etc | lpr

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