{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "xzless",
    "section": "1",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/xzless/1/json",
    "generated": "2026-11-08T01:54:24Z",
    "synopsis": "xzless [file...]\nlzless [file...]",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "xzless, lzless - view xz or lzma compressed (text) files\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "xzless [file...]\nlzless [file...]\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "xzless is a filter that displays text from compressed files to a terminal.  It works on files\ncompressed with xz(1) or lzma(1).  If no files are given, xzless reads from standard input.\n\nxzless  uses less(1) to present its output.  Unlike xzmore, its choice of pager cannot be al‐\ntered by setting an environment variable.  Commands are based on both more(1) and  vi(1)  and\nallow back and forth movement and searching.  See the less(1) manual for more information.\n\nThe command named lzless is provided for backward compatibility with LZMA Utils.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "ENVIRONMENT": {
            "content": "LESSMETACHARS\nA  list of characters special to the shell.  Set by xzless unless it is already set in\nthe environment.\n\nLESSOPEN\nSet to a command line to invoke the xz(1) decompressor  for  preprocessing  the  input\nfiles to less(1).\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SEE ALSO": {
            "content": "less(1), xz(1), xzmore(1), zless(1)\n\nTukaani                                      2010-09-27                                    XZLESS(1)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "xzless, lzless - view xz or lzma compressed (text) files",
    "flags": [],
    "examples": [],
    "see_also": [
        {
            "name": "less",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/less/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "xz",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/xz/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "xzmore",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/xzmore/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "zless",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/zless/1/json"
        }
    ],
    "tldr": {
        "source": "official",
        "description": "Display text from `xz` and `lzma` compressed files.",
        "examples": [
            {
                "description": "View a compressed file",
                "command": "xzless {{path/to/file}}"
            },
            {
                "description": "View a compressed file and display line numbers",
                "command": "xzless --LINE-NUMBERS {{path/to/file}}"
            },
            {
                "description": "View a compressed file and quit if the entire file can be displayed on the first screen",
                "command": "xzless --quit-if-one-screen {{path/to/file}}"
            }
        ]
    }
}