What is a LESSHST file? A LESSHST file is a search history file created by less, a terminal pager program for PCs. It contains a record of the search commands a user has entered in less. Less uses its LESSHST file to remember the previous text searches a user has performed.

More Information Less is a program that allows users to read (but not edit) text files in a terminal window. It is included with many Unix distributions (including macOS) and also available for Windows. While reading a text file in less, users can search for text within the document. To do so, they use the program's search commands (by pressing the / or ? keys) and then enter the text for which they want to search. By default, less stores a record of a user's text searches in a LESSHST file. This allows the user to both view all the searches they've performed and quickly resume their last-conducted search (by pressing the n or N key). Less typically stores its LESSHST file in the user's home directory. NOTE: To stop less from creating a LESSHST file, set the LESSHISTFILE variable to - .