Add Line Numbers to iTerm2

Permanent Line Numbers in iTerm2 Terminal

There isn’t a way to display line numbers permanently in nano or pico across different sessions without the -l flag, but you can make a custom alias in your shell configuration to simplify the command:

For example, add this to your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc:

alias nano_num="nano +1"
alias pico_num="pico +1"

Then, open any file with:

nano_num show_all_missing_images_check.sh
pico_num show_all_missing_images_check.sh

This setup will let you open files with line numbers consistently without needing to type +1 each time.

 

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Specifically in a .sh script

How to see line numbers within the some_file.sh script itself to make it easier to debug or reference specific parts of the script. Unfortunately, Bash itself doesn’t have a built-in way to show line numbers directly in a script editor. However, there are some common ways to achieve this effect:

Method 1: Use an Editor with Line Numbers

Most code editors (like VSCode, Sublime Text, or even Vim) allow you to enable line numbers. Here’s how to do it in some popular editors:

• VSCode: Go to View > Appearance > Show Line Numbers.
• Vim: While in normal mode, type :set number.
• nano: Add the +1 option when opening nano, like nano +1 show_all_missing_images.sh.

Method 2: Print the Script with Line Numbers

If you want to see the line numbers of a script in the terminal, you can print it with line numbers using cat -n:

cat -n find_all_missing_images_check.sh

This will display the contents of show_all_missing_images.sh with line numbers next to each line, which can be helpful for quick reference.

Method 3: Open the Script in less -N

If you want to scroll through the script in the terminal with line numbers, use less -N:

less -N find_all_missing_images_check.sh

Method 4: Permanent Line Numbers in iTerm2

If you want a persistent view with line numbers in iTerm2, you can:

Here’s a quick breakdown:

1. Edit with Line Numbers:

   
   nano +1 show_all_missing_images.sh
   

   or

   
   pico +1 show_all_missing_images.sh
   

   • This will open show_all_missing_images.sh in nano or pico with line numbers displayed on the left side.
   • This is useful when you want to edit the file and see line numbers simultaneously.

2. View with Line Numbers (not editable):

   cat -n show_all_missing_images.sh
   

   • This command simply prints the file content with line numbers but doesn’t open it for editing.
   • It’s a quick way to reference line numbers without making changes.

 

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Output Line Numbers

In iTerm2, you can display line numbers in output by using a few approaches, though iTerm2 itself doesn’t directly support line numbers. Here are some ways to always get line numbers for command output.

1. Use nl Command for Files

• You can display line numbers for any file output using the

  nl
  

  (number lines) command:

  
  nl filename.txt
  

• This works well for text files but can be limiting if you want to see line numbers for command output.

2. Pipe Command Output through awk or cat -n for Line Numbers

• For dynamic command output, you can use awk or cat -n to add line numbers:

  
  some_command | cat -n
  

  or

  
  some_command | awk '{print NR, $0}'
  

• This will add line numbers to each line of output, and you can use it for nearly any command in iTerm2.

3. Use a Shell Alias to Add Line Numbers

• You can create an alias in your

  .bashrc
  

  or

  .zshrc
  

  to automatically add line numbers to commands you run:

  
  alias lnum='awk "{print NR, \$0}"'
  

• Then, use it like this:

  
  some_command | lnum
  

• This approach works for any command where you want to see output with line numbers.

4. Use less -N for Viewing with Line Numbers

• If you prefer to view output interactively, you can use

  less -N
  

  to display line numbers:

  
  some_command | less -N
  

• This is particularly useful for large outputs, as it allows you to scroll while viewing line numbers.

5. For Persistent Line Numbers in Output

• If you often need line numbers, add an alias to

  less -N
  

  or pipe output through

  cat -n
  

  or

  awk
  

  with line numbers, depending on your preference:

  
  alias catn='cat -n'
  alias lessn='less -N'
  

Using these methods in iTerm2 should help you consistently see line numbers in output, even without native support for line numbering in the terminal itself.