What's wrong with `journalctl | less` in this case? The only command I use regularly which invokes a pager by default is `man`, and that seems like an actual special case.
Edit: FTR, I agree with your assessment in the first paragraph, but not the judgement I infer you passing. IMO, things should avoid being strange.
> The only command I use regularly which invokes a pager by default is `man`
Git also invokes a pager by default. And it also sets $LESS when doing so. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if systemd's automatic use of a pager was based on git; IIRC, it used to set $LESS to the exact same value git used (I believe systemd has changed it since then).
It can make sense to invoke a pager by default to avoid blowing the current terminal scrollback to smithereen if the user himself forgets it. Especially for diagnostic tools, where the information left in the scrollback buffer could be useful and not saved anywhere.
I very rarely work with a non-virtual terminal, but when I do I take a photo before typing anything. Perhaps that's only practical for me because it's pretty rare.
> if you're stuck on a 80x25 console
What's wrong with `journalctl | less` in this case? The only command I use regularly which invokes a pager by default is `man`, and that seems like an actual special case.
Edit: FTR, I agree with your assessment in the first paragraph, but not the judgement I infer you passing. IMO, things should avoid being strange.