How to read Linux manual pages

· Category: Linux

Short answer

The man command displays documentation for Linux commands, system calls, and configuration files.

Steps

  1. Open a man page:
man ls
  1. Search by keyword:
apropos copy
  1. View a specific section:
man 2 open
  1. Use info for GNU tools:
info coreutils

Tips

  • Navigate with arrows, q to quit, / to search inside the page.
  • Sections: 1=user commands, 2=system calls, 3=library calls, 5=config files.
  • man -k is equivalent to apropos.

Common issues

  • Missing man pages: install the man-db and package-specific doc packages.
  • Man page language: set LANG=C for English if localized pages are unclear.