Getting Help – Man Pages (`man`, `type`, `help`, `apropos`)

🔹 Why Help is Important

• Linux has hundreds of commands, each with many options.

• Even experts can't remember everything.

• Linux provides built-in help systems for commands.

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🔹 man – Manual Pages

📖 What is a man page?

• Short for manual.

• Contains documentation of a command/program.

🧠 Usage:

Copyman <command>

• Example:

Copyman ls

📚 Man Page Structure:

✅ Text conventions:

• Bold → type as shown.

• Italic/Underline → replace with a real value.

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🔹 Navigating man Pages

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Example: Searching in man ls

CopybashCopyEditman ls

• Press /sort → highlights all matches for "sort"

• Use n and N to navigate matches

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🔹 Shell Built-in vs Executable Commands

✅ Check command type:

Copytype <command>

Copytype ls   # → shows path (executable)
type cd   # → shows "shell builtin"

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🔹 Help for Built-in Commands

Copyhelp <command>

• Example:

Copyhelp cd

🔹 Help for Executables

Copy<command> --help

• Works for both types (if supported)

• Examples:

  Copyls --help
  cd --help
  rm --help
  

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🔹 Extra: ifconfig Command

• Displays and configures network interfaces

• Might not be pre-installed:

💡 Install net-tools:

• Ubuntu/Debian:

Copysudo apt install net-tools

• CentOS/RHEL:

Copysudo dnf install net-tools

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🔹 man -k and apropos

🔎 Search man pages for keywords:

Copyman -k <keyword>
apropos <keyword>

• Examples:

Copyman -k ifconfig
man -k "copy files"
apropos uname

📌 Both commands show a list of related man pages.

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✅ Summary

• Use man for detailed documentation.

• Use help for shell built-ins.

• Use --help for quick command options.

• Use type to identify command type.

• Use man -k or apropos to search commands by keyword.

• Learn to navigate man pages efficiently with less.