The ‘man’ Command in Linux: A Quick Guide

The Linux operating system is known for its powerful command line interface, and one of the most essential commands that every Linux user should be familiar with is the ‘man’ command. In this article, we will take a closer look at the ‘man’ command, including when and how to use it, as well as some examples of how it can be combined with other useful commands.

What is the ‘man’ command?

The ‘man’ command, short for manual, is used to display the manual pages of a command or utility in Linux. These manual pages contain detailed information about the command, including its syntax, options, and examples of how to use it.

When to use the ‘man’ command

The ‘man’ command is useful whenever you need more information about a command or utility that you are using in Linux. For example, if you are not sure about the syntax of a command, or if you want to know about the different options and flags that can be used with a command, you can use the ‘man’ command to access the manual pages for that command.

How to use the ‘man’ command

The basic syntax of the ‘man’ command is as follows:

For example, to view the manual pages for the ‘ls’ command, you would use the following command:

This will display the manual pages for the ‘ls‘ command in your terminal window, which you can scroll through using the arrow keys or the ‘spacebar’ key. To exit the manual pages, you can press the ‘q’ key.

Examples of using the ‘man’ command

Here are some examples of how the ‘man’ command can be used with different commands and utilities:

• To view the manual pages for the ‘grep‘ command, use the following command:

• To view the manual pages for the ‘vi‘ text editor, use the following command:

• To view the manual pages for the ‘find‘ command, use the following command:

Combining ‘man’ with other useful commands

The ‘man’ command can also be combined with other useful commands to enhance its functionality. For example, you can use the ‘grep’ command to search for a specific keyword or phrase within the manual pages. Here’s an example of how you can use the ‘grep’ command to search for the keyword “permissions” within the manual pages for the ‘chmod‘ command:

Another useful command to combine with ‘man’ is the ‘less’ command, which allows you to scroll through the manual pages one page at a time. Here’s an example of how you can use the ‘less’ command to view the manual pages for the ‘ls’ command:

Conclusion

The ‘man’ command is an essential tool for any Linux user, as it provides quick and easy access to the manual pages of commands and utilities. By understanding when and how to use the ‘man’ command, and by knowing how to combine it with other useful commands, you can become more proficient in using the Linux command line.

Note: The ‘man’ command can also be used to view manual pages for specific sections by using the section number as an argument. For example, to view the manual pages for the ‘ls’ command in section 1, you would use the following command:

Additionally, you can use the ‘-k’ option to search for keywords in the manual page database. For example, to search for all manual pages containing the keyword “backup”, you can use the following command:

In summary, the ‘man’ command is a powerful tool that can help you access detailed information about commands and utilities in Linux, and when combined with other useful commands such as ‘grep’ and ‘less’, it can be even more effective. With a little practice and understanding of the options and arguments of ‘man’ command, you’ll be able to find the information you need quickly and easily.

See our list of 75 Linux commands you should know about.