Linux Command Line
Apropos is a command-line utility on Linux systems that allows users to search for commands and man pages by keyword. It is often used as an alternative to the “man -k” command, which performs a similar search. Despite its usefulness, apropos has been considered deprecated by some in the Linux community, with some suggesting that the “apropos” command should be replaced by “man -K” or “man -F” command. However, it is still widely used and supported by many Linux distributions.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use the “apropos” command:
- Open a terminal window on your Linux system.
- To search for a command or man page by keyword, type “apropos” followed by the keyword you want to search for. For example, to search for all commands and man pages related to the keyword “file”, you would type “apropos file”.
- Press enter, and the command will return a list of all commands and man pages that match your search term, along with a brief description of each.
- To view the full man page for a specific command or man page, type “man” followed by the command or man page name. For example, to view the full man page for the “file” command, you would type “man file”.
- You can also use the “-w” option with apropos to search for a keyword in the name and the description of the command.
- You can use the “-r” option with apropos to search for a regular expression pattern.
- You can use the “-s” option with apropos to search only in a specific section of the man page.
- You can use the “-m” option with apropos to search only in a specific section of the man page.
In conclusion, although apropos is considered deprecated by some, it remains a useful command-line utility for searching for commands and man pages on Linux systems. It is a versatile command and can be used in various ways to find the required information.
See our list of 75 Linux commands you should know about.
