Reading Documentation Using pinfo Command

Reading Documentation Using pinfo Command

What is GNU info?

Man pages have a formal format useful as a command reference, but less useful as general documentation. For such documents the GNU Project developed a different online documentation system, known as GNU info. Info documents are an important resource on a Linux operating system because many fundamental components and utilities, such as the core-utils package and glibc standard libraries, are either developed by the GNU Project or utilize the info document system.

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Info documentation is structured as hyperlinked info nodes. This format is more flexible than
man pages, allowing thorough discussion of complex commands and concepts. Like man pages,
info nodes are can read from the command line, using either the info or pinfo commands.

Some commands and utilities have both man pages and info documentation; usually, the info
documentation will be more in-depth.

The pinfo info reader is more advanced than the original info command. Designed to match the lynx text web browser keystrokes, it also adds color. Info nodes for a particular topic are browsed with pinfo topic. Enter only pinfo for the info topics directory. New documentation nodes become available in pinfo when their corresponding software packages are installed.

Linux info Document
Linux info Document

Linux Pinfo Document
Linux Pinfo Document



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