The man Command
The historical Linux Programmer's Manual from which man pages originate, was large enough to be multiple printed books. Each contained information for specific types of files, which have become the sections listed below.
| Section | Content Type |
|---|---|
| 1 | User commands (both executable and shell programs) |
| 2 | System calls (kernel routines invoked from user space) |
| 3 | Library functions (provided by program libraries) |
| 4 | Special files (such as device files) |
| 5 | File formats (for many configuration files and structures) |
| 6 | Games (historical section for amusing programs) |
| 7 | Conventions, standards, and miscellaneous (protocols, file systems) |
| 8 | System administration and privileged commands (maintenance tasks) |
| 9 | Linux kernel API (internal kernel calls) |
To distinguish identical topic names in different sections, man page references include the section number in parentheses after the topic. For example, passwd(1) describes the command to change passwords, while passwd(5) explains the /etc/passwd file format for storing local user accounts.
To read specific man pages, use man topic. Topic contents display one screen at a time. Use arrow keys for single line scrolling or the space bar for the next screen. The man command searches manual sections in a configured order, displaying popular sections first. For example, man passwd displays passwd(l) by default. To display the man page topic from a specific section, include the section number argument: man 5 passwd displays passwd(5).
Searching for man pages by keyword
A keyword search of man pages is performed using man -k keyword, which displays a list of keyword-matching man page topics with section numbers
To read specific man pages, use man topic. Topic contents display one screen at a time. Use arrow keys for single line scrolling or the space bar for the next screen. The man command searches manual sections in a configured order, displaying popular sections first. For example, man passwd displays passwd(l) by default. To display the man page topic from a specific section, include the section number argument: man 5 passwd displays passwd(5).
Searching for man pages by keyword
A keyword search of man pages is performed using man -k keyword, which displays a list of keyword-matching man page topics with section numbers
| Tech info |
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