How to Read Manual Pages in Linux Using the man Command?
The man command in the Linux system offers detailed and manual pages for multiple commands, functions and utilities. It helps users to access complete information on command’s usage, syntax and options. This tool serves as an important resource for understanding and effectively using the system commands.
In this blog we will explain to you how to use the man command in Linux. Let’s get started
man Command Syntax
Here is the basic command syntax of man
man [option] command_name
Add command_name in the above command to view its manual page.
| Syntax | Description |
| man [command_name] | Displays manual page for the specified command. For example, man ls shows the manual for the ls command. |
| man [section] [command_name] | Retrieves the manual page from a specific section. For example, man 5 passwd displays the manual for the passwd file format. |
| man -k [keyword] | Does the Search for manual page descriptions for the specified keyword. For example, man -k copy lists all commands related to “copy”. |
| man -f [command_name] | Gives a short description of the specified command. For instance, man -f bash gives a brief overview of the bash command. |
| man -a [command_name] | Displays all manual pages which match the command name. For example, man -a printf shows all manual entries for printf. |
| man -w [command_name] | Shows location of the manual page file for the specified command. For example, man -w ls displays the path to the ls manual page. |
| man -c [command_name] | Enables the reformatting of the manual page, ignoring any cached versions. For example, man -c ls reformats and displays the ls manual. |
| man -P [pager] [command_name] | Uses the specified pager to display the manual page. For instance, man -P more ls uses the more pager to show the ls manual. |
Examples of man Command
To display the specific command’s manual page.
man ls
Output
LS(1) User Commands
LS(1)
NAME
ls - list directory contents
SYNOPSIS
ls [OPTION]... [FILE]...
DESCRIPTION
List information about the FILEs (the current directory by default).
Sort entries alphabetically if none of -cftuvSUX nor --sort is specified.
Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
-a, --all
do not ignore entries starting with .
-A, --almost-all
do not list implied . and ..
-l use a long listing format
-h, --human-readable
with -l and -s, print sizes like 1K 234M 2G etc.
-S sort by file size, largest first
-t sort by modification time, newest first
-r, --reverse
reverse order while sorting
-R, --recursive
list subdirectories recursively
-F, --classify
append indicator (one of */=>@|) to entries
--color[=WHEN]
colorize the output; WHEN can be 'always', 'auto', or 'never'
--help display this help and exit
--version
output version information and exit
The output of man ls might vary slightly depending on the Linux distribution, but a typical output looks like this.
Search for a command by using a specific keyword
man -k copy
Output
bcopy (3) - copy byte sequence cp (1) - copy files and directories clone (2) - create a child process (copy process image) copy_file_range (2) - copy a range of data from one file to another dd (1) - convert and copy a file install (1) - copy files and set attributes memcpy (3) - copy memory area scp (1) - secure copy (remote file copy program) strcpy (3) - copy a string strncpy (3) - copy a fixed-size string
Display titles of manual page
man -f ls
Output
ls (1) - list directory contents
View all the manual pages
man -a intro
Output
INTRO(1) User Commands INTRO(1)
NAME
intro - introduction to user commands
DESCRIPTION
Section 1 of the manual contains commands that can be executed by users.
For a list of commands, type:
man -k .
To display the location of manual page files
man -w ls
Output
/usr/share/man/man1/ls.1.gz
Add man with a custom pager command
man -P cat ls
Output
LS(1)
User Commands
LS(1)
NAME
ls - list directory contents
SYNOPSIS
ls [OPTION]... [FILE]...
DESCRIPTION
List information about the FILEs (the current directory by default). Sort entries alphabetically if none of -cftuvSUX nor --sort is specified.
Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
-a, --all
do not ignore entries starting with .
-A, --almost-all
do not list implied . and ..
-l use a long listing format
-h, --human-readable
with -l and -s, print sizes like 1K 234M 2G etc.
-S sort by file size, largest first
-t sort by modification time, newest first
-r, --reverse
reverse order while sorting
-R, --recursive
list subdirectories recursively
-F, --classify
append indicator (one of */=>@|) to entries
--color[=WHEN]
colorize the output; WHEN can be 'always', 'auto', or 'never'
--help display this help and exit
--version
output version information and exit
Output may vary
Mention a manual page section to look for a specific command.
man 7 passwd
Output
PASSWD(7) Linux Programmer's Manual PASSWD(7)
NAME
passwd - password file format
DESCRIPTION
The /etc/passwd file is a text file that describes user login accounts. It contains one line per user, with fields separated by colons (:). Each line has the following format:
username:password:UID:GID:GECOS:home_directory:shell
The fields are:
- username: User's login name.
- password: Encrypted password or 'x' if stored in /etc/shadow.
- UID: User ID (unique numeric identifier).
- GID: Group ID (primary group ID).
- GECOS: Optional user information (e.g., full name).
- home_directory: Path to the user's home directory.
- shell: User's default shell (e.g., /bin/bash).
The /etc/passwd file is readable by all users but writable only by root.
FILES
/etc/passwd - user account information.
SEE ALSO
passwd(1), shadow(5), getpwnam(3), useradd(8)
COLOPHON
This page is part of the Linux man-pages project. A description of the
project, information about reporting bugs, and the latest version of this page
can be found at https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.
Linux 2024 PASSWD(7)
Shortcut Keys to Navigate Manual Pages
| Key | Action |
| Up / Down | Scroll line by line. |
| Spacebar | Scroll down on one screen at a time. |
| b | Scroll up on one screen at a time. |
| g | Go to the beginning of the manual page. |
| G | Go to the end of the manual page. |
| q | Quit manual page. |
| n | Repeat the last search in the same direction. |
| N | Repeat the last search in the opposite direction. |
| /pattern | Search forward for a pattern. |
| ?pattern | Search reverse for a pattern. |
| Enter | Scroll down on one line at a time. |
| k | Scroll up one line at a time. |
Manual Page Sections
The man command in Linux helps organize the manual pages into sections based on the type of file or command that will be documented. Each section is identified by a number.
| Section | Description |
| 1 | User Commands |
| 2 | System Calls |
| 3 | Library Functions |
| 4 | Special Files |
| 5 | File Formats & Configuration Files |
| 6 | Games & Screensavers |
| 7 | Miscellaneous |
| 8 | System Administration Commands |
| 9 | Kernel Routines |
Conclusion
You can execute the man man to view the command’s manual page for detailed information about the man command.
