info

Overview

The info command reads documentation in Info format. It provides a more detailed and structured documentation system than man pages, particularly for GNU software.

Syntax

info [options] [command]

Common Options

Option Description
-k keyword Look up keyword in all indices
-f file Specify Info file to read
-n nodename Go to specific node
-h Display help
-w name Show which Info file documents name
--show-options Go to command-line options node
--subnodes Recursively output menu items
--vi-keys Use vi-like key bindings

Key Use Cases

  1. Read detailed GNU documentation
  2. Navigate structured documentation
  3. Search documentation
  4. Find command options
  5. Learn about GNU software

Examples with Explanations

Example 1: Basic Usage

info ls

Show documentation for ls command

Example 2: Search Keyword

info --apropos=keyword

Search for keyword in all Info documents

Example 3: Output All Nodes

info --subnodes ls > ls-info.txt

Save complete ls documentation to file

Understanding Output

Navigation commands: - n: Next node - p: Previous node - u: Up node - l: Last node - d: Directory node - t: Top node - q: Quit - h: Help

Common Usage Patterns

  1. View command documentation:

    info command

  2. Search in all documents:

    info --apropos="search term"

  3. View specific section:

    info -n 'section name' command

Performance Analysis

  • Faster than web browsers
  • More detailed than man pages
  • Structured navigation
  • Cross-referenced documentation
  • Hypertext-like links

Additional Resources