Linux info command

Updated: 03/13/2021 by Computer Hope
info command

On Unix-like operating systems, the info command reads documentation stored in the info format, developed by the Free Software Foundation.

Description

The info format is similar to that of man, the traditional Unix manual format. Info additionally provides a robust structure for linking pages together, similar to hyperlinks. Info pages are made using the texinfo tools, and can link with other pages, create menus and ease navigation in general.

The default location of info documentation is /usr/share/info.

Syntax

info [OPTION]... [MENU-ITEM...]

Options

-k,
--apropos=STRING
Look up STRING in all indices of all manuals.
-d, --directory=DIR Add DIR to INFOPATH.
--dribble=FILENAME Remember user keystrokes in FILENAME.
-f, --file=FILENAME Specify Info file to visit.
-h, --help Display this help and exit.
--index-search=STRING Go to node pointed by index entry STRING.
-n,
--node=NODENAME
Specify nodes in first visited Info file.
-o,
--output=FILENAME
Output selected nodes to FILENAME.
-R, --raw-escapes Output "raw" ANSI (American National Standards Institute) escapes (default).
--no-raw-escapes Output escapes as literal text.
--restore=FILENAME Read initial keystrokes from FILENAME.
-O,
--show-options,
--usage
Go to command-line options node.
--subnodes Recursively output menu items.
--vi-keys Use vi-like and less-like key bindings.
--version Display version information and exit.
-w,
--where,
--location
Print physical location of Info file.

MENU-OPTION, if present, is the menu entry to start from; it is searched for in all 'dir' files along INFOPATH. If it is not present, info merges all 'dir' files and shows the result. Any remaining arguments are treated as the names of menu items relative to the initial node visited.

For a summary of key bindings, type h within info.

Examples

info emacs

Start at emacs node from top-level dir.

info --show-options emacs

Start at node with emacs command line options.

info -f ./foo.info

Show file ./foo.info, not searching dir,

info

Shows the top-level info page.

info --subnodes -o all-vi-info.txt vi

Output all information on the vi command, with any subnodes of information, to the file all-vi-info.txt.

man — Display the manual page of a given command.
whatis — Display short manual page descriptions.