A Guide to Using the man Command in Linux

The man command is a valuable tool for developers and users alike to quickly learn how to use command line commands. Whenever you encounter a command you’re unfamiliar with, simply type man <command> to access its manual.

The screenshot above showcases just one of the 14 screens of explanation provided for the ls command. These explanations are referred to as man (short for “manual”) pages. While man pages offer an abundance of information, they can sometimes feel overwhelming due to their comprehensive nature.

Man pages are categorized into seven distinct groups, each identified by a number:

1. user commands
2. kernel system calls
3. C library functions
4. devices
5. files formats and filesystems
6. games
7. miscellaneous commands, conventions, and overviews
8. superuser and system administrator commands

When you need to learn a command quickly, you can also turn to the tldr pages website. The tldr pages provide a concise overview of a command along with useful examples of common usage scenarios. To access the tldr pages, install the tldr command and run it as tldr <command>.

While the tldr pages are not meant to replace man pages, they serve as a helpful tool to get a quick grasp of a command and its practical applications. To explore all the various options and parameters a command offers, you can refer back to the corresponding man page.

Note: The man command is compatible with Linux, macOS, Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), and any UNIX environment.

tags: [“Linux commands”, “man pages”, “command line”, “developer tools”]