man Command Generator
Generate man commands to read system reference pages
Getting Started with man
## What is man?
`man` is the interface to the system reference manuals ("man pages"). It looks up and displays documentation for commands, system calls, library functions, configuration files, and more. Every Unix system ships with man pages, making `man` the fastest way to learn a command's flags and behavior.
## How to Use
1. **Set Options**: Pick the section, search mode (apropos/whatis), or all-matches flag. 2. **Enter Name**: Type the page name (and optionally a section number). 3. **Copy & Run**: Paste the generated command into your terminal.
Inside the pager: press `/` to search, `q` to quit. Page navigation uses the same keys as `less`.
Common Options
### Section number (`1`, `2`, `3`...) Restrict the lookup to a specific manual section. Common sections: `1` user commands, `2` system calls, `3` library functions, `5` file formats, `8` admin commands. Example: `man 2 open` shows the syscall, not any `open` command.
### `-k` Apropos (keyword search) Search the short descriptions of all pages — equivalent to `apropos`. Use it when you remember the topic but not the command: `man -k 'copy'`.
### `-f` Whatis (short description) Print only the one-line description of a page — equivalent to `whatis`. Faster than opening the full page.
### `-a` All matching pages Show every matching page in every section, one after another. Useful for names that appear in multiple sections (e.g. `printf`).
### `-S LIST` Section list Restrict the search order to a colon-separated list of sections, e.g. `-S 1:2:3`.
### `-P PAGER` Custom pager Use a different pager program (such as `bat` or `cat`) instead of the default `less`.
▶How do I look up a specific manual section?
▶How do I search for a command when I only know what it does?
▶How do I see a one-line description without opening the page?
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