info
Quick Reference
Command Name:
info
Category:
system management
Platform:
linux
Basic Usage:
Common Use Cases
- 1
Info documentation
Display Info documentation for installed software
- 2
Detailed guides
Access comprehensive guides and tutorials
- 3
Learning
Learn about advanced topics and concepts
- 4
Navigation
Navigate through documentation using hyperlinks
Syntax
info [OPTION]... [MENU-ITEM...]
Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| -a, --all | Use all matching manuals |
| -k, --apropos=STRING | Look up STRING in all indices of all manuals |
| -d, --directory=DIR | Add DIR to INFOPATH |
| -f, --file=MANUAL | Specify Info manual to visit |
| -h, --help | Display help information 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=FILE | Output selected nodes to FILE |
| -O, --show-options, --usage | Go to command-line options node |
| --subnodes | Recursively output menu items |
| --vi-keys | Use vi-like key bindings |
| --version | Display version information and exit |
| -w, --where, --location | Print physical location of Info file |
Examples
How to Use These Examples
The examples below show common ways to use the info command. Try them in your terminal to see the results. You can copy any example by clicking on the code block.
Basic Examples:
info lsDisplay the Info documentation for the ls command. Unlike a man page, the Info documentation often provides more detailed explanations, examples, and a navigable structure.
infoOpen the top-level Info menu that lists all available Info documents. This is the entry point to browse all available documentation in the Info system.
info infoDisplay documentation about the Info system itself, including how to navigate and use Info documents effectively. This is helpful for users new to the Info documentation system.
info --index-search="wildcards" bashSearch for the term "wildcards" in the Bash info document and jump directly to that section. This is useful for finding specific information within large documents.
Advanced Examples:
info --subnodes -o bash.txt bashOutput the entire Bash Info document, including all sub-nodes, to the file bash.txt. This creates a complete plain text version of the documentation for offline reading or processing.
info -f ./custom-info-file.infoRead and display a custom Info file instead of searching in the standard Info directories. This is useful for viewing locally created or non-standard Info documentation.