Searching the manual for information
If we don't know the exact name of a particular command, function, or system call, we can search all the manuals in the system for the correct one. In this recipe, we will learn how to use the apropos command to search the manual pages.
Getting ready
The same requirements apply here that applied for the previous recipe.
How to do it…
Let's search the manual for different words, narrowing our result for each step:
- Type in
apropos directory. A long list of manual pages will present itself. After each manual, there is a number inside parentheses. This number is the section that the manual page is located in. - To narrow the search down to only section 3 (library calls), type in
apropos -s 3 directory. - Let's narrow down the search ever further. Type in
apropos -s 3 -a remove directory. The-aoption stands for and.
How it works…
The apropos command searches the manual pages descriptions...
