The info command is a Linux command used to display information in the info format. info format is a hypertext documentation format used in GNU/Linux systems, which provides a more comprehensive and detailed description of a command or topic than the traditional man pages. The info command is used to display the info documentation of a command or topic.
Overview
The info command is used to display the info documentation of a command or topic. To use the info command, simply type info followed by the name of the command or topic you want to view. For example, to view the info documentation for the ls command, type info ls.
The info documentation is displayed in a hypertext format, which means that it contains links to other topics and commands. To follow a link, simply move the cursor to the link and press the Enter key.
The info documentation is divided into nodes, which are similar to chapters in a book. To navigate between nodes, use the arrow keys or the Page Up and Page Down keys.
The info command is particularly useful for viewing the documentation of complex commands or topics that require more detailed explanations than what is provided in the traditional man pages.
Examples
To view the info documentation for the ls command, type:
info ls
To view the info documentation for the tar command, type:
info tar
Options
The info command has the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-f, --file=file |
Specify the name of the info file to be displayed. |
-k, --key=key |
Search for the specified key in the info documentation. |
-n, --node=node |
Specify the name of the node to be displayed. |
-o, --output=file |
Write the info documentation to the specified file. |
-v, --version |
Display the version of the info command. |
-h, --help |
Display help information for the info command. |
Troubleshooting Tips
If the info command is not displaying the expected documentation, try specifying the name of the info file using the -f option. For example, to view the info documentation for the ls command from the coreutils package, type:
info -f /usr/share/info/coreutils.info ls
Notes
The info command is part of the GNU Texinfo package, which is a documentation system used by many GNU/Linux programs. The info format is similar to the HTML format used on the web, and info files can be viewed using a web browser or a dedicated info viewer.