Linux info command
On Unix-like operating systems, the info command reads documentation stored in the info format, developed by the Free Software Foundation.
Description
The info format is similar to that of man, the traditional Unix manual format. Info additionally provides a robust structure for linking pages together, similar to hyperlinks. Info pages are made using the texinfo tools, and can link with other pages, create menus and ease navigation in general.
The default location of info documentation is /usr/share/info.
Syntax
info [OPTION]... [MENU-ITEM...]
Options
| -k, --apropos=STRING |
Look up STRING in all indices of all manuals. |
| -d, --directory=DIR | Add DIR to INFOPATH. |
| --dribble=FILENAME | Remember user keystrokes in FILENAME. |
| -f, --file=FILENAME | Specify Info file to visit. |
| -h, --help | Display this help 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=FILENAME |
Output selected nodes to FILENAME. |
| -R, --raw-escapes | Output "raw" ANSI escapes (default). |
| --no-raw-escapes | Output escapes as literal text. |
| --restore=FILENAME | Read initial keystrokes from FILENAME. |
| -O, --show-options, --usage |
Go to command-line options node. |
| --subnodes | Recursively output menu items. |
| --vi-keys | Use vi-like and less-like key bindings. |
| --version | Display version information and exit. |
| -w, --where, --location |
Print physical location of Info file. |
MENU-OPTION, if present, is the menu entry to start from; it is searched for in all 'dir' files along INFOPATH. If it is not present, info merges all 'dir' files and shows the result. Any remaining arguments are treated as the names of menu items relative to the initial node visited.
For a summary of key bindings, type h within info.
Examples
info emacs
Start at emacs node from top-level dir.
info --show-options emacs
Start at node with emacs command line options.
info -f ./foo.info
Show file ./foo.info, not searching dir,
info
Shows the top-level info page.
info --subnodes -o all-vi-info.txt vi
Output all information on the vi command, with any subnodes of information, to the file all-vi-info.txt.
Related commands
man — Display the manual page of a given command.
whatis — Display short manual page descriptions.