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I hope this doesn't come across as a "RTFM" comment, because I don't intend it to be, but I have found it helpful to get into the habit of reading man files whe

I hope this doesn't come across as a "RTFM" comment, because I don't intend it to be, but I have found it helpful to get into the habit of reading man files when I need to know how to use a command. The quality of the man files on your system might not be the best, so I would suggest bookmarking the man pages from the OpenBSD project[1]. It might not always be directly applicable to your system, since some commands are different between linux, osx, and *bsd, but no matter what platform you are on, the OpenBSD man pages are very high quality, and at the very least might point you in the right direction. 1: http://nixdoc.net/man-pages/OpenBSD/ http://nixdoc.net/man-pages/OpenBSD/

niuzeta 11y ago
Adding to this comment is my recommendation to bro(http://bropages.org/ http://bropages.org/) command, which is a wiki-like man pages that simply tells you what the comand does on high level, and a few practical examples. man pages are great for the folks who are used to the type of prose and those who want to get to the bottom of the command. But I've almost always found the man pages unhelpful and sometimes even distracting(check the infamous sudoers manpage, which starts off with a 'Quick guide to EBNF). So my advice to those who start on linux is, if man pages aren't good for you, then google! more often than not, the task you're trying to do is something that someone has already tried to do, and there will be an easier-to-understand description than man page.
- anthk 11y ago
  Do not ever try comparing "Linux" man pages with the OpenBSD ones, which are much better than even bro-pages. A badly written man page or worse, an absent one is considered a bug at OBSD.
duaneb 11y ago
I would really recommend against using the *bsd man pages if you run a gnu system; the differences will drive you madder than the similarities will help, except with common tools (e.g. bash).
GauntletWizard 11y ago
It's very easy for RTFM to sound dismissive, but after a while of being a young hacker, I realized it had a zen like quality. The answer to life's hardest problems isn't found by asking others; It is by searching inside yourself and Google. It took me a while to understand, and I imagine others have had the same problem. Flow is important to programmers, as is self-reliance. Interrupting others for questions is generally a bad idea for both you and them. At the same time, telling others not to interrupt can be discouraging and dismissive, so it's a fine line to walk to tell people who are learning to go away. You must do so in a supportive manner, and there's no simple solution to that. Any one solution you take only lasts for a limited time before it sounds trite and dismissive.

niuzeta 11y ago

Adding to this comment is my recommendation to bro(http://bropages.org/ http://bropages.org/) command, which is a wiki-like man pages that simply tells you what the comand does on high level, and a few practical examples. man pages are great for the folks who are used to the type of prose and those who want to get to the bottom of the command. But I've almost always found the man pages unhelpful and sometimes even distracting(check the infamous sudoers manpage, which starts off with a 'Quick guide to EBNF). So my advice to those who start on linux is, if man pages aren't good for you, then google! more often than not, the task you're trying to do is something that someone has already tried to do, and there will be an easier-to-understand description than man page.

anthk 11y ago
Do not ever try comparing "Linux" man pages with the OpenBSD ones, which are much better than even bro-pages. A badly written man page or worse, an absent one is considered a bug at OBSD.

duaneb 11y ago

I would really recommend against using the *bsd man pages if you run a gnu system; the differences will drive you madder than the similarities will help, except with common tools (e.g. bash).

GauntletWizard 11y ago

It's very easy for RTFM to sound dismissive, but after a while of being a young hacker, I realized it had a zen like quality. The answer to life's hardest problems isn't found by asking others; It is by searching inside yourself and Google. It took me a while to understand, and I imagine others have had the same problem. Flow is important to programmers, as is self-reliance. Interrupting others for questions is generally a bad idea for both you and them. At the same time, telling others not to interrupt can be discouraging and dismissive, so it's a fine line to walk to tell people who are learning to go away. You must do so in a supportive manner, and there's no simple solution to that. Any one solution you take only lasts for a limited time before it sounds trite and dismissive.