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If foo has a Texinfo manual (GNU tools like bash usually do) then you can try `info foo` and search the index with i or I for -p. Texinfo manuals also have hype

by Pete_D 9y ago

If foo has a Texinfo manual (GNU tools like bash usually do) then you can try `info foo` and search the index with i or I for -p. Texinfo manuals also have hyperlinks you can press enter on. info is a greatly underused system and I'd recommend any *nix users to spend some time learning how to navigate it.

hyperpape 9y ago
Thanks. Is there a good way to open that in a browser, rather than a console?
- teddyh 9y ago
  In general, the best way to read Info documentation is inside Emacs.
  - oblio 9y ago
    "If you are a bash newbie, you should read the bash manual. If you want proper search for the manual, you should use info. If you want proper use of info, you should use Emacs." Kind of a deep rabbit hole, isn't it?
    - teddyh 9y ago
      Not in this case; the bash manual is not in Info form, but a regular old-style Unix man page.
    - gbacon 9y ago
      True. You can do just fine in general eschewing info wankery in favor of man pages. Stallman may disapprove, but I don’t lose sleep over it.
- Pete_D 9y ago
  I don't know if you can locally, but they're often published online in HTML format, like at https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/index.html https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/index.htm....
- gbacon 9y ago
  I get that they may be unfamiliar, but learning your system’s tools will pay off over the long run. Search facilities in less and info are generally much more powerful than in your browser.
- pdkl95 9y ago
  In addition to the HTML info pages hosted by GNU[1], a variety of GUI texinfo readers are available, such as tkinfo[2]. [1] https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/index.html https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/index.htm... [2] http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/tkinfo/ http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/tkinfo/
khedoros1 9y ago
For bash: 'i' gives me "no indices found" and 'I' says "no index". I can do a '/' search, which finds some "-p" strings, but "n" doesn't work to find the next. From some other comments, it sounds like "info" uses emacs at its core? So I suppose I'd have to learn some emacs commands, if that's the case.
- Pete_D 9y ago
  info works without emacs, but some people prefer emacs' info viewer to the console one. The console viewer does have some idiosyncratic keybindings - for example, "n" means "next node at same level", and "}" means "search for next occurrence". "H" will give you a quick overview. I'm surprised indexes aren't working for you - unfortunately I don't know of any suggestions to fix that.
  - khedoros1 9y ago
    Thank you for the comment! I've always been aware of the info pages, but it's honestly been years since I've tried to use them. This thread is a good reminder to give it another go.

by Pete_D 9y ago

hyperpape 9y ago

Thanks. Is there a good way to open that in a browser, rather than a console?

teddyh 9y ago
In general, the best way to read Info documentation is inside Emacs.
- oblio 9y ago
  "If you are a bash newbie, you should read the bash manual. If you want proper search for the manual, you should use info. If you want proper use of info, you should use Emacs." Kind of a deep rabbit hole, isn't it?
  - teddyh 9y ago
    Not in this case; the bash manual is not in Info form, but a regular old-style Unix man page.
  - gbacon 9y ago
    True. You can do just fine in general eschewing info wankery in favor of man pages. Stallman may disapprove, but I don’t lose sleep over it.
Pete_D 9y ago
I don't know if you can locally, but they're often published online in HTML format, like at https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/index.html https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/index.htm....
gbacon 9y ago
I get that they may be unfamiliar, but learning your system’s tools will pay off over the long run. Search facilities in less and info are generally much more powerful than in your browser.
pdkl95 9y ago
In addition to the HTML info pages hosted by GNU[1], a variety of GUI texinfo readers are available, such as tkinfo[2]. [1] https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/index.html https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/index.htm... [2] http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/tkinfo/ http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/tkinfo/

khedoros1 9y ago

For bash: 'i' gives me "no indices found" and 'I' says "no index". I can do a '/' search, which finds some "-p" strings, but "n" doesn't work to find the next. From some other comments, it sounds like "info" uses emacs at its core? So I suppose I'd have to learn some emacs commands, if that's the case.

Pete_D 9y ago
info works without emacs, but some people prefer emacs' info viewer to the console one. The console viewer does have some idiosyncratic keybindings - for example, "n" means "next node at same level", and "}" means "search for next occurrence". "H" will give you a quick overview. I'm surprised indexes aren't working for you - unfortunately I don't know of any suggestions to fix that.
- khedoros1 9y ago
  Thank you for the comment! I've always been aware of the info pages, but it's honestly been years since I've tried to use them. This thread is a good reminder to give it another go.