Working with files and directories

Getting help when you are uncertain of the topic

If you know the keyword but do not want to read all the reference text, you can use the whatis(C) command to list the description of the item. For example, to read the description of man, type the following:

   $ whatis man
   man(C)          - prints reference pages in this guide

If you are not sure of the keyword to use for a topic, you can use the apropos(C) command (which is the same as man -k). Each entry in the reference manual has a description associated with it; apropos searches the descriptions for the word you give as a subject. For example, to find reference entries concerned with searching, type apropos search. The following entries are among those displayed:

   egrep(C)                - Search a file for one or more patterns
   fgrep(C)                - Search a file for a fixed string
   grep (C)                - Search a file for a pattern

You can then use man C grep, for example, to display the manual page on the grep command.