Introduction
In the world of Unix-type operating systems, documentation is a key part of the daily work of managers, developers and advanced users. Although the man command remains the best known reference, there is another tool that offers a richer and more structured reading experience: the info command. This program is part of the GNU project and allows access to manuals in hypertext format, with linked nodes that facilitate the search for related information. In this article we will explore what info is, how it differs from man, how to install it and how to make the most of it in the terminal.
What is the info command?
The info command is a documentation viewer that belongs to the GNU utility set. Unlike man pages, which are designed to be read linearly in the terminal, info documents are organized in a structure of nodes and subnodes, similar to a small hypertext website. Each node contains a title, a brief summary and links to other related nodes, which allows the user to jump directly to the section he is interested in without having to read the entire document from top to bottom. In addition, info supports searches by keywords, indices and the possibility of following cross-links between different manuals, making it a very powerful tool to deepen the operation of the system's commands and libraries.
Differences between info and man
Although both man and info come from the same GNU ecosystem and share the goal of providing help to the user, there are significant differences in its presentation and usability. The man pages are designed to be concise and are presented as a single text flow divided into standard sections (NAME, SYNOPSIS, DESCRIPTION, OPTIONS, etc.). Instead, info documents can be much more extensive and are divided into nodes that can contain examples of code, tables and cross-references. Another distinctive aspect is the navigation interface: info uses keyboard shortcuts inspired by Emacs (as n for next node, p for previous, or to climb to the parent node and l to return to the last node visited), while man is mainly controlled with arrows and space bar. Finally, info allows you to search within the entire documentation tree with the s command, something that in man requires to use / and repeat the search on each page.
Installation of the info package
In most modern Linux distributions, the info package is already pre-installed as part of the basic toolkit. However, in some minimum facilities or in container environments it may be absent. To check, just run which info or info -version in the terminal. If the command is not found, it can be easily installed using the corresponding package manager: in Debian or Ubuntu with sudo apt-get install info, in Fedora with sudo dnf install info, in Arch Linux with sudo pacman -S info and in openSUSE with sudo zypper install info. After installation, the command will be available immediately and you can access the documentation of any package including a info manual.
Basic navigation in info
Once you have info ready, start reading is as simple as writing info followed by the command name or package you want to consult, for example info 'choreutils' or info 'bash'. When you enter, you will see the screen divided into two parts: the header showing the current node and its location, and the body where the content is shown. The most useful keyboard shortcuts are: n to advance to the next node, p to return to the previous node, or to climb to the parent node, m to open a menu of options and choose a specific node, and l to return to the last node visited. You can also use the space bar to move page by page within the same node. Below is a list of the most common shortcuts:
- n - Next node
- p - Previous Node
- u - Father Node
- m - Node Menu
- l - Last node visited
- Space - Move page down
- b - Move page up
- s - Find a chain throughout the document
- Ctrl + g - Cancel operation
With these shortcuts you can move quickly through the documentation and find the information you need without wasting time.
Advanced use and search
Beyond basic navigation, info offers advanced features that make it essential for users who need to deepen documentation. The s command allows you to start an incremental search: when you write s followed by the desired chain, info will highlight all the coincidences and you can navigate between them using, for the next coincidences and. for the previous one. In addition, info supports index display using the i command, which shows an alphabetical list of terms and their associated nodes, facilitating the rapid location of specific functions. Another useful resource is the possibility of following cross-links to other manuals: if within a node you find a reference as *Note another theme::, just press Enter on it to jump to the linked node. Finally, you can print the current node or save it in a file using the p commands and or respectively, which is practical to create personal notes or offline documentation.
Conclusion
The info command represents a valuable and often underestimated alternative to the traditional man. Its hypertext format, its powerful keyboard shortcuts and its ability to link related information make it an ideal tool for those who seek to fully understand the operation of the commands and libraries of a Linux system. We invite you to try it on your next terminal session and explore the wealth of GNU documentation that is just a command away.
