helpztags

helpztags [OPTION...] [FILE...]

FILE...
    One or more paths to man pages or directories containing man pages to be indexed. If no files are specified, it may process based on the system's MANPATH.

--help
    Display a help message and exit.

--version
    Output version information and exit.

helpztags is an internal utility, part of the man-db package, primarily used to build and update the index files (often referred to as whatis databases) for system manual pages.

These index files are crucial for the functionality of commands like apropos and whatis, enabling them to quickly search and display short descriptions from the NAME section of man pages. helpztags scans specified directories or files, extracts the synopsis from each man page's NAME section, and compiles this information into a searchable database.

While it can be invoked directly, it's most commonly called by scripts like makewhatis or as part of the system's package management processes to ensure the whatis database remains current after man pages are installed or updated.

Users typically do not invoke helpztags directly. It is an internal component of the man-db system and is usually called by higher-level scripts like makewhatis.

Manually running it incorrectly or against an incomplete set of man pages can lead to an outdated or corrupted whatis database, impacting the functionality of apropos and whatis commands.

The index files generated by helpztags are typically stored in a system-specific cache directory, such as /var/cache/man/whatis or similar paths, depending on the distribution and configuration of the man-db package. These files are not meant for direct user interaction and their format is internal to the man-db system.

helpztags is an integral part of the man-db project, which replaced the older man package on many Linux distributions. The man-db system introduced a database-driven approach to man page management, significantly improving the performance of searches via apropos and whatis by pre-indexing man pages. helpztags was developed as part of this effort to efficiently create and maintain these necessary index files, ensuring that the system's documentation remains readily searchable.

man(1), apropos(1), whatis(1), makewhatis(8)