info

Start reading top-level directory menu

$ info

$ info [menu_item]

$ info [first_menu_item] [second_menu_item]

info [OPTION...] [MENU-ITEM...]
info [OPTION...] TOPIC...

-f, --file FILE
    Specifies the Texinfo file to display.

-n, --node NODE
    Starts browsing at the specified node within the document.

-o, --output FILE
    Outputs formatted Texinfo to a file instead of displaying it interactively.

-k, --key KEYWORD
    Searches the `info` index for a specific keyword.

-d, --directory DIR
    Adds a directory to the INFOPATH search list for `info` files.

--subnodes
    When outputting, include all subnodes of the specified node.

-h, --help
    Displays a help message and exits.

-v, --version
    Displays version information and exits.

The `info` command is the primary documentation browser for GNU software. Unlike the traditional `man` command which displays simple manual pages, `info` is designed to navigate highly structured documents written in the Texinfo format.

Texinfo is a documentation system used by the GNU project to produce both online documentation (viewable with `info`) and print-ready manuals from a single source. This allows for rich, hyperlinked documentation organized into a tree-like structure of 'nodes.'

Users can interactively browse these nodes, follow cross-references, search for specific text, and move seamlessly between different sections of a document. It provides a more comprehensive and often more up-to-date resource for GNU tools compared to their corresponding man pages, offering an integrated and navigable experience for complex software documentation.

The `info` command primarily serves documentation for GNU software; non-GNU utilities might not have corresponding `info` pages.
Its reliance on the Texinfo format means documentation must be specifically prepared for it, unlike the more widely adopted `man` page format.
New users might find its interactive navigation and keybindings less intuitive initially compared to simpler pagers.

`info` specifically reads files in the Texinfo format, a robust typesetting language designed to produce both comprehensive online documentation with hyperlinking and well-formatted printed manuals from a single source file. This allows for rich, hierarchical documentation structures with extensive cross-references.

Documentation in `info` is organized into 'nodes,' which are logical sections of information. These nodes are interconnected via hyperlinks, allowing users to navigate between related topics. Common navigation keys include n (next node), p (previous node), u (up to parent node), l (last visited node), and q (quit). Users can also search for text within documents using s.

The `info` command is a cornerstone of the GNU Project, conceived by Richard Stallman to provide a more advanced and structured documentation system than traditional UNIX manual pages. It was developed alongside the growth of GNU software as the primary method to access their comprehensive documentation.

By leveraging the Texinfo format, `info` enables the creation of both online, hyperlinked documentation and traditional printed manuals from a single source, fostering consistency and ease of maintenance across the vast GNU software ecosystem. Its design reflects the GNU philosophy of providing complete and freely available documentation.

man(1), pinfo(1), makeinfo(1), install-info(8)