update-info-dir

update-info-dir [OPTION]... [DIRECTORY]...

--debug
    Enable debugging output.

--help
    Display help message and exit.

--quiet
    Suppress normal output messages.

--version
    Display version information and exit.

DIRECTORY
    The directory to update. If omitted, uses INFOPATH or a default.

The update-info-dir command updates the index files used by the info program to locate and display documentation. It scans the directories specified in the INFOPATH environment variable, or a default list of directories if INFOPATH is not set, and creates or updates the dir file in each directory. This dir file contains an index of all available info documents and their locations, allowing info to quickly find and display the requested documentation.

This command is crucial for keeping the info system up-to-date, especially after installing new software or modifying existing info pages. Without running update-info-dir, new or modified info documents might not be accessible through the info program. It generally needs to be executed as root to be able to modify the info directory files.

The command typically requires root privileges to modify the index files in the info directories. Ensure that the user has write permissions to the directory where the dir file is to be updated.

INFOPATH: Specifies the directories to search for info files. If not set, a system-dependent default path is used.
Example: INFOPATH=/usr/share/info:/usr/local/share/info

info(1)