$ man date
bash: man: command not found
How to install man pages on my CentOS 6/7/8 VM or LXD?
After an install of CentOS 7 or 8 LXD (Linux contaienr), you may not get access to man pages. To install man pages use the yum command as follows on a CentOS 6/7/8.
How to install man pages on centos?
You must run the following commands as the root user using the sudo command or su command. For example,
sudo -i
OR
su -
Search for CentOS man pages
The syntax is:
$ sudo yum search man-pages
Sample outputs:
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile * base: centos.excellmedia.net * epel: epel.mirror.net.in * extras: centos.excellmedia.net * updates: centos.excellmedia.net ============================================================================================= N/S Matched: man-pages ============================================================================================== man-pages-fr.noarch : French version of the Linux man-pages man-pages.noarch : Man (manual) pages from the Linux Documentation Project man-pages-cs.noarch : Czech man pages from the Linux Documentation Project man-pages-es.noarch : Spanish man pages from the Linux Documentation Project man-pages-es-extra.noarch : Extra manual pages - Spanish versions man-pages-it.noarch : Italian man (manual) pages from the Linux Documentation Project man-pages-ja.noarch : Japanese man (manual) pages from the Japanese Manual Project man-pages-ko.noarch : Korean(Hangul) Man(manual) Pages from the Korean Manpage Project man-pages-overrides.noarch : Complementary and updated manual pages man-pages-pl.noarch : Polish man pages from the Linux Documentation Project man-pages-ru.noarch : Russian man pages from the Linux Documentation Project man-pages-uk.noarch : Ukrainian man pages from the Linux Documentation Project man-pages-zh-CN.noarch : Chinese Man Pages from Chinese Man Pages Project Name and summary matches only, use "search all" for everything. |
Installing man pages on a CentOS 6
The syntax is as follows on CentOS 6:
$ sudo yum install man man-pages
Sample outputs:
A note about CentOS version 7 and 8
The syntax is as follows on CentOS Linux 7 and 8:
# yum install man-pages man-db man
Sample outputs:
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile * base: mirrors.123host.vn * epel: repo.ugm.ac.id * extras: centos.excellmedia.net * updates: centos.excellmedia.net Resolving Dependencies --> Running transaction check ---> Package man-db.x86_64 0:2.6.3-9.el7 will be installed --> Processing Dependency: libpipeline.so.1()(64bit) for package: man-db-2.6.3-9.el7.x86_64 ---> Package man-pages.noarch 0:3.53-5.el7 will be installed --> Running transaction check ---> Package libpipeline.x86_64 0:1.2.3-3.el7 will be installed --> Finished Dependency Resolution Dependencies Resolved ======================================================================================== Package Arch Version Repository Size ======================================================================================== Installing: man-db x86_64 2.6.3-9.el7 base 559 k man-pages noarch 3.53-5.el7 base 5.0 M Installing for dependencies: libpipeline x86_64 1.2.3-3.el7 base 53 k Transaction Summary ======================================================================================== Install 2 Packages (+1 Dependent package) Total size: 5.6 M Total download size: 5.6 M Installed size: 6.5 M Is this ok [y/d/N]: y Downloading packages: Delta RPMs disabled because /usr/bin/applydeltarpm not installed. (1/2): man-db-2.6.3-9.el7.x86_64.rpm | 559 kB 00:00:02 (2/2): man-pages-3.53-5.el7.noarch.rpm | 5.0 MB 00:00:12 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 463 kB/s | 5.6 MB 00:12 Running transaction check Running transaction test Transaction test succeeded Running transaction Installing : libpipeline-1.2.3-3.el7.x86_64 1/3 Installing : man-db-2.6.3-9.el7.x86_64 2/3 Installing : man-pages-3.53-5.el7.noarch 3/3 Verifying : man-pages-3.53-5.el7.noarch 1/3 Verifying : libpipeline-1.2.3-3.el7.x86_64 2/3 Verifying : man-db-2.6.3-9.el7.x86_64 3/3 Installed: man-db.x86_64 0:2.6.3-9.el7 man-pages.noarch 0:3.53-5.el7 Dependency Installed: libpipeline.x86_64 0:1.2.3-3.el7 Complete! |
See how to install man pages on a Ubuntu Linux.
How do I read man page for any command?
The syntax is as follows for the man command:
$ man command
$ man section command
$ man ls
$ man 8 useradd
$ man date
Sample outputs:
The section numbers of the manual pages are as follows:
- 1 – Executable programs or shell commands
- 2 – System calls (functions provided by the kernel)
- 3 – Library calls (functions within program libraries)
- 4 – Special files (usually found in /dev)
- 5 – File formats and conventions eg /etc/passwd
- 6 – Games
- 7 – Miscellaneous (including macro packages and conventions), e.g. man(7), groff(7)
- 8 – System administration commands (usually only for root)
- 9 – Kernel routines [Non standard]
Conclusion
You learned about man-db and man-pages packages for CentOS 6/7/8.
This entry is 2 of 5 in the Installing and Using Man Pages Tutorial series. Keep reading the rest of the series:
- How to add/install man pages in Alpine Linux
- How to install man pages on a CentOS Linux 6/7
- Unix / Linux: Display Color Man Pages
- Linux / UNIX: Getting help with man pages and how to use them
- HowTo: Linux / UNIX Create a Manpage
1 comment
Have a question or comment? Post it on the forum thread here.