I am little surprised to find that Ubuntu Linux skips development man pages by default on cloud-based images. A quick search using apt-cache pointed out that I need to install the manpages-dev package on a Ubuntu Linux. It includes manual pages about using GNU/Linux for development. The manpages-posix-dev package includes manual pages about using a POSIX system for development. The man-db package is the on-line manual page i.e. actual man command to view man pages on a Ubuntu or Debian Linux.
Install development man pages on Ubuntu/Debian Linux
Type the following apt-get command to install various packages to view man pages for C standard library functions in Ubuntu or Debian system:
$ sudo apt-get install manpages-dev man-db manpages-posix-dev
Sample outputs:
Fig.01: Installing man pages on a Ubuntu or Debian Linux system
How do I view man pages?
To view library calls (functions within program libraries), enter:
$ man 3 function-name
$ man 3 putc
$ man 3 strlen
$ man 3 printf
$ man 3 scanf
$ man 2 execve
$ man 2 fork
The number 3 or 2 indicates the section numbers of the manual as follows:
- 2 : System calls (functions provided by the kernel)
- 3 : Library calls (functions within program libraries)
See man page sections for more info:
$ man man
See also
- Debian Linux Install GNU GCC Compiler and Development Environment
- HowTo: Linux / UNIX Create a Manpage
- How do I Print Out a Linux man or info Page?
- How to add/install man pages in Alpine Linux
- How to install man pages on a CentOS Linux 6/7
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hey thanks for this help
they r asking what is ur sudo password
Gutsy Gibbon:
root@zuul:~# apt-get install manpages-dev
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
Package manpages-dev is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source
E: Package manpages-dev has no installation candidate
🙁
This linux not windows. No man pages? Completely unacceptable.
SteveC,
I just installed the same, w/o problem.
The same problen I’m facing which Gutsy wrote.
However, the manpage-dev are not compete either:
$ man sigwait
No manual entry for sigwait
I have tries to find out where these manpages are, but have not found them yet.
Found: man sigwait is in:
sudo apt-get install manpages-posix-dev
exactly the tip that I needed. thanks!