When working with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (RHEL 9), mastering the man command is one of the most important skills for any Linux professional. Whether you’re preparing for the RHCSA exam or managing a production environment, knowing how to read man pages will save you time and make troubleshooting much easier.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know — from opening man pages to navigating them efficiently and understanding their sections.
What Are Man Pages?
Man pages — short for manual pages — are the built‑in documentation files for Linux commands. They explain what a command does, how to use it, what options are available, and sometimes include examples of usage.
Think of man pages as your Linux reference library, available anytime without an internet connection.
How to Open Man Pages
To view a man page, you simply run the man command followed by the name of the command you want to explore. For example, if you want to read about the ls command, you would use the man command followed by “ls.”
If you’re unsure about the exact command name, there’s a way to search the descriptions of man pages so you can find related commands quickly.
Navigating Man Pages
Once you open a man page, it opens in a viewer that allows scrolling and searching. The navigation includes moving page by page, searching for keywords, and exiting when you’re done.
Here are some navigation tips:
Use space to scroll down one page
Use the “b” key to scroll back
Press enter to move one line down
Search for specific keywords to quickly find relevant sections
Use the quit command to exit the viewer
Understanding Man Page Sections
Man pages are organized into numbered sections. Knowing these sections will help you find what you need faster.
Typical sections include:
Name – Brief description of the command
Synopsis – Command syntax
Description – Detailed explanation
Options – List of available flags or parameters
Examples – Sample usages
See Also – Related commands or documentation
By knowing what each section contains, you’ll spend less time hunting for information.
Searching Within Man Pages
Searching within man pages is essential when you don’t want to scroll endlessly. You can search for specific terms, options, or keywords directly within the man page. This makes navigation faster and more efficient, especially for complex commands.
Practical Shortcuts for Efficiency
Here are some tips to make your man page usage more productive:
View only specific sections of a man page to focus on what’s relevant.
Search all available man pages for a keyword to discover related commands.
Use shortcuts to jump to different sections quickly.
Mastering these tricks will make you more self-sufficient and confident while working in RHEL.
Why It’s Important
If you’re preparing for the RHCSA exam or working in real-world environments, the ability to read man pages effectively is essential. You don’t need to memorize every command; you just need to know how to find and interpret the information.
This skill saves time, improves efficiency, and builds your Linux expertise.
Watch the Full Video
Our detailed video tutorial goes step-by-step through using the man command in RHEL 9, showing practical examples and shortcuts you can start using immediately.
Watch the full tutorial here: https://youtu.be/-B0oDeTczTw
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