Questions tagged [documentation]
For questions regarding written documentation such as manuals, help files, policies, instructions, or guides.
53
questions
37
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9
answers
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How can I get help on terminal commands?
I often see things like
read man xyz
For more information read xyz's man page.
see info xyz
so I wonder:
How can I get help on terminal commands generally?
What exactly are these man and ...
- 40.1k
4
votes
4
answers
1k
views
How can I find help for new Ubuntu users?
I've just started using Lubuntu. It's the first time I've ever used Linux.
Can any of you send me a tutorial-video for new users or explain the basics to me?
- 51
16
votes
4
answers
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How do I get help for "echo" or other bash commands?
man echo works. but out of curiosity, does echo have something similar to a --help flag/parameter?
- 16.2k
12
votes
5
answers
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How to read package description or man page without installing?
How can I get information about a package before installing it, from the terminal?
I mean something like man pages, but accessible even before the package is installed.
- 430
52
votes
7
answers
19k
views
How are typical users expected to read the documentation in /usr/share/doc?
I recently learned that there is a huge pile of documentation in /usr/share/doc.
It seems like much of it is gzipped so that it is not directly accessible without administrative privileges:
$ gunzip ...
- 76.8k
18
votes
7
answers
52k
views
How do I view the man pages?
I'm new to Linux. I got the "Unix And Linux System Administration Handbook" It speaks of several verisons of linux and unix, and the commands for viewing linux man pages and not specific to ubuntu.
...
- 181
24
votes
1
answer
7k
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In 'apt-cache depends' output, what is the meaning of Suggests, Recommends, |, <>?
I've checked the man/info page, but there is no reference to some aspects of the output fomat of apt-cache depends
The man/info page tried to be helpful (in an obtuse manner); quote: "For the ...
- 24.7k
9
votes
2
answers
334
views
How do I distinguish between a command, utility, or builtin for getting documentation?
I'm running Bash scripting, but sometimes I get confused which of these commands I use belong to who. Sometimes man xxx works, sometimes doesn't, so I use --help or info, mostly one of these works to ...
- 169
4
votes
1
answer
2k
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No man-page or info-page for type command
I tried to find information about type command using man pages and info
$ man type
No manual entry for type
info type
I think this is info menu page.
Is it just happening to me?? Why did Ubuntu ...
- 6,152
50
votes
4
answers
81k
views
Do files at /etc/apt/sources.list.d need to have an extension '.list'?
In /etc/apt/sources.list.d I have several files for custom repositories. All the names of those files end with .list.
Is it obligatory that files in that folder should end with that extension? If yes,...
- 2,002
20
votes
5
answers
3k
views
zsh man page documentation missing in packages?
I have a newly installed xubuntu 13.10 x64. I decided to install zsh via synaptic and make it my default shell. The installed zsh's version is: zsh 5.0.2 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu).
The installed zsh ...
- 401
2
votes
2
answers
7k
views
Running fsck manually
In a recent reboot of Ubuntu, which failed, I get the message to run fsck manually. How do I do so. I may have a bad HD sector, and it may be easier to reinstall Ubuntu. I'm a newbie, so bear with me.
- 21
69
votes
6
answers
44k
views
Remove documentation to save hard drive space
I like to create a rather small Ubuntu installation in a Virtual Box machine. It should basically just provide TeX Live and related tools. I figured now that I have almost 1GB of data under /usr/share/...
- 1,335
13
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What do the symbols in service --status-all mean? [duplicate]
I really miss the graphical "Services" tool from older versions of Ubuntu, but I understand why it had to go. I always have terminals open anyway, so I use (because I have to now, I guess) service --...
- 6,507
10
votes
3
answers
4k
views
How to see all available `man` manuals?
How do I tell man to show me a list of all the 'manuals' installed on my Ubuntu 10.10 system?
Also, is there a specific directory where the manual pages are installed?
- 3,555
8
votes
2
answers
1k
views
I can't get dwww to work - Keeps getting 404 Not Found
When I try to click on a link on the web page produced by dwww - I get the following error:
Not Found
The requested URL /cgi-bin/dwww/usr/share/doc/ was not found on this server.
Apache/2.4.10 (...
- 91
8
votes
3
answers
540
views
How to get paragraph for certain option of command right away?
For example instead of whole manual of apt-get I want jump to -f option from terminal prompt right away, without using search through manpage.
- 2,449
2
votes
1
answer
788
views
How does Ubiquity determine the required disk space before installation?
This question intends to demystify Ubiquity the desktop installer for Ubuntu, on how the required disk space before installation is being determined.
From this dated post Determining size of the ...
user37165
18
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Is there a detailed API documentation on the python binding for appindicator?
I'm getting serous with a project of my own and need a good documentation on the appindicator module for python. What I've found so far:
API documentation on dev.ubuntu.com
Community wiki entry
API ...
- 18.8k
14
votes
2
answers
4k
views
How does the Trash Can work, and where can I find official documentation, reference, or specification for it?
When trying to manage trash can from mounted NTFS volumes, I ended up reading FreeDesktop.org's reference on it.
Poking around and doing some tests, I realized Ubuntu/Gnome does not follow the specs ...
- 20.1k
13
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How can I read man pages in my native language?
How can I read man pages in my mother tongue?
I'd also like to contribute some translations.
Where should I go?
Is there a community supported by
Canonical?
- 10.2k
5
votes
3
answers
7k
views
ASCII source file checker
For official Ubuntu documentation where the source English files are in docbook xml, there is a requirement of ASCII only characters. We use a "checker" command line (see here).
grep --color='auto' -...
- 15.4k
4
votes
5
answers
5k
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How can I install Gimp 2.8's help documentation on Ubuntu 12.04?
Ubuntu 12.04 comes with Gimp 2.6, so I installed Gimp 2.8 using the instructions below:
sudo apt-get purge gimp*
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:otto-kesselgulasch/gimp
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-...
- 4,249
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Is there a detailed user's documentation for KDE Plasma 5?
I just installed Kubuntu 15.04 and I can't find a single place with systematic description of all available desktop configuration settings. For example, I was setting Screen Locking Timeouts and I ...
- 825
3
votes
2
answers
2k
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Free online Ubuntu user guide, that is simple to understand?
I just recently downloaded and started using Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and this is my first Linux/unix OS ever. I've been faced with a gigantic learning curve that I think would deter most people.
With that ...
- 626
118
votes
3
answers
48k
views
What is the difference between "man" and "info" documentation?
Regarding man-pages and info help documentation:
Why do two such similar sources of documentation exist?
Sometimes a man-page is available and the info is not; or vice-versa.
I haven't yet latched ...
- 24.7k
25
votes
3
answers
19k
views
"No manual entry for pthread" - could not find man page by name
I am new to Ubuntu, wanted to code for reader-writer block in Operating System, but when I fired the command man pthread it gave me an error no manual entry for pthread. What can be done to resolve ...
- 283
21
votes
1
answer
24k
views
What does the kernel taint value mean?
Running cat /proc/sys/kernel/tainted prints the current kernel taint value (in base 10). My understanding is that this value is a bitfield, where each bit indicates the absence or presence of a ...
- 5,405
20
votes
5
answers
35k
views
Ubuntu 14.04 QtCreator Qt5 examples missing
After upgrading to Ubuntu 14.04 I removed the official qtcreator in order to install the modified version from the software center because I'd like to try the SDK.
Fortunately, the docs are now ...
- 713
16
votes
1
answer
3k
views
What is the use of *-doc packages?
I was installing some programs, and every program has a XXX-doc package. I suppose it's for documentation, maybe even for man pages? Because I get a documentation online, thus in that case may I ...
- 2,185
14
votes
2
answers
7k
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Architecture diagram explaining the Ubuntu Cloud Infrastructure with MAAS / Openstack architecture?
I'm interested in Ubuntu Cloud Infrastructure with MAAS (based on Openstack from what I understand) but cannot find any architecture diagram which gives an overview of how MAAS works.
The case is ...
- 161
13
votes
3
answers
10k
views
How do I search for `!` (exclamation mark) in a manual page?
I want to get the explanation for ! option (which means exclude) in find command in the man find.
And then I press / and shift + 1 , a Non-match popped out, instead of !
So my question is how to ...
- 183
13
votes
5
answers
5k
views
How to have colored manual pages in gnome-terminal
When I switched to tty I noticed manpages look different by using some color scheme. How to make it to gnome-terminal?
Update: Here is a solution, I found at Unix stackExchange site.
- 195
12
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Is there an English Ubuntu Wiki?
When answering a question here on Ask Ubuntu I sometimes would like to link to a wiki page explaining some topic in more detail, say, the ALSA sound system.
For German speaking users there's the ...
- 40.1k
11
votes
7
answers
3k
views
Are there any good books for new Ubuntu users? [closed]
I recently installed Ubuntu in my uncle's laptop. He seems to like it and he is asking me for some good Ubuntu books for beginners. I was thinking about The Official Ubuntu Book. Any other suggestions ...
10
votes
3
answers
11k
views
What are all the apt command-line commands and options?
I know they think that they are being helpful, but in fact they are being quite the opposite here in the apt --help and manpage:
Much like apt itself, its manpage is intended as an end user ...
user364819
9
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Download C++ reference
I'm learning C++ and are currently for some weeks without consistently working Internet connection. I search a (ASCII) terminal searchable & readable C++ documentation. Today I e. g. searched for ...
- 411
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votes
3
answers
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Where to find 'index.theme' specification for GTK+ theme
I am trying to create one theme for GTK+ and while doing so, I found index.theme. Now, where do I find specification for this file similar to Icon Theme and Desktop entry?
- 133
5
votes
2
answers
231
views
How to run full text search on help pages offline (from Yelp / gnome-help or something other)?
I have both Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and Ubuntu 18.04 LTS installed.
I want to search for documentation and read it off-line (as it is included to the installed packages in /usr/share/help and other ...
- 100k
5
votes
1
answer
2k
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How to find out what a program does
When I call ps ax, I get a list of running processes.
Some of them I know by name (firefox, java, scala, you name it).
Most of the others, I can find with man NAME, and try to find out, what they'...
- 6,714
4
votes
1
answer
195
views
Is the Ubuntu policy manual out of date?
I just started reading the Ubuntu Architecture wiki which outlines the overall architecture of Ubuntu. Got to the section that discusses the Ubuntu Policy Manual and that it is derived from the Debian ...
- 4,036
4
votes
1
answer
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Which target in debian/rules do I need to use for generating documentation?
I have run into some problems creating Debian packaging for a shared library. The application contains a Doxyfile which is used to generate documentation for the library. I would like to create a ...
- 32.2k
3
votes
2
answers
200
views
What's up with Ubuntu Desktop API docs? Why are all the AppIndicator links dead?
I was going to make a quick tray monitoring script. Y'know, the classic CPU/mem/net usage example; I need a similar thing, but with my own code.
15 minutes later, trying to find any doc whatsoever ...
- 5,752
3
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Downloading Entirety of Lubuntu/Ubuntu Man-pages?
I know about this page which is almost exactly what I want. Unfortunately, it is not current.
What I would like to do is to have the entirety of the Ubuntu man-pages in a nice, easy to read, PDF ...
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3
votes
1
answer
221
views
Are there localized versions of help.ubuntu.com?
Quando a documentação oficial do ubuntu sera traduzida para o Português?
When will there be an official documentation of Ubuntu, that is translated into Portuguese?
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3
votes
3
answers
372
views
How can I download archive of ubuntu community documentation so that i can use it offline?
How can I download archive of ubuntu community documentation so that i can use it offline?
user59308
2
votes
3
answers
570
views
beginner's manuals [duplicate]
Up to now I have used Microsoft Windows. I am a beginner with Unix generally and with Ubuntu 12.04 particularly. I have got advices to try the system by a command 'Firefox' and then to install a ...
- 1,417
2
votes
1
answer
297
views
Yelp help browser and the scrollkeeper catalogue
I need some help in understanding how the Yelp Help Browser works. When I start Yelp in Ubuntu 17.10 I get the Ubuntu Desktop Guide, and when I search for terms that should definitely be contained in ...
- 121
2
votes
1
answer
376
views
Application for viewing installed Documentation in Ubuntu 12.04
I don't remember the name of application or package which I used in Ubuntu 11.04 to view the default installed Documentation or manually installed documentations from synaptic.
It was pretty helpful....
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1
vote
1
answer
63
views
Capturing commands for documentation? [duplicate]
I plan on configuring an Ubuntu Server via the CLI.
Is there any program that can capture my commands (and perhaps responses)?
Just trying to make documentation more efficient.
Thank you.
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