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!!!apropos

----
!!NAME


apropos - search the manual page names and descriptions

!!WLUG HINTS

__ (1) __ Does __apropos__ always come up with nothing, or show you so many TCL functions you can't find the Unix commands?  You can use the ''/usr/sbin/makewhatis'' script to create or modify the database that __apropos__ reads. See MakeWhatIs.

__ (2) __ Apropos actually searches using grep(1) RegularExpressions. This can be helpful to remember sometimes. For example, if you try this __apropos__ search:

  apropos C

you are not going to be shown all the [C] related commands, you are going to be shown every man page with the letter C in it. This will give you more sensible results:

  apropos '\bC\b'

(__\b__ is the grep symbol for "word boundary". The single quotes prevent the shell from misinterpreting any grep symbols as commands to it.)

!!SYNOPSIS


__apropos__ [[__-dhV__] [[__-e__|__-w__|__-r__]
[[__-m__ ''system''[[,...]] [[__-M__ ''path'']
''keyword'' ...
!!DESCRIPTION


Each manual page has a short description available within
it. __apropos__ searches the descriptions for instances
of ''keyword''.


''keyword'' is usually a regular expression, as if
(__-r__) was used, or may contain wildcards (__-w__)
__,__ or match the exact keyword (__-e__) __.__
Using these options, it may be necessary to quote the
''keyword'' or escape () the special characters to stop
the shell from interpreting them.


The standard matching rules allow matches to be made against
the page name and word boundaries in the
description.
!!OPTIONS


__-d, --debug__


Print debugging information.


__-r, --regex__


Interpret each keyword as a regular expression. This is the
default behaviour. Each keyword will be matched against the
page names and the descriptions independently. It can match
any part of either. The match is not limited to word
boundaries.


__-w, --wildcard__


Interpret each keyword as a pattern containing shell style
wildcards. Each keyword will be matched against the page
names and the descriptions independently. A match will only
be found if an expanded keyword matches an entire
description or page name.


__-e, --exact__


Each keyword will be exactly matched against the page names
and the descriptions.


__-m__ ''system''[[,...]__,
--systems=__''system''[[,...]


If this system has access to other operating system's manual
page descriptions, they can be searched using this option.
To search NewOS's manual page descriptions, use the option
__-m NewOS__.


The ''system'' specified can be a combination of
comma-delimited operating system names. To include a search
of the native operating system's __whatis__ descriptions,
include the system name __man__ in the argument string.
This option will override the $__SYSTEM__ environment
variable.


__-M__ ''path''__,
--manpath=__''path''


Specify an alternate set of colon-delimited manual page
hierarchies to search. By default, __apropos__ uses the
$__MANPATH__ environment variable, unless it is empty or
unset, in which case it will determine an appropriate
manpath based on your $__PATH__ environment variable.
This option overrides the contents of
$__MANPATH__.


__-h, --help__


Print a help message and exit.


__-V, --version__


Display version and author information.
!!EXIT STATUS


__0__


Successful program execution.


__1__


Usage, syntax or configuration file error.


__2__


Operational error.


__16__


Nothing was found that matched the criteria
specified.
!!ENVIRONMENT


__SYSTEM__


If $__SYSTEM__ is set, it will have the same effect as if
it had been specified as the argument to the __-m__
option.


__MANPATH__


If $__MANPATH__ is set, its value is interpreted as the
colon-delimited manual page hierarchy search path to
use.


__POSIXLY_CORRECT__


If $__POSIXLY_CORRECT__ is set, even to a null value, the
default __apropos__ search will be as an extended regex
(__-r__) __.__ Nowadays, this is the default behaviour
anyway.
!!FILES


''/usr/share/man/index.(bt|db|dir|pag)''


A traditional global ''index'' database
cache.


''/var/cache/man/index.(bt|db|dir|pag)''


An alternate or FHS compliant global ''index'' database
cache.


''/usr/share/man/.../whatis''


A traditional __whatis__ text database.
!!SEE ALSO


whatis(1), man(1).
!!AUTHOR


Wilf. (G.Wilford@ee.surrey.ac.uk).
Fabrizio Polacco (fpolacco@debian.org).
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Last edited on Sunday, April 6, 2003 7:56:50 pm by GlynWebster
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