Linux Command Tutorials - Using the info Command to Get Help with a Linux Command or Linux Concept

As part of your Linux training, it is vital that you clearly understand Linux concepts, like: how to boot Linux, the Linux file system, and how to create a Linux user.

Another part of your Linux training needs to involve learning how to use Linux commands. This is because Linux commands - and not Linux GUI utilities - are by far and away the best way to do Linux administration tasks.

Fortunately, Linux has a command named info that allows you to see "info pages" on a Linux concept or Linux command.

Linux Tips: Some Linux distributions (versions) come with lots of info pages installed (over 500) on all kinds of Linux concepts and commands. However, others only have a few info pages. Experiment with your system to see how much Linux "info" you can find!

This Linux command tutorial shows you examples of how to run the Linux info command.

All of the Linux command examples (hands-on labs) shown below have been designed to work with all Linux distributions (versions).

So, if you run the Linux commands shown below yourself, you'll have a mini Linux command tutorial - a great way to get Linux training and lean how to use Linux.

Linux Info Command Tutorial

Some info pages have a Menu of items to choose from and others don't.

For example, the info page for the mkdir (make directory) command is just a single info "page" and doesn't have a Menu. You just read the information on the screen and scroll down as you're reading.

However, some info pages, like the info page for the grep command, do have a menu.

Using the Linux Info Command - To Get Info on a Linux Command

Run the following Linux command as an example of running the info command to get info on the mkdir command.

]$ info mkdir

This is a single page of info on the mkdir command. Press Page Down until you get to the bottom of the page and then press "q" (without the quotation marks) to quit.

Now run the following Linux command to get info the grep command.

]$ info grep

After running the above command, some Linux distributions will display the man page for the grep command rather than the info page.

If you see "File: grep.info" at the top left of the screen, then you are looking at the info page and not the man page. The ".info" in "grep.info" indicates that you are looking at an info page, and the info page for grep has a Menu and multiple pages rather than just a single page.

Linux Tips: To get info on a different command, just replace "grep" in the command above with the name of the Linux command you need to learn.

Using the Info Command to Get Linux Command Examples

Linux Tips: You will be able to do the following steps if you are looking at the info page for grep (which has a Menu and multiple pages), rather than the man page, which is just a single page.

To see examples of using the grep command, move your cursor to the left of the Menu item: "Usage: Examples" and press Enter.

Linux Tips: Linux command examples are rare in free Linux documentation. If you need to learn a Linux command, use the info command and see if there are any examples shown for the command.

One of the most useful things about the info command is that it sometimes shows examples of Linux commands. However, it can be a bit tricky to navigate the info pages if there are multiple pages. Also, Linux concepts and commands are often described in a very technical manner (in Linux "geek-speak").

Beyond This "Linux Commands Tutorials" Article

Here are some other important things to learn about the info command and info pages: how to navigate (move around from page to page) in the info pages that have menus, and how to use the info command to find out more info on a Linux concept.

Another way to get Linux training is to use Linux video tutorials. When you watch a Linux video, you can see everything you need on how to use a Linux command or how to understand a Linux concept. You can also pause a Linux video whenever you need to, and watch it as many times as you like!