Accessing Man Pages on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS

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Having access to Ubuntu manual pages (man pages) on your server is an essential asset with which to be familiar. Most Linux-based OS distributions include the man command out of the box. In those cases, there is not much needed. On the other hand, installations that do not have man pages are just a quick command away from having them.

By default, on Ubuntu-based servers, this command is typically not provided. However, since Ubuntu manual pages are a great tool to access, this article will help you install man pages and access them in Ubuntu.

What are Man Pages?

A man page is software documentation provided with packages on Unix-based systems. They provide a type of manual for applications, services, and system resources. The terminal is where to read man pages, including topics such as:

  • Command summaries.
  • Command line tools.
  • Descriptions.
  • Examples.
  • Programs.
  • System calls.
  • Abstract concepts. 

Install Man Pages on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS

To check whether Ubuntu manual pages are installed, run the following command in the terminal.

man man

If the man command exists, the output is the Ubuntu manuals for the man command. The man page for the man command displays.

The following output displays if the server does not have the man command available.

-bash: man: command not found

To install the man package, run the following commands.

apt update && apt upgrade && apt install man

Here is the breakdown of this command:

  • apt update will update the Ubuntu server's software repositories. 
  • apt upgrade will upgrade the applications on the server. 
  • apt install man will install the man package, allowing you to view Ubuntu manuals. 

You now have access to the software man pages on your Ubuntu server.

Wrapping Up

As you install new software and other packages that include man pages, the database will be updated and the additional man pages made available. So, for instance, if you install Nginx on your server immediately after the process completes, you can open the Ubuntu man pages.

Liquid Web offers several options for Ubuntu servers. Contact our Sales team and see which managed hosting option best suits your business.

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Avatar for Ronald Caldwell

About the Author: Ronald Caldwell

Ron is a Technical Writer at Liquid Web working with the Marketing team. He has 9+ years of experience in Technology. He obtained an Associate of Science in Computer Science from Prairie State College in 2015. He is happily married to his high school sweetheart and lives in Michigan with her and their children.

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