---
layout: page
category-title: Basic commands
category-page: basic
tags: manual
author: Gianmarco De Vita
title: info
previous-page: pages/cmd/basic/cd.html
next-page: pages/cmd/basic/ls.html
---
<p> An <i>.info</i> file is an information document created by Texinfo.
  It stores documentation in a book format with chapters, sections,
  and subsections and can contain up to four layers of depth.
  Info documents are used for storing software help manuals and technical books.
  The <code>info</code> command allows you to read that kind of files
  and to search for particular information by using special flags.</p>

<pre>
Device-name:Current-position username$ info [flag] [item]
</pre>

<p>By writing the command <code>info</code> followed by nothing, as result you
  will get a list of what you can do with that command.</p>


<h3>Look up for a specific string</h3>
<p>Using the <code>--apropos</code> flag followed by a string, you obtain as
  output a list of all the contents which correspond to the string you wrote.</p>

<pre>
Device-name:Current-position username$ info --apropos string
</pre>

<p>If the string you inserted has nothing to do with the content of the info files,
  you will get a error message. For example:</p>

<pre>
  Device-name:Current-position username$ info --apropos duck
  info: No available info files have `duck' in their indices.
</pre>

<h3>An help with this command</h3>
<p>Using the <code>-h</code> flag (which stands for help), you obtain as
  output a brief paragraph in which are explained the features of this command.</p>

<pre>
Device-name:Current-position username$ info -h
</pre>

<h3>Visit a specific <i>.info</i> file</h3>
<p>Using the <code>-f</code> flag followed by the path and a <i>.info</i> file, you
  as output obtain the content of that file.</p>

<pre>
Device-name:Current-position username$ info -f path/filename.info
</pre>