How To – Linux / UNIX Create a Manpage

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A manpage is a documentation file that provides detailed information about a specific command, program or function on a Linux/UNIX system. Here are the steps to create a manpage:

  1. Choose a name for your manpage: Typically, the name of the manpage should be the same as the name of the command or program you want to document. For example, if you are documenting the “ls” command, the name of the manpage should be “ls.1”.
  2. Create a source file for your manpage: Use your favorite text editor to create a file with the name you have chosen and the “.1” extension. For example, if you have chosen “ls” as the name of the manpage, you should create a file named “ls.1”. The source file should contain the documentation for your command or program.
  3. Write the manpage: The format of a manpage is standardized, so you should follow a specific format for your documentation. You can use an existing manpage as a template, or you can use a tool like “ronn” to help you create the manpage.
  4. Format the manpage: Once you have written the manpage, you need to format it so that it can be displayed properly on the command line. To do this, you can use the “groff” tool, which is a document formatting system that is commonly used for creating manpages.
  5. Install the manpage: After you have created and formatted your manpage, you need to install it so that it can be accessed by users. To do this, you should copy the manpage file to the appropriate directory on your system. The location of this directory may vary depending on the distribution of Linux/UNIX you are using. Typically, the directory is /usr/share/man/man1/ for user commands.
  6. Update the manpage database: Finally, you need to update the manpage database so that your manpage can be found by the “man” command. To do this, you can use the “mandb” command. This command updates the manpage database by reading the manpages in the appropriate directory and creating an index that can be searched by the “man” command.

Following these steps, you should be able to create and install your own manpage on your Linux/UNIX system.

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