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diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi index b2498d039e..c29af46ff1 100644 --- a/doc/guix.texi +++ b/doc/guix.texi @@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ GNU Distribution * System Installation:: Installing the whole operating system. * System Configuration:: Configuring the operating system. +* Documentation:: Browsing software user manuals. * Installing Debugging Files:: Feeding the debugger. * Security Updates:: Deploying security fixes quickly. * Package Modules:: Packages from the programmer's viewpoint. @@ -6907,6 +6908,7 @@ For information on porting to other architectures or kernels, @menu * System Installation:: Installing the whole operating system. * System Configuration:: Configuring the operating system. +* Documentation:: Browsing software user manuals. * Installing Debugging Files:: Feeding the debugger. * Security Updates:: Deploying security fixes quickly. * Package Modules:: Packages from the programmer's viewpoint. @@ -15905,6 +15907,70 @@ This service represents PID@tie{}1. @end defvr +@node Documentation +@section Documentation + +@cindex documentation, searching for +@cindex searching for documentation +@cindex Info, documentation format +@cindex man pages +@cindex manual pages +In most cases packages installed with Guix come with documentation. +There are two main documentation formats: ``Info'', a browseable +hypertext format used for GNU software, and ``manual pages'' (or ``man +pages''), the linear documentation format traditionally found on Unix. +Info manuals are accessed with the @command{info} command or with Emacs, +and man pages are accessed using @command{man}. + +You can look for documentation of software installed on your system by +keyword. For example, the following command searches for information +about ``TLS'' in Info manuals: + +@example +$ info -k TLS +"(emacs)Network Security" -- STARTTLS +"(emacs)Network Security" -- TLS +"(gnutls)Core TLS API" -- gnutls_certificate_set_verify_flags +"(gnutls)Core TLS API" -- gnutls_certificate_set_verify_function +@dots{} +@end example + +@noindent +The command below searches for the same keyword in man pages: + +@example +$ man -k TLS +SSL (7) - OpenSSL SSL/TLS library +certtool (1) - GnuTLS certificate tool +@dots {} +@end example + +These searches are purely local to your computer so you have the +guarantee that documentation you find corresponds to what you have +actually installed, you can access it off-line, and your privacy is +respected. + +Once you have these results, you can view the relevant documentation by +running, say: + +@example +$ info "(gnutls)Core TLS API" +@end example + +@noindent +or: + +@example +$ man certtool +@end example + +Info manuals contain sections and indices as well as hyperlinks like +those found in Web pages. The @command{info} reader (@pxref{Top, Info +reader,, info-stnd, Stand-alone GNU Info}) and its Emacs counterpart +(@pxref{Misc Help,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}) provide intuitive key +bindings to navigate manuals. @xref{Getting Started,,, info, Info: An +Introduction}, for an introduction to Info navigation. + @node Installing Debugging Files @section Installing Debugging Files |