INFO(1)

📦
version 7.3 · 6 versions
, in alpine 3.24, arch rolling, nixpkgs unstable, ubuntu stonking

💖 INFO(1) — the user-commands glow-up 💖

okay bestie, gather round, because we're talking about info(1) 💅 yes THE info, the read-Info-documents one, and she is that girl.

🌸 NAME 🌸

info — read Info documents. that's it, that's the whole job, and she does it flawlessly, no cap. ✨

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

info [OPTION]... [MENU-ITEM...]

🎀 DESCRIPTION 🎀

Read documentation in Info format. literally. that's the vibe. 📖

✨ Frequently-used options ✨

here's the greatest hits, the ones you'll actually be typing at 2am:

  • -a, --all — use all matching manuals. all of them. every single one. slay. 👑
  • -k, --apropos=STRING — look up STRING in all indices of all manuals, like a search but make it iconic 🔍
  • -d, --directory=DIR — add DIR to INFOPATH, bestie's getting a whole new neighborhood 🏡
  • -f, --file=MANUAL — specify Info manual to visit, no browsing, we're going straight there 🚗
  • -h, --help — display this help and exit. the classic. the moment. 💫
  • --index-search=STRING — go to node pointed by index entry STRING 🎯
  • -n, --node=NODENAME — specify nodes in first visited Info file 🪢
  • -o, --output=FILE — output selected nodes to FILE, we're taking receipts 📝
  • --subnodes — recursively output menu items. yes, recursively. it goes down and it does not stop 🌀
  • -v, --variable VAR=VALUE — assign VALUE to Info variable VAR 🧮
  • --version — display version information and exit 🏷️
  • -w, --where, --location — print physical location of Info file 📍

so here's how the arguments work, and this part is lowkey important:

The first non-option argument, if present, is the menu entry to start from; it is searched for in all dir files along INFOPATH. If it is not present, info merges all dir files and shows the result. Any remaining arguments are treated as the names of menu items relative to the initial node visited.

and if you want a summary of key bindings, type H within Info. 🫶

🌈 Examples 🌈

these are the receipts, and I'm obsessed with every single one
  • info — show top-level dir menu
  • info info-stnd — show the manual for this Info program
  • info emacs — start at emacs node from top-level dir
  • info emacs buffers — select buffers menu entry in emacs manual
  • info emacs -n Files — start at Files node within emacs manual
  • info '(emacs)Files' — alternative way to start at Files node
  • info --subnodes -o out.txt emacs — dump entire emacs manual to out.txt
  • info -f ./foo.info — show file ./foo.info, not searching dir

🐛 REPORTING BUGS 🐛

found a bug? not you being the main character of quality assurance 😭

Email bug reports to bug-texinfo@gnu.org, general questions and discussion to help-texinfo@gnu.org.

Texinfo home page: https://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/

Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html

This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.

There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. like, none, zero, nada. do not come for her if it breaks. 💀

🧚 SEE ALSO 🧚

The full documentation for info is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info program is properly installed at your site, the command

info info

should give you access to the complete manual. (Or, if you have Emacs, M-x info will lead to the manual.)

and that's the whole page, bestie 💜 this one came to you from GNU texinfo 7.3, dated March 2026 — shoutout to the INFO(1) girlies, we stan a manual that never misses. bye bye, go read some docs, you ate 🎀✨🦋

📦 where this page comes from