[_wldu]

Some people seem to be unaware of apropos too (old text based cli tool).

    $ apropos network
    interfaces (5)       - network interface configuration for ifup and ifdown
    aseqnet (1)          - ALSA sequencer connectors over network
    byteorder (3)        - convert values between host and network byte order
    ctstat (8)           - unified linux network statistics

[tgv]

I hate that it spews so much irrelevant things. Run "apropos directory" on macos and see if you can find "ls" between

create_automation_image_overlay(8), -(8) - ."====================== create_automation_image_overlay overlay automation image content onto another directory ." ."

and

CPANPLUS::Internals::Source::Memory(3pm) - In memory implementation n .SS "$cb->_|_memory_retrieve_source(name => $name, [path => $path, uptodate => BOOL, verbose => BOOL])" .SS "$cb->_|_memory_retrieve_source(name => $name, [path => $path, uptodate => BOOL, verbose => BOOL])" Subsection "$cb->__memory_retrieve_source(name => $name, [path => $path, uptodate => BOOL, verbose => BOOL])" This method retrieves a storabled tree identified by $name. It takes the following arguments: name" 4 Item "name" The internal name for the source file to retrieve. uptodate" 4 Item "uptodate" A flag indicating whether the file-cache is up-to-date or not. path" 4 Item "path" The absolute path to the directory holding the source files. verbose" 4 Item "verbose" A boolean flag indicating whether or not to be verbose. Will get information from the config file by default. Returns a tree on success, false on failure. n .SS "$cb->_|_memory_save_source([verbose => BOOL, path => $path])" .SS "$cb->_|_memory_save_source([verbose => BOOL, path => $path])" Subsection "$cb->__memory_save_source([verbose => BOOL, path => $path])" This method saves all the parsed trees in storabled format if Storable is available. It takes the following arguments: path" 4 Item "path" The absolute path to the directory holding the source files. verbose" 4 Item "verbose" A boolean flag indicating whether or not to be verbose. Will get information from the config file by default. Returns true on success, false on failure

[chockchocschoir]

Let's say I forgot how to call `ls`, then I'd run `apropos directory` with ` | grep -i list` appended afterwards. Full command would be:

    apropos directory | grep -i list

And now it's just 7 options, where `ls` is easy to find :)

[pricci]

I'm aware of apropos, but I usually forget how the command is named.

edit: I forget how apropos is named.

[kroltan]

    alias halp=apropos

[RobertMiller]

I used to have a hard time remembering apropos because I assumed 'apropos' was some sort of unixy mincing of another word or abbreviation or something, and I couldn't figure out what it meant. You know, like 'mkdir' means "MaKe DIRectory"

But it turns out apropos is just a regular word. Once I learned this, I haven't had any more trouble with it.

apropos : Of an appropriate or pertinent nature.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/apropos

[zfxfr]

Ohh I always thought "apropos" was from the French expression "à propos (de)... " which means "about". I naïvely believed that the person who coded this command must be French.

[killerbat00]

The English usage is borrowed from French![0] However, it doesn't look like the original author was French[1]. I shouldn't be, but I am quite surprised to see that the apropos command as we know it is 43 years old!

[0] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/apropos [1] https://www.mankier.com/1/apropos.mandoc#History

[ochrist]

It's an ordinary word in Danish, meaning 'about something'. It can be used at the start of a sentence. Example: "Apropos vegetables I hate tomatoes".

[Isamu]

You are correct about the origin except it came from French into English long ago.

[paskozdilar]

Which is exactly the use case for apropos, which searches "the manual page names and descriptions"[0] for whatever term you've entered.

[0] https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/apropos.1.html

[toddm]

man -k has been working just fine for me for 30+ years

[dllthomas]

Apropos has the compelling feature that I get to feel clever for knowing the word.

[OJFord]

Just don't be one of those people who go around saying 'hehe apropros of nothing mirite' at seemingly everything!

(Also, `man --apropros` is the long option fwiw. I'm not really suggesting that as a better alternative though!)

[_wldu]

I believe man -k just runs apropos.

[killerbat00]

Yep! man -k even has an ISO standard with which apropos is compliant https://www.mankier.com/1/apropos.mandoc#Standards

[dllthomas]

Right. There's often a tension between features and ease of use.

[pmarreck]

TIL about the -k option. Whoa.

[a-dub]

ding.