4.3BSD-Reno/share/man/cat5/man_conf.0

MAN.CONF(5)		      1990		      MAN.CONF(5)



NNAAMMEE
     man.conf - man command's configuration file

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
     _M_a_n(1), _a_p_r_o_p_o_s(1), and _w_h_a_t_i_s(1) search for manual pages or
     their database files as specified by the _m_a_n._c_o_n_f file.
     Manual pages are expected to be preformatted (see _n_r_o_f_f(1))
     and named with a trailing ``.0''.

     The _m_a_n._c_o_n_f file contains two types of lines.

     The first type of line is a ``section'' line, which contains
     a section name followed by a directory path.  Lines in this
     format specify that manual pages for the section may be
     found in the directory.

     Directories named with a trailing slash character (``/'')
     are expected to contain subdirectories (see the keyword
     ``_subdir'' below) instead of manual pages.  These subdirec-
     tories are searched instead of the directory.

     All directories (either explicitly specified or named with a
     trailing slash) may contain subdirectories.  _M_a_n(1) automat-
     ically searches any subdirectory with the same name as the
     current machine type before the directory is searched.  No
     specification of these subdirectories is necessary in the
     _m_a_n._c_o_n_f file.

     Section names are unrestricted except for the reserved words
     specified below; in general, however, it is best to avoid
     anything beginning with an underscore (``_'') in order to
     avoid future incompatibilities.

     The section named ``_default'' is the list of directories to
     be searched if no section is specified.

     The second type of line is preceded with a ``keyword''.  The
     possible keywords and their meanings are as follows:


     _subdir
	  The list (in search order) of subdirectories which will
	  be searched in any directory named with a trailing
	  slash (``/'') character.  This list is also used when a
	  path is specified by the MANPATH environment variable
	  or the -M option.

     _version
	  The version of the configuration file.

     _whatdb
	  The full pathname (not just a directory path) for a



Printed 7/27/90               June				1






MAN.CONF(5)		      1990		      MAN.CONF(5)



	  database to be used by the _a_p_r_o_p_o_s(1) and _w_h_a_t_i_s(1)
	  commands.

     Multiple specifications for all types of lines (except for
     ``_version'') are cumulative and the entries are used in the
     order listed in the file; multiple entries may be listed per
     line, as well.

     Empty lines or lines whose first non-whitespace character is
     a hash mark (``#'') are ignored.

EEXXAAMMPPLLEESS
     Given the following _m_a_n._c_o_n_f _f_i_l_e:

	  _version	 BSD.1
	  _subdir	 cat1 cat2 cat3
	  _default	 /usr/share/man/
	  sect3          /usr/share/man/cat3

     The default _m_k_t_e_m_p(3) manual page should be stored in
     ``/usr/share/man/cat3/mktemp.0''.	Any VAX architecture
     specific version of it should be stored in
     ``cat3/vax/mktemp.0''.

     The command ``man mktemp'' would search the subdirectories
     ``cat1'' ``cat2'', and ``cat3'', in ``/usr/share/man'', in
     that order, for ``mktemp.0''.  If a subdirectory with the
     same name as the current machine type existed in any of
     them, it would be searched as well.

     The command ``man sect3 mktemp'' would only search
     ``/usr/share/man/cat3'' and any possible per machine sub-
     directory.

FFIILLEESS
     /etc/man.conf  standard manual directory search path

SSEEEE AALLSSOO
     apropos(1), machine(1), man(1), whatis(1), whereis(1)
















Printed 7/27/90               June				2