4.4BSD/usr/share/man/cat1/whatis.0

WHATIS(1)                    BSD Reference Manual                    WHATIS(1)

NNAAMMEE
     wwhhaattiiss - describe what a command is

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
     wwhhaattiiss [--MM _p_a_t_h] [--mm _p_a_t_h] _c_o_m_m_a_n_d _._._.

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
     WWhhaattiiss looks up a given command and gives the header line from the manual
     page.  You can then use the man(1) command to get more information.

     The options are as follows:

     --MM _p_a_t_h     Override the list of standard directories wwhhaattiiss searches for
                 its database named ``_w_h_a_t_i_s_._d_b''. The supplied _p_a_t_h must be a
                 colon ``:'' separated list of directories.  This search path
                 may also be set using the environment variable MANPATH.

     --mm _p_a_t_h     Augment the list of standard directories wwhhaattiiss searches for
                 its database named ``_w_h_a_t_i_s_._d_b''. The supplied _p_a_t_h must be a
                 colon ``:'' separated list of directories.  These directories
                 will be searched before the standard directories or the di-
                 rectories supplied with the --MM option or the MANPATH environ-
                 ment variable are searched.

EENNVVIIRROONNMMEENNTT
     MANPATH  The standard search path used by man(1) may be overridden by
              specifying a path in the MANPATH environment variable.

FFIILLEESS
     whatis.db  name of the whatis database

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

HHIISSTTOORRYY
     The wwhhaattiiss command appeared in 3.0BSD.

4th Berkeley Distribution        June 6, 1993                                1