345 lines
7.8 KiB
HTML
345 lines
7.8 KiB
HTML
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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
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<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Man page of MANDB</TITLE>
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</HEAD><BODY>
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<H1>MANDB</H1>
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Section: Manual pager utils (8)<BR>Updated: 2020-02-25<BR><A HREF="#index">Index</A>
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<A HREF="/cgi-bin/man/man2html">Return to Main Contents</A><HR>
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<A NAME="lbAB"> </A>
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<H2>NAME</H2>
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mandb - create or update the manual page index caches
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<A NAME="lbAC"> </A>
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<H2>SYNOPSIS</H2>
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<B>mandb</B>
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[<B>-dqsucpt?V</B>]
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[<B>-C</B>
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<I>file</I>]
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[<I>manpath</I>]
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<BR>
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<B>mandb</B>
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[<B>-dqsut</B>]
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[<B>-C</B>
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<I>file</I>]
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<B>-f</B>
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<I>filename</I> ...
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<A NAME="lbAD"> </A>
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<H2>DESCRIPTION</H2>
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<B>mandb</B>
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is used to initialise or manually update
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<B>index</B>
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database caches.
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The caches contain information relevant to the current state of the manual
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page system and the information stored within them is used by the man-db
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utilities to enhance their speed and functionality.
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<P>
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When creating or updating an
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<B>index</B>,
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<B>mandb</B>
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will warn of bad ROFF .so requests, bogus manual page filenames and
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manual pages from which the
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<B>whatis</B>
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cannot be parsed.
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<P>
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Supplying
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<B>mandb</B>
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with an optional colon-delimited path will override the internal system
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manual page hierarchy search path, determined from information found within
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the man-db configuration file.
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<A NAME="lbAE"> </A>
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<H2>DATABASE CACHES</H2>
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<B>mandb</B>
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can be compiled with support for any one of the following database types.
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<P>
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<TABLE>
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<TR VALIGN=top><TD>Name</TD><TD>Type</TD><TD>Async</TD><TD>Filename<BR></TD></TR>
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<TR VALIGN=top><TD COLSPAN=4><HR></TD></TR>
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<TR VALIGN=top><TD>Berkeley db</TD><TD>
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Binary tree
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</TD><TD>Yes</TD><TD><I>index.bt</I><BR></TD></TR>
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<TR VALIGN=top><TD>GNU gdbm</TD><TD>
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Hashed
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</TD><TD>Yes</TD><TD><I>index.db</I><BR></TD></TR>
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<TR VALIGN=top><TD>UNIX ndbm</TD><TD>
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Hashed
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</TD><TD>No</TD><TD><I>index.(dir|pag)</I><BR></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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Those database types that support asynchronous updates provide enhanced
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speed at the cost of possible corruption in the event of unusual
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termination.
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In an unusual case where this has occurred, it may be necessary to rerun
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<B>mandb</B>
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with the
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<B>-c</B>
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option to re-create the databases from scratch.
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<A NAME="lbAF"> </A>
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<H2>OPTIONS</H2>
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<DL COMPACT>
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<DT id="1"><B>-d</B>, <B>--debug</B>
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<DD>
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Print debugging information.
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<DT id="2"><B>-q</B>, <B>--quiet</B>
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<DD>
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Produce no warnings.
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<DT id="3"><B>-s</B>, <B>--no-straycats</B>
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<DD>
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Do not spend time looking for or adding information to the databases
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regarding stray cats.
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<DT id="4"><B>-p</B>, <B>--no-purge</B>
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<DD>
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Do not spend time checking for deleted manual pages and purging them from
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the databases.
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<DT id="5"><B>-c</B>, <B>--create</B>
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<DD>
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By default,
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<B>mandb</B>
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will try to update any previously created databases.
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If a database does not exist, it will create it.
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This option forces
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<B>mandb</B>
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to delete previous databases and re-create them from scratch, and implies
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<B>--no-purge.</B>
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This may be necessary if a database becomes corrupt or if a new database
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storage scheme is introduced in the future.
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<DT id="6"><B>-u</B>, <B>--user-db</B>
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<DD>
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Create user databases only, even with write permissions necessary to create
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system databases.
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<DT id="7"><B>-t</B>, <B>--test</B>
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<DD>
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Perform correctness checks on manual pages in the hierarchy search path.
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With this option,
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<B>mandb</B>
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will not alter existing databases.
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<DT id="8"><B>-f</B>, <B>--filename</B>
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<DD>
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Update only the entries for the given filename.
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This option is not for general use; it is used internally by
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<B>man</B>
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when it has been compiled with the
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<B>MAN_DB_UPDATES</B>
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option and finds that a page is out of date.
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It implies
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<B>-p</B>
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and disables
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<B>-c</B>
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and
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<B>-s</B>.
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<DT id="9"><B>-C </B><I>file</I><B></B>, <B>--config-file=</B><I>file</I>
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<DD>
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Use this user configuration file rather than the default of
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<I>~/.manpath</I>.
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<DT id="10"><B>-?</B>, <B>--help</B>
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<DD>
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Show the usage message, then exit.
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<DT id="11"><B>--usage</B>
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<DD>
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Print a short usage message and exit.
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<DT id="12"><B>-V</B>, <B>--version</B>
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<DD>
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Show the version, then exit.
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</DL>
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<A NAME="lbAG"> </A>
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<H2>EXIT STATUS</H2>
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<DL COMPACT>
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<DT id="13"><B>0</B>
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<DD>
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Successful program execution.
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<DT id="14"><B>1</B>
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<DD>
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Usage, syntax, or configuration file error.
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<DT id="15"><B>2</B>
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<DD>
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Operational error.
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<DT id="16"><B>3</B>
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<DD>
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A child process failed.
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</DL>
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<A NAME="lbAH"> </A>
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<H2>DIAGNOSTICS</H2>
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The following warning messages can be emitted during database building.
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<DL COMPACT>
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<DT id="17"><B><filename>: whatis parse for page(sec) failed</B>
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<DD>
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An attempt to extract whatis line(s) from the given <filename> failed.
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This is usually due to a poorly written manual page, but if many such
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messages are emitted it is likely that the system contains non-standard
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manual pages which are incompatible with the man-db whatis parser.
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See the
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<B>WHATIS PARSING</B>
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section in
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<B><A HREF="/cgi-bin/man/man2html?1+lexgrog">lexgrog</A></B>(1)
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for more information.
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<DT id="18"><B><filename>: is a dangling symlink</B>
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<DD>
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<filename> does not exist but is referenced by a symbolic link.
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Further diagnostics are usually emitted to identify the <filename> of the
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offending link.
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<DT id="19"><B><filename>: bad symlink or ROFF `.so' request</B>
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<DD>
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<filename> is either a symbolic link to, or contains a ROFF include
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request to, a non existent file.
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<DT id="20"><B><filename>: ignoring bogus filename</B>
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<DD>
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The <filename> may or may not be a valid manual page but its name is
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invalid.
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This is usually due to a manual page with sectional extension <x> being put
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in manual page section <y>.
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<DT id="21"><B><filename_mask>: competing extensions</B>
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<DD>
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The wildcard <filename_mask> is not unique.
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This is usually caused by the existence of both a compressed and
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uncompressed version of the same manual page.
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All but the most recent are ignored.
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</DL>
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<A NAME="lbAI"> </A>
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<H2>FILES</H2>
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<DL COMPACT>
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<DT id="22"><I>/etc/manpath.config</I>
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<DD>
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man-db configuration file.
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<DT id="23"><I>/var/cache/man/index.(bt|db|dir|pag)</I>
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<DD>
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An FHS compliant global
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<I>index</I>
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database cache.
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</DL>
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<P>
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Older locations for the database cache included:
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<DL COMPACT>
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<DT id="24"><I>/usr/man/index.(bt|db|dir|pag)</I>
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<DD>
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A traditional global
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<I>index</I>
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database cache.
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<DT id="25"><I>/var/catman/index.(bt|db|dir|pag)</I>
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<DD>
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An alternate or FSSTND
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compliant global
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<I>index</I>
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database cache.
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</DL>
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<A NAME="lbAJ"> </A>
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<H2>SEE ALSO</H2>
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<B><A HREF="/cgi-bin/man/man2html?1+lexgrog">lexgrog</A></B>(1),
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<B><A HREF="/cgi-bin/man/man2html?1+man">man</A></B>(1),
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<B><A HREF="/cgi-bin/man/man2html?5+manpath">manpath</A></B>(5),
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<B><A HREF="/cgi-bin/man/man2html?8+catman">catman</A></B>(8)
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<P>
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The
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<B>WHATIS PARSING</B>
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section formerly in this manual page is now part of
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<B><A HREF="/cgi-bin/man/man2html?1+lexgrog">lexgrog</A></B>(1).
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<A NAME="lbAK"> </A>
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<H2>AUTHOR</H2>
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<PRE>
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Wilf. (<A HREF="mailto:G.Wilford@ee.surrey.ac.uk">G.Wilford@ee.surrey.ac.uk</A>).
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Fabrizio Polacco (<A HREF="mailto:fpolacco@debian.org">fpolacco@debian.org</A>).
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Colin Watson (<A HREF="mailto:cjwatson@debian.org">cjwatson@debian.org</A>).
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</PRE>
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<P>
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<HR>
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<A NAME="index"> </A><H2>Index</H2>
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<DL>
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<DT id="26"><A HREF="#lbAB">NAME</A><DD>
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<DT id="27"><A HREF="#lbAC">SYNOPSIS</A><DD>
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<DT id="28"><A HREF="#lbAD">DESCRIPTION</A><DD>
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<DT id="29"><A HREF="#lbAE">DATABASE CACHES</A><DD>
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<DT id="30"><A HREF="#lbAF">OPTIONS</A><DD>
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<DT id="31"><A HREF="#lbAG">EXIT STATUS</A><DD>
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<DT id="32"><A HREF="#lbAH">DIAGNOSTICS</A><DD>
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<DT id="33"><A HREF="#lbAI">FILES</A><DD>
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<DT id="34"><A HREF="#lbAJ">SEE ALSO</A><DD>
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<DT id="35"><A HREF="#lbAK">AUTHOR</A><DD>
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</DL>
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<HR>
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This document was created by
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<A HREF="/cgi-bin/man/man2html">man2html</A>,
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using the manual pages.<BR>
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Time: 00:06:13 GMT, March 31, 2021
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</BODY>
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</HTML>
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