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Whatis

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See [[apropos]]
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The '''whatis''' command takes a word or name as a parameter value that is searched against a set of database files that contain short descriptions of system based commands and devices.
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<pre>
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mail# whatis fxp
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fxp(4)                  - Intel EtherExpress PRO/100 Ethernet device driver
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</pre>
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The search method used by whatis will find only complete word matches.  This differs to the related apropos command which uses a search method that matches anything containing the given word.  An example of these differences using the word "secure":
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'''whatis'''
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<pre>
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mail# whatis secure
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_secure_path(3)          - determine if a file appears to be secure
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rpc_secure(3)            - library routines for secure remote procedure calls
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scp(1)                  - secure copy (remote file copy program)
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sftp(1)                  - secure file transfer program
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sprog(7)                - secure programming practices
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SHA1(3), SHA1_Init(3), SHA1_Update(3), SHA1_Final(3) - Secure Hash Algorithm
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</pre>
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'''apropos'''
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<pre>
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mail# apropos secure
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_secure_path(3)          - determine if a file appears to be secure
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krb5_verify_user(3), krb5_verify_user_lrealm(3), krb5_verify_user_opt(3), krb5_verify_opt_init krb5_verify_opt_set_
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flags(3), krb5_verify_opt_set_service(3), krb5_verify_opt_set_secure(3), krb5_verify_opt_set_keytab(3) - Heimdal pa
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ssword verifying functions
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pam_securetty(8)        - SecureTTY PAM module
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rpc_secure(3)            - library routines for secure remote procedure calls
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scp(1)                  - secure copy (remote file copy program)
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securelevel_gt(9), securelevel_ge(9) - test active securelevel
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sftp(1)                  - secure file transfer program
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sprog(7)                - secure programming practices
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SHA1(3), SHA1_Init(3), SHA1_Update(3), SHA1_Final(3) - Secure Hash Algorithm
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</pre>
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This shows how whatis only found whole words for 'secure' whereas apropos found the word within other text, one of which was 'krb5_verify_opt_set_secure(3)'.  Both commands search in a case-insensitive manner.
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See also [[apropos]] command.
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[[Category : System Commands]]

Latest revision as of 11:45, 4 October 2007

The whatis command takes a word or name as a parameter value that is searched against a set of database files that contain short descriptions of system based commands and devices.

mail# whatis fxp
fxp(4)                   - Intel EtherExpress PRO/100 Ethernet device driver

The search method used by whatis will find only complete word matches. This differs to the related apropos command which uses a search method that matches anything containing the given word. An example of these differences using the word "secure":

whatis

mail# whatis secure
_secure_path(3)          - determine if a file appears to be secure
rpc_secure(3)            - library routines for secure remote procedure calls
scp(1)                   - secure copy (remote file copy program)
sftp(1)                  - secure file transfer program
sprog(7)                 - secure programming practices
SHA1(3), SHA1_Init(3), SHA1_Update(3), SHA1_Final(3) - Secure Hash Algorithm

apropos

mail# apropos secure
_secure_path(3)          - determine if a file appears to be secure
krb5_verify_user(3), krb5_verify_user_lrealm(3), krb5_verify_user_opt(3), krb5_verify_opt_init krb5_verify_opt_set_
flags(3), krb5_verify_opt_set_service(3), krb5_verify_opt_set_secure(3), krb5_verify_opt_set_keytab(3) - Heimdal pa
ssword verifying functions
pam_securetty(8)         - SecureTTY PAM module
rpc_secure(3)            - library routines for secure remote procedure calls
scp(1)                   - secure copy (remote file copy program)
securelevel_gt(9), securelevel_ge(9) - test active securelevel
sftp(1)                  - secure file transfer program
sprog(7)                 - secure programming practices
SHA1(3), SHA1_Init(3), SHA1_Update(3), SHA1_Final(3) - Secure Hash Algorithm

This shows how whatis only found whole words for 'secure' whereas apropos found the word within other text, one of which was 'krb5_verify_opt_set_secure(3)'. Both commands search in a case-insensitive manner.

See also apropos command.

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