Create manual for program installed from source

Question

Generally, when I install a package from the source, I can't use the man command to see the manual of that package. I guess because there is no manual installed with it.

So, is there a way to install a manual for a package installed from the source ??!!

PS : I know that using the option --help with almost every program will bring me some kind of help, or even a manual of the command, but I really need to install a real manual, the one that can be brought with the man command.

I hope my question is clear.

@JonasCz The link you gave explains for the developers how to create their manpages (I guess). I am looking how to install manpages of an open source program that isn't mine. — Sidahmed, Jul 04 '16 at 13:52
It's going to depend on the particular package i.e. whether it includes manual pages, and whether the default install command processes and installs them (for example, some provide a separate Makefile target such as make docs that you can use) — steeldriver, Jul 04 '16 at 13:54
Can I have an example please, of any open source package (It will be better if you can give me an example with metasploit, but I guess that I am asking a lot this way) — Sidahmed, Jul 04 '16 at 13:55

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 04 '16 at 13:44

1

man man says:

   -l, --local-file
          Activate `local' mode.  Format and display  local  manual  files

You can use man --local-file /path/to/file. For example, if you want to read a man page called example, you can use man --local-file ./example, assuming such file exists in the current directory.

answered Jul 04 '16 at 13:44

grooveplex

2,486

Here is the complete problem : I use the fish shell, and this shell parse the manpages looking for parameters (for autocompletion). So I need to generate and install manpages to help fish parse the parameters of the programs that I install from the source. – Sidahmed Jul 04 '16 at 13:53
@Sidahmed Have you tried moving the man page file to /usr/local/man/man1 with sudo mv example /usr/local/man/man1 ? Then close the shell and try man example. – grooveplex Jul 04 '16 at 13:56
I don't know where to find the manpages of the open source program, I don't have a lot of informations about this subject. – Sidahmed Jul 04 '16 at 13:57
@Sidahmed does the project have man pages? – grooveplex Jul 04 '16 at 13:59
Is it the folder doc-pak ??!! – Sidahmed Jul 04 '16 at 14:00
@Sidahmed I don't know. Could you please send me a direct link to the project? – grooveplex Jul 04 '16 at 14:01
https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework – Sidahmed Jul 04 '16 at 14:02
Let us continue this discussion in chat. – grooveplex Jul 04 '16 at 14:08
https://bugs.kali.org/view.php?id=174 :) – Rinzwind Jul 04 '16 at 14:10

Create manual for program installed from source

1 Answers1