In computing, apropos is a command to search the man page files in Unix and Unix-like operating systems. apropos takes its name from the English word with the same spelling that means relevant. It is particularly useful when searching for commands without knowing their exact names.
Contents
Behavior
Often a wrapper for the man -k command, the apropos command is used to search the ”name” sections of all manual pages for the string/s (called keyword/s) specified. The output is a list of all manual pages containing the search term in their name or description. This is often useful if one knows the action that is desired, but does not remember the exact command or page name. apropos search is case insensitive.
A related command is whatis, which is useful for obtaining a brief description about a specific command whose exact name is already known.
Sample usage
The following example demonstrates the output of the apropos command:
In this example, apropos is used to search for the keyword "mount", and apropos returns the indicated man pages that include the term "mount".
The following example demonstrates the output of the apropos command with an regexp keyword (abc.n) and a regular keyword:
In this example, apropos is used to search for the keywords (with an regexp .) "abc.n" and xzless, and apropos returns the indicated man pages that include the keywords.