MacOS – Where to find documentation for `whois` command options

command linemacos

macOS has whois command available. Running it without any argument shows the following:

usage: whois [-aAbfgiIklmPQrRS] [-c country-code | -h hostname] [-p port] name ...

Here, the -c, -h, and -p options have description. However, no description is available for the rest of the shown options -aAbfgiIklmPQrRS.

How can I find the documentation for the same?

Best Answer

You can read the man page for whois command by running the following in the Terminal:

man whois

The man page for a command is the all-encompassing document, listing all the available options for the command. Man pages are generally available for all the available external commands. To locate installed man page(s) for a command, run the following:

man -aw <command>

To read a specific man page for a command, (in case more than one are listed on running the above) use the absolute path for the man page.

While viewing the man page for a command, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts to navigate:

  • j: Scroll down one line at a time.

  • k: Scroll up one line at a time.

  • f or Space: Scroll down one page at a time.

  • b: Scroll up one page at a time.

  • /search: To search for the keyword search. Use n to navigate to the next match.

  • q: Quit the man page viewer and return to the shell.

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