--- name: "docbook-to-man" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "docbook-to-man" version: "1:2.0.0-48" release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/docbook-to-man" --- # docbook-to-man(1) convert DocBook SGML into roff -man macros ## NAME docbook-to-man — convert **DocBook** SGML into roff -man macros ## SYNOPSIS **docbook-to-man** \[*source.sgml*\] \[\>\] \[*destination.1*\] ## DESCRIPTION The docbook-to-man tool is a batch converter that transforms UNIX-style manpages from the **DocBook** SGML DTD into nroff/troff -man macros. docbook-to-man is the shell command that runs the low-level components to translate a single **DocBook** SGML document instance (whose document element is \) into pretty-much vanilla -man macros, with tables rendered in tbl. This is not the original version by Fred Dalrymple, but one with the ANS Modifications by David Bolen (db3l@ans.net). This manual page and some small changes are by W. Borgert debacle@debian.org for **Debian GNU/Linux**. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts and no Back-Cover Texts. ## White space and special characters If you want to use tabs in your manpage you should use \, \ or \ and invoke docbook-to-man with INSTANT\_OPT set to a tab character. Be aware that multiple tabs will be collapsed into one. When you want to collapse white space into one, you should invoke docbook-to-man with INSTANT\_OPT set to a space character. Special characters like \\, ' or . will not be interpreted if you set INSTANT\_OPT to a space or tab character. ## ENVIRONMENT If the variable INSTANT\_OPT is not set, the **[instant(1)](/instant/1.md)** is called with the parameter **-d** by docbook-to-man. If you don't want this, e.g. if you want to use some special characters literally in your SGML file, you can set INSTANT\_OPT to just a space character: **INSTANT\_OPT="** **" docbook-to-man src.sgml \>** **dst.1** Note: The better way to use special characters like ^ or \> is to write them in the SGML way, i.e. ⁁ or >. ## COPYRIGHT Copyright (c) 1996 X Consortium Copyright (c) 1996 Dalrymple Consulting Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE X CONSORTIUM OR DALRYMPLE CONSULTING BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. Except as contained in this notice, the names of the X Consortium and Dalrymple Consulting shall not be used in advertising or otherwise to promote the sale, use or other dealings in this Software without prior written authorization. ## See also [instant(1)](/instant/1.md) and [transpec(5)](/transpec/5.md)