---
name: "help2man"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "help2man"
version: "1.49.3-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/help2man"
---

# help2man(1)

generate a simple manual page

## NAME

help2man - generate a simple manual page

## SYNOPSIS

**help2man** \[*OPTION*\]... *EXECUTABLE*

## DESCRIPTION

\`help2man' generates a man page out of \`--help' and \`--version' output.

- **-n**, **--name**=*STRING*

  description for the NAME paragraph

- **-s**, **--section**=*SECTION*

  section number for manual page (1, 6, 8)

- **-m**, **--manual**=*TEXT*

  name of manual (User Commands, ...)

- **-S**, **--source**=*TEXT*

  source of program (FSF, Debian, ...)

- **-L**, **--locale**=*STRING*

  select locale (default "C")

- **-i**, **--include**=*FILE*

  include material from \`FILE'

- **-I**, **--opt-include**=*FILE*

  include material from \`FILE' if it exists

- **-o**, **--output**=*FILE*

  send output to \`FILE'

- **-p**, **--info-page**=*TEXT*

  name of Texinfo manual

- **-N**, **--no-info**

  suppress pointer to Texinfo manual

- **-l**, **--libtool**

  exclude the \`lt-' from the program name

- **--help**

  print this help, then exit

- **--version**

  print version number, then exit

EXECUTABLE should accept \`--help' and \`--version' options and produce output on stdout although alternatives may be specified using:

- **-h**, **--help-option**=*STRING*

  help option string

- **-v**, **--version-option**=*STRING*

  version option string

- **--version-string**=*STRING*

  version string

- **--no-discard-stderr**

  include stderr when parsing option output

## INCLUDE FILES

Additional material may be included in the generated output with the **--include** and **--opt-include** options.  The format is simple:

    \[section\]\
     text

    /pattern/\
     text

Blocks of verbatim \*roff text are inserted into the output either at the start of the given **\[***section***\]** (case insensitive), or after a paragraph matching **/***pattern***/.**

Patterns use the Perl regular expression syntax and may be followed by the *i*, *s* or *m* modifiers (see [**perlre**(1)](/perlre/1.md)).

Lines before the first section or pattern which begin with \`-' are processed as options.  Anything else is silently ignored and may be used for comments, RCS keywords and the like.

The section output order (for those included) is:

    NAME\
     SYNOPSIS\
     DESCRIPTION\
     OPTIONS\
     *other*\
     ENVIRONMENT\
     FILES\
     EXAMPLES\
     AUTHOR\
     REPORTING BUGS\
     COPYRIGHT\
     SEE ALSO

Any **\[NAME\]** or **\[SYNOPSIS\]** sections appearing in the include file will replace what would have automatically been produced (although you can still override the former with **--name** if required).

Other sections are prepended to the automatically produced output for the standard sections given above, or included at *other* (above) in the order they were encountered in the include file.

Placement of the text within the section may be explicitly requested by using the syntax \[\<*section*\], \[=*section*\] or \[\>*section*\] to place the additional text before, in place of, or after the default output respectively.

## AVAILABILITY

The latest version of this distribution is available on-line from:

    ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/help2man/

## AUTHOR

Written by Brendan O'Dea \<bod@debian.org\>

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to \<bug-help2man@gnu.org\>.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022 Free Software Foundation, Inc.\
 This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

## SEE ALSO

The full documentation for **help2man** is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the **info** and **help2man** programs are properly installed at your site, the command

-

  **info help2man**

should give you access to the complete manual.