---
name: "manpath"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "man-db"
version: "2.13.1-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/manpath"
---

# manpath(1)

determine search path for manual pages

## NAME

manpath - determine search path for manual pages

## SYNOPSIS

**manpath** \[**-qgdc?V**\] \[**-m** *system*\[,...\]\] \[**-C** *file*\]

## DESCRIPTION

If $**MANPATH** is set, **manpath** will simply display its contents and issue a warning. If not, **manpath** will determine a suitable manual page hierarchy search path and display the results.

The colon-delimited path is determined using information gained from the man-db configuration file – (*/etc/man\_db.conf*) and the user's environment.

## OPTIONS

- **-q**, **--quiet**

  Do not issue warnings.

- **-d**, **--debug**

  Print debugging information.

- **-c**, **--catpath**

  Produce a catpath as opposed to a manpath. Once the manpath is determined, each path element is converted to its relative catpath.

- **-g**, **--global**

  Produce a manpath consisting of all paths named as "global" within the man-db configuration file.

- **-m** *system*\[,...\], **--systems=***system*\[,...\]

  If this system has access to other operating systems' manual hierarchies, this option can be used to include them in the output of **manpath**. To include NewOS's manual page hierarchies use the option **-m** **NewOS**.

  The *system* specified can be a combination of comma delimited operating system names. To include the native operating system's manual page hierarchies, the system name **man** must be included in the argument string. This option will override the $**SYSTEM** environment variable.

- **-C** *file***, --config-file=***file*

  Use this user configuration file rather than the default of *~/.manpath*.

- **-?**, **--help**

  Print a help message and exit.

- **--usage**

  Print a short usage message and exit.

- **-V**, **--version**

  Display version information.

## ENVIRONMENT

- **MANPATH**

  If $**MANPATH** is set, **manpath** displays its value rather than determining it on the fly.

  See the **SEARCH PATH** section of [**manpath**(5)](/manpath/5.md) for the default behaviour and details of how this environment variable is handled.

- **SYSTEM**

  If $**SYSTEM** is set, it will have the same effect as if it had been specified as the argument to the **-m** option.

## FILES

- */etc/man\_db.conf*

  man-db configuration file.

## SEE ALSO

[**apropos**(1)](/apropos/1.md), [**man**(1)](/man/1.md), [**whatis**(1)](/whatis/1.md)

## AUTHOR

```
Wilf. (G.Wilford@ee.surrey.ac.uk).
Fabrizio Polacco (fpolacco@debian.org).
Colin Watson (cjwatson@debian.org).
```

## BUGS

https://gitlab.com/man-db/man-db/-/issues\
 https://savannah.nongnu.org/bugs/?group=man-db