---
name: "tfman"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "notcurses"
version: "3.0.17-3"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/tfman"
---

# tfman(1)

Swank manual page browser

## NAME

tfman - Swank manual page browser

## SYNOPSIS

**tfman** \[**-h**\] \[**-V**\] \[**-q**\] files

## DESCRIPTION

**tfman** displays manual pages ala **[man(1)](/man/1.md)** using the Notcurses (**[notcurses(3)](/notcurses/3.md)**) terminal UI library.

## OPTIONS

**-V**: Print the program name and version, and exit with success.

**-h**: Print help information, and exit with success.

**-q**: Don't wait for any input, and don't use the alternate screen.

files: Files to render.

If successfully loaded and parsed, the top of the page will be visible. In the lower right corner is a listing of page sections. By default, the page browser is in use; press Tab to move between the page browser and the structure browser. Press 's' to toggle the structure browser's visibility.

**tfman** can identify gzipped manual pages, and inflate them on the fly.

## NOTES

The following keypresses are recognized:

- •

  **Ctrl-L**: Redraw the screen.

- •

  **q**: Quit.

- •

  **k**/**up**: Move up by one line.

- •

  **b**/**pgup**: Move up by one page.

- •

  **h**/**left**: Move up by one section.

- •

  **j**/**down**: Move down by one line.

- •

  **f**/**pgdown**: Move down by one page.

- •

  **l**/**right**: Move down by one section.

- •

  **g**/**home**: Go to first line in file.

- •

  **s**: Toggle the structure browser's visibility.

The mouse wheel can also be used to move up and down within the active browser.

## BUGS

**tfman** does not currently (and is unlikely to ever) support the full **groff** macro language.

## SEE ALSO

**[man(1)](/man/1.md)**, **[notcurses(3)](/notcurses/3.md)**, **[groff\_man(7)](/groff_man/7.md)**, **[man-pages(7)](/man-pages/7.md)**, **[unicode(7)](/unicode/7.md)**

## AUTHORS

nick black ⟨nickblack@linux.com⟩\\c.