read-info-pages

name

read-info-pages

description

Read GNU Info manuals from the local system or a Guix shell. Use when Codex needs authoritative local documentation from Info pages for GNU, Guix, Emacs, Scheme, libc, coreutils, Texinfo, or any tool/library that installs .info manuals; when a user asks to inspect, summarize, cite, or verify behavior from Info documentation; or when command behavior should be checked against installed manuals instead of memory.

Read Info Pages

Workflow

Use local Info manuals as the source of truth when a task depends on installed GNU/Guix documentation.

1. Check for the Info reader before using it:

command -v info || guix shell texinfo -- info --version

If info is unavailable, run the same command through guix shell texinfo --.

2. Discover the relevant manual or node:

info --apropos='search terms'
info --where MANUAL
info --index-search='index entry' MANUAL

Use --apropos when the manual name is unclear. Use --where to confirm which installed manual is being read.

3. Read targeted content:

info --output=- MANUAL
info --output=- MANUAL -n 'Node Name'
info --output=- --subnodes MANUAL -n 'Node Name'

Prefer a specific node or index entry over dumping a whole manual. Use --subnodes only for a bounded subtree.

4. Read package-specific manuals that are not in the current profile:

guix shell PACKAGE texinfo -- info --output=- MANUAL
guix shell PACKAGE texinfo -- info --apropos='search terms'

Include the package that provides the manual in the shell. Add texinfo when the info reader itself is needed.

5. Read a local Info file directly:

info --file ./path/to/file.info --output=-
info --file ./path/to/file.info.gz --output=-

Use --directory=/path/to/share/info when a manual is installed outside the active INFOPATH.

Answering From Info Pages

• Cite the manual and node in the answer, for example: coreutils, node cp invocation.
• Quote only short phrases when necessary; otherwise summarize.
• Mention when the installed manual is missing or differs from the command available on PATH.
• If the user asks about current upstream behavior, distinguish local installed documentation from upstream documentation and browse only when the task requires current external information.

Common Patterns

Find an option:

info --index-search='--option-name' MANUAL

Find a concept:

info --apropos='concept or command'

Inspect the top menu:

info --output=- MANUAL

Dump one subtree for searching:

info --output=- --subnodes MANUAL -n 'Node Name'