| 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.
- 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 --.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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'
