The Gnome Help Browser

The Gnome Help Browser is distinct from the individual Help files supplied with applications. It contains a great deal of information about Gnome.

The Gnome Help Browser is an application itself; it can be thought of as an interface to the various kinds of documentation on your computer and on the Web.

To open the Gnome User's Guide:

1.	Click the Gnome Help Browser button on the Gnome Panel (it is the second button from the left; its icon is a question mark). The Gnome Help Browser will open with its Index page loaded (Figure 5.2).
2.	With the mouse, choose the Gnome User's Guide link. The table of contents for the Gnome User's Guide will open (Figure 5.3).

Man pages

Man pages are manual pages that describe specific Linux commands.

To open Man pages:

1.	Click the Gnome Help Browser button on the panel. The Gnome Help Browser will open with its Index page loaded.
2.	Select the Man Pages link. The Man pages table of contents will open (Figure 5.4).

Info pages

Info pages contain more general, conceptual information than Man pages.

To open Info pages:

1.	Click the Gnome Help Browser button on the panel. The Gnome Help Browser will open with its Index page loaded.
2.	Select the Info Pages link. The Info pages table of contents will open.
3.	Choose a specific item: for example, bash. The Info Page for that item will open (Figure 5.5).

Gnome Documents

Gnome Documents are usually fairly comprehensive discussions of entire applications. Sometimes they are the text used in an application's Help system.

To open Gnome Documents:

1.	Click the Gnome Help Browser button on the panel. The Gnome Help Browser will open with its Index page loaded.
2.	Select the Gnome Documents link. The Gnome Documents table of contents will open.

Opening Man pages at the command line

You may find it more convenient to view Man pages at the command line, rather than in the Gnome Help Browser. At the command line, you can get the information you need directly without having to drill down through a table of contents.

To open a Man page, at the Linux prompt enter man followed by the name of the command. For example, to view the syntax for the shutdown command, enter manshutdown. Of course you could also use the man command to find out more about working with man: manman. To quit a man command-line documentation screen and return to your prompt, type q.