NAAM

       mandb - create or update the manual page index caches

SAMENVATTING

       mandb [-dqsucpt?V] [-C file] [manpath]
       mandb [-dqsut] [-C file] -f filename ...

BESCHRIJVING

       mandb  is  used  to  initialise or manually update index database caches.  The caches contain information
       relevant to the current state of the manual page system and the information stored within them is used by
       the man-db utilities to enhance their speed and functionality.

       When creating or updating an index, mandb will warn of bad ROFF .so requests, bogus manual page filenames
       and manual pages from which the whatis cannot be parsed.

       Supplying mandb with an optional colon-delimited path will  override  the  internal  system  manual  page
       hierarchy search path, determined from information found within the man-db configuration file.

DATABASE CACHES

       mandb can be compiled with support for any one of the following database types.

       Name          Async   Filename
       ──────────────────────────────────────
       Berkeley db   Yes     index.bt
       GNU gdbm      Yes     index.db
       UNIX ndbm     No      index.(dir|pag)

       Those  database  types  that  support asynchronous updates provide enhanced speed at the cost of possible
       corruption in the event of unusual termination.  In an unusual case where this has occurred,  it  may  be
       necessary to rerun mandb with the -c option to re-create the databases from scratch.

OPTIES

       -d, --debug
              Foutinformatie tonen.

       -q, --quiet
              Produce no warnings.

       -s, --no-straycats
              Do not spend time looking for or adding information to the databases regarding stray cats.

       -p, --no-purge
              Do not spend time checking for deleted manual pages and purging them from the databases.

       -c, --create
              By  default,  mandb  will  try to update any previously created databases.  If a database does not
              exist, it will create it.  This option forces mandb to delete  previous  databases  and  re-create
              them  from scratch, and implies --no-purge. This may be necessary if a database becomes corrupt or
              if a new database storage scheme is introduced in the future.

       -u, --user-db
              Create user databases only, even with write permissions necessary to create system databases.

       -t, --test
              Perform correctness checks on manual pages in the hierarchy search path.  With this option,  mandb
              will not alter existing databases.

       -f, --filename
              Update  only  the  entries for the given filename.  This option is not for general use; it is used
              internally by man when it has been compiled with the MAN_DB_UPDATES option and finds that  a  page
              is out of date.  It implies -p and disables -c and -s.

       -C bestand, --config-file=bestand
              Use this user configuration file rather than the default of ~/.manpath.

       -?, --help
              Show the usage message, then exit.

       --usage
              Print a short usage message and exit.

       -V, --version
              Show the version, then exit.

STOPSTATUS

       0      Programma correct uitgevoerd.

       1      Usage, syntax, or configuration file error.

       2      Uitvoeringsfout.

       3      A child process failed.

DIAGNOSTICS

       The following warning messages can be emitted during database building.

       <filename>: whatis parse for page(sec) failed
              An  attempt  to extract whatis line(s) from the given <filename> failed.  This is usually due to a
              poorly written manual page, but if many such messages are emitted it is  likely  that  the  system
              contains  non-standard manual pages which are incompatible with the man-db whatis parser.  See the
              WHATIS PARSING section in lexgrog(1)  for more information.

       <filename>: is a dangling symlink
              <filename> does not exist but is referenced by a symbolic link.  Further diagnostics  are  usually
              emitted to identify the <filename> of the offending link.

       <filename>: bad symlink or ROFF `.so' request
              <filename>  is  either  a  symbolic link to, or contains a ROFF include request to, a non existent
              file.

       <filename>: genegeerde onzin bestandsnaam
               <filename> kan een al dan niet geldige man-pagina zijn, maar de  naam  is  ongeldig.   Dit  wordt
              meestal  veroorzaakt  door  een  man-pagina  met  een  uitbreiding  van  de  sectie  <x> die in de
              man-paginasectie <y> is gestopt.

       <filename_mask>: strijdende extensies
              Het jokerteken <filename_mask> is niet uniek.  Dit wordt meestal veroorzaakt door het bestaan  van
              zowel een gecomprimeerde als een gedecomprimeerde versie van dezelfde man-pagina.  Alle behalve de
              meeste recente versie worden genegeerd.

BESTANDEN

       /etc/manpath.config
              man-db-configuratiebestand.

       /var/cache/man/index.(bt|db|dir|pag)
              Een algemene index-database-cache, in overeenstemming met FHS.

       Oudere locaties van de database-cache bestaan uit:

       /usr/man/index.(bt|db|dir|pag)
              Een traditionele, algemene index-database-cache.

       /var/catman/index.(bt|db|dir|pag)
              An alternate or FSSTND compliant global index database cache.

ZIE OOK

       lexgrog(1), man(1), manpath(5), catman(8)

       De voormalige sectie WAT IS ONTLEDEN is nu onderdeel van lexgrog(1).

AUTEUR

       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

2.13.1                                             2025-05-02                                           MANDB(8)