1. Understand and Use Essential Tools
📘Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA – EX200)
Linux systems provide built-in documentation to help you understand commands, configuration files, and system functions. As a system administrator, knowing how to find and read documentation is essential, because you can’t memorize every command or option.
The main sources of documentation in Linux are:
manpagesinfopages- Documentation files in
/usr/share/doc - Other online or installed docs (less common in EX200)
We will focus on the first three because they are exam-relevant.
1. man pages – The manual pages
- Purpose:
man(short for manual) shows detailed information about commands and system functions. - Usage:
man <command> - Example:
man ls
This shows information about the ls command, including:
- NAME: The command name and short description
- SYNOPSIS: How to use it (options and arguments)
- DESCRIPTION: What it does
- OPTIONS: List of command options with explanations
- EXAMPLES: Sometimes included
- SEE ALSO: Related commands
Useful man options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
man -k keyword | Search for commands related to a keyword (like a mini index). Example: man -k network |
man -f command | Shows a short description of a command (same as whatis). Example: man -f passwd |
man -a command | Shows all man pages for a command if multiple exist (e.g., man -a printf) |
/pattern | Search for a word in the man page. Example: /option |
n | Go to next search match in man page |
Exam Tip: Always know how to use
manto check command options. You don’t need to memorize every option; you need to know how to find it fast.
2. info pages – The info documentation
- Purpose:
infopages are like a more detailed and structured manual thanman. Some commands have extra explanations and links inside. - Usage:
info <command> - Example:
info ls
- Navigation inside
infopages:- Arrow keys → scroll up/down
- Enter → follow a link
- q → quit
- Space → scroll forward one screen
- Differences from
man:infooften contains more examplesmanis simpler and more common for exam questions- Use
infowhenmanis not enough
3. Documentation in /usr/share/doc
- Purpose: Many packages provide text files with additional documentation inside
/usr/share/doc. - Typical files you find:
READMEINSTALLLICENSE- Examples
- Path usage:
ls /usr/share/doc
This shows directories for installed software. For example:
ls /usr/share/doc/httpd
You might see:
README
CHANGES
COPYING
- How to read: Use commands like
cat,less, ormore:
less /usr/share/doc/httpd/README
- Why it’s useful: Sometimes commands have options not fully explained in
manorinfo. The docs may have real-world examples, configurations, or limitations.
4. Quick ways to locate documentation
Sometimes you want all sources of info for a command or package:
man -k keyword→ find commands related to a topicwhatis command→ quick one-line descriptionrpm -qf /usr/bin/command→ find the package that provides a command- Then check
/usr/share/doc/<package>for detailed documentation
5. Best practices for the exam
- Know
maninside out:man command→ basic usageman -k keyword→ search for commands/searchterm→ find a specific option inside a man page
- Check
/usr/share/docfor configuration files- Especially after installing packages, check README or examples
- Use
infowhen you need extra detail- Example:
info coreutils
- Example:
- Don’t memorize everything
- Focus on how to locate and use documentation quickly
6. Sample Exam Tasks
You may be asked:
- Task: Find the option in
tarto compress using gzip.
Solution:man tar /gzip - Task: Check the README for
httpdconfiguration tips.
Solution:less /usr/share/doc/httpd/README - Task: Search for all commands related to users.
Solution:man -k user
✅ Summary
man→ the most common, command-focused manualinfo→ more detailed and structured information/usr/share/doc→ package-specific docs, examples, and configs- Always know how to search and navigate, not memorize everything
- Essential skill for RHCSA: find info quickly during the exam
