MAKEWHATIS(8)                        BSD                         MAKEWHATIS(8)



NAME
     makewhatis - create whatis database

SYNOPSIS
     makewhatis [directory_name]

DESCRIPTION
     makewhatis creates the man page database, /usr/man/whatis.  This database
     is used by whatis(1) to look up the man page header line for BSD
     commands, special file names, system calls, and library functions.

     directory_name is the top-level man page directory.  If a directory is
     not specified, the default directory is /usr/man.  makewhatis will follow
     symbolic links in the man page tree.

     makewhatis scans both the formatted and unformatted (nroff source) man
     pages under directory_name or /usr/man, and creates the appropriate entry
     in /usr/man/whatis for each page.


WARNINGS
     makewhatis will only correctly parse man pages that are in the standard
     format.

FILES
     /usr/lib/makewhatis

     /usr/man/whatis
          man page database

SEE ALSO
     man(1), whatis(1)