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I've been unable to correctly set up a MANPATH environment variable in msysgit (1.9.0; 20140217) on Windows 7 (which is not my main concern here). Every time I execute the man command, I recieve the following errors:

  1. /usr/local/lib/man.config: No such file or directory.
  2. Warning: Cannot open local configuration file /usr/local/lib/man.config.
  3. No manual page for {command}

As stated above, this is not a concern, merely an inconvenience as I know it's possible to use groff [something] -T ascii /path/to/manpage to display manpages. However, I am unable to find the command necessary to do so, having searched SE. (I know there was a question asking for it, but it doesn't show in my searches.) As a work-around, I've been using online manpages, but I'd prefer not to search the Web every time I want to view a manpage.

So, first prize is the groff command for displaying man pages and the second is instructions on how to set up man.config (including file contents) for msysgit.

Agi Hammerthief
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1 Answers1

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groff -man -Tascii < /path/to/manpage/without/gz | less

EG:

groff -man -Tascii < C:/Programs/msysgit/mingw/man/man1/gcc.1 | less

Note: Although switching shells is not needed here, mysysgit uses sh (not bash) as the default shell. Thanks to devnull for pointing thatr out.

Agi Hammerthief
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  • So you could use `bash` when you were given the answer earlier. Is it your habit to act in this manner? – devnull Apr 12 '14 at 12:14
  • I fail to understand what you're asking me. Is it my habit to tell somebody when the solution they provide doesn't work? Yes, it is. – Agi Hammerthief Apr 12 '14 at 12:16
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    (1) It's evident that all you needed to know was the `-man` option. After learning that you realized that an answer is not useful for you. (2) There is nothing in the command posted by you that would require `bash` and not work in `sh`. (3) You should really consider providing enough information in your question: shell being used, format of `man` pages ... – devnull Apr 12 '14 at 12:21
  • 1. Yes, that's true. 2. Perhaps. 3. I didn't know these factors at the time of posting the question, so didn't include them. – Agi Hammerthief Apr 12 '14 at 12:23
  • `-Tutf8` is probably a more sensible default nowadays (instead of `-Tascii`) – éclairevoyant May 11 '23 at 00:58