this post was submitted on 27 Mar 2026
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Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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"RTFM" (or similar comments like "it's in the docs") are just mean and useless without a reference.
Like, okay, superior user in the internet: If it's in the manual/docs, what page? Do you have a link? Could you quote the relevant section?
Often people ask because they couldn't find the answer in the docs. Simply pointing them at the answer is infinitely better than "lol the answer is in there somewhere"
See also: "Let me Google that for you..." Like mf Google brought me to this thread!
I agree that "RTFM" can be insensitive, and even mean. However, the place it comes from is genuine. It's nobodies job to tell you exactly what page to look at. If you've dug through the docs and still can't find your answer, make it explicit that you've searched the manual, and perhaps be explicit about parts you don't quite understand.
The whole "RTFM" thing was born from people asking for help when they obviously hadn't made a proper try themselves first.
often on linux, you can simply type
man <command>and get TFMi would agree with you on GUI apps, where it can be confusing.
Yeah, that's what I meant by "the manual". Though I suppose the Linux community is the most likely to be flipping through a physical book to figure out their bash script.
What's worse, is if this is GNU-ware, there is a good chance the answer IS NOT IN THE MAN PAGE. I think it was bash or maybe gawk. I don't remember exactly, but I had a question that simply wasn't answered in each man page. GNU docs are absolute trash, written without any consideration for the audience.
I think GNU favors the info tool, try that if the man page is lacking.
I feel like every time I've gone looking for an info page, it was just the man page content, but now I've got some useless shit I installed.
I mean, maybe this is a debian thing.