OS Manuals

/usr/bin/asciidoctor

A fast, open source text processor and publishing toolchain, written in Ruby, for converting AsciiDoc content to HTML 5, DocBook 5, and other formats.

From asciidoctor 2.0.26-r5 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running asciidoctor --help (exit 0). permalink

Usage: asciidoctor [OPTION]... FILE...
Convert the AsciiDoc input FILE(s) to the backend output format (e.g., HTML 5, DocBook 5, etc.)
Unless specified otherwise, the output is written to a file whose name is derived from the input file.
Application log messages are printed to STDERR.
Example: asciidoctor input.adoc

    -b, --backend BACKEND            set backend output format: [html5, xhtml5, docbook5, manpage] (default: html5)
                                     additional backends are supported via extended converters (e.g., pdf, epub3)
    -d, --doctype DOCTYPE            document type to use when converting document: [article, book, manpage, inline] (default: article)
    -e, --embedded                   suppress enclosing document structure and output an embedded document (default: false)
    -o, --out-file FILE              output file (default: based on path of input file); use - to output to STDOUT
        --safe                       set safe mode level to safe (default: unsafe)
                                     enables include directives, but prevents access to ancestor paths of source file
                                     provided for compatibility with the asciidoc command
    -S, --safe-mode SAFE_MODE        set safe mode level explicitly: [unsafe, safe, server, secure] (default: unsafe)
                                     disables potentially dangerous macros in source files, such as include::[]
    -s, --no-header-footer           suppress enclosing document structure and output an embedded document (default: false)
    -n, --section-numbers            auto-number section titles in the HTML backend; disabled by default
        --eruby ERUBY                specify eRuby implementation to use when rendering custom ERB templates: [erb, erubi, erubis] (default: erb)
    -a, --attribute name[=value]     a document attribute to set in the form of name, name!, or name=value pair
                                     this attribute takes precedence over the same attribute defined in the source document
                                     unless either the name or value ends in @ (i.e., name@=value or name=value@)
    -T, --template-dir DIR           a directory containing custom converter templates that override the built-in converter (requires tilt gem)
                                     may be specified more than once
    -E, --template-engine NAME       template engine to use for the custom converter templates (loads gem on demand)
    -B, --base-dir DIR               base directory containing the document and resources (default: directory of source file)
    -R, --source-dir DIR             source root directory (used for calculating path in destination directory)
    -D, --destination-dir DIR        destination output directory (default: directory of source file)
    -I, --load-path DIRECTORY        add a directory to the $LOAD_PATH
                                     may be specified more than once
    -r, --require LIBRARY            require the specified library before executing the processor (using require)
                                     may be specified more than once
        --failure-level LEVEL        set minimum log level that yields a non-zero exit code: [INFO, WARN, ERROR, FATAL] (default: FATAL)
    -q, --quiet                      silence application log messages and script warnings (default: false)
        --trace                      include backtrace information when reporting errors (default: false)
    -v, --verbose                    directs application messages logged at DEBUG or INFO level to STDERR (default: false)
    -w, --warnings                   turn on script warnings (default: false)
    -t, --timings                    print timings report (default: false)
    -h, --help [TOPIC]               print a help message
                                     show this usage if TOPIC is not specified or recognized
                                     show an overview of the AsciiDoc syntax if TOPIC is syntax
                                     dump the Asciidoctor man page (in troff/groff format) if TOPIC is manpage
    -V, --version                    display the version and runtime environment (or -v if no other flags or arguments)
Options (25)
OptionDescriptionSource
-b, --backend BACKENDset backend output format: [html5, xhtml5, docbook5, manpage] (default: html5) additional backends are supported via extended converters (e.g., pdf, epub3)help
-d, --doctype DOCTYPEdocument type to use when converting document: [article, book, manpage, inline] (default: article)help
-e, --embeddedsuppress enclosing document structure and output an embedded document (default: false)help
-o, --out-file FILEoutput file (default: based on path of input file);help
--safeset safe mode level to safe (default: unsafe) enables include directives, but prevents access to ancestor paths of source file provided for compatibility with the asciidoc commandhelp
-S, --safe-mode SAFE_MODEset safe mode level explicitly: [unsafe, safe, server, secure] (default: unsafe) disables potentially dangerous macros in source files, such as include::[]help
-s, --no-header-footersuppress enclosing document structure and output an embedded document (default: false)help
-n, --section-numbersauto-number section titles in the HTML backend;help
--eruby ERUBYspecify eRuby implementation to use when rendering custom ERB templates: [erb, erubi, erubis] (default: erb)help
-a, --attribute name[=valuea document attribute to set in the form of name, name!, or name=value pair this attribute takes precedence over the same attribute defined in the source document unless either the name or value ends…help
-T, --template-dir DIRa directory containing custom converter templates that override the built-in converter (requires tilt gem) may be specified more than oncehelp
-E, --template-engine NAMEtemplate engine to use for the custom converter templates (loads gem on demand)help
-B, --base-dir DIRbase directory containing the document and resources (default: directory of source file)help
-R, --source-dir DIRsource root directory (used for calculating path in destination directory)help
-D, --destination-dir DIRdestination output directory (default: directory of source file)help
-I, --load-path DIRECTORYadd a directory to the $LOAD_PATH may be specified more than oncehelp
-r, --require LIBRARYrequire the specified library before executing the processor (using require) may be specified more than oncehelp
--failure-level LEVELset minimum log level that yields a non-zero exit code: [INFO, WARN, ERROR, FATAL] (default: FATAL)help
-q, --quietsilence application log messages and script warnings (default: false)help
--traceinclude backtrace information when reporting errors (default: false)help
-v, --verbosedirects application messages logged at DEBUG or INFO level to STDERR (default: false)help
-w, --warningsturn on script warnings (default: false)help
-t, --timingsprint timings report (default: false)help
-h, --help TOPICprint a help message show this usage if TOPIC is not specified or recognized show an overview of the AsciiDoc syntax if TOPIC is syntax dump the Asciidoctor man page (in troff/groff format) if TOPIC…help
-V, --versiondisplay the version and runtime environment (or -v if no other flags or arguments)help

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.