OS Manuals

/usr/bin/ptx

GNU core utilities

From coreutils 9.12-r7 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running ptx --help (exit 0). permalink

Also provided by 1 other package version
Usage: /usr/bin/ptx [OPTION]... [INPUT]...   (without -G)
  or:  /usr/bin/ptx -G [OPTION]... [INPUT [OUTPUT]]
Output a permuted index, including context, of the words in the input files.

With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
  -A, --auto-reference           output automatically generated references
  -G, --traditional              behave more like System V 'ptx'
  -F, --flag-truncation=STRING   use STRING for flagging line truncations.
                                 The default is '/'
  -M, --macro-name=STRING        macro name to use instead of 'xx'
  -O, --format=roff              generate output as roff directives
  -R, --right-side-refs          put references at right, not counted in -w
  -S, --sentence-regexp=REGEXP   for end of lines or end of sentences
  -T, --format=tex               generate output as TeX directives
  -W, --word-regexp=REGEXP       use REGEXP to match each keyword
  -b, --break-file=FILE          word break characters in this FILE
  -f, --ignore-case              fold lower case to upper case for sorting
  -g, --gap-size=NUMBER          gap size in columns between output fields
  -i, --ignore-file=FILE         read ignore word list from FILE
  -o, --only-file=FILE           read only word list from this FILE
  -r, --references               first field of each line is a reference
  -t, --typeset-mode             change the default width from 72 to 100
  -w, --width=NUMBER             output width in columns, reference excluded
      --help
         display this help and exit
      --version
         output version information and exit

Report bugs to: <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/ptx>
or available locally via: info '(coreutils) ptx invocation'
Options (18)
OptionDescriptionSource
-A, --auto-referenceoutput automatically generated referenceshelp + man
-G, --traditionalbehave more like System V 'ptx'help + man
-F, --flag-truncation STRINGuse STRING for flagging line truncations.help + man
-M, --macro-name STRINGmacro name to use instead of 'xx'help + man
-O, --format roffgenerate output as roff directiveshelp + man
-R, --right-side-refsput references at right, not counted in -whelp + man
-S, --sentence-regexp REGEXPfor end of lines or end of sentenceshelp + man
-W, --word-regexp REGEXPuse REGEXP to match each keywordhelp + man
-b, --break-file FILEword break characters in this FILEhelp + man
-f, --ignore-casefold lower case to upper case for sortinghelp + man
-g, --gap-size NUMBERgap size in columns between output fieldshelp + man
-i, --ignore-file FILEread ignore word list from FILEhelp + man
-o, --only-file FILEread only word list from this FILEhelp + man
-r, --referencesfirst field of each line is a referencehelp + man
-t, --typeset-modechange the default width from 72 to 100help + man
-w, --width NUMBERoutput width in columns, reference excludedhelp + man
--helpdisplay this help and exithelp + man
--versionoutput version information and exithelp + man

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