OS Manuals

/usr/bin/tic

console display library

From ncurses 6.6.20261107-r0 (os), captured 2026-11-09 by running tic --help (exit 1). permalink

/usr/bin/tic: invalid option -- '-'
Usage: tic [-e names] [-o dir] [-R name] [-v[n]] [-V] [-w[n]] [-1aCDcfGgIKLNrsTtUx] source-file

Options:
  -0         format translation output all capabilities on one line
  -1         format translation output one capability per line
  -a         retain commented-out capabilities (sets -x also)
  -C         translate entries to termcap source form
  -D         print list of tic's database locations (first must be writable)
  -c         check only, validate input without compiling or translating
  -e<names>  translate/compile only entries named by comma-separated list
  -f         format complex strings for readability
  -G         format %{number} to %'char'
  -g         format %'char' to %{number}
  -I         translate entries to terminfo source form
  -K         translate entries to termcap source form with BSD syntax
  -L         translate entries to full terminfo source form
  -N         disable smart defaults for source translation
  -o<dir>    set output directory for compiled entry writes
  -Q[n]      dump compiled description
  -q    brief listing, removes headers
  -R<name>   restrict translation to given terminfo/termcap version
  -r         force resolution of all use entries in source translation
  -s         print summary statistics
  -T         remove size-restrictions on compiled description
  -t         suppress commented-out capabilities
  -U         suppress post-processing of entries
  -V         print version
  -W         wrap long strings according to -w[n] option
  -v[n]      set verbosity level
  -w[n]      set format width for translation output
  -x         treat unknown capabilities as user-defined

Parameters:
  <file>     file to translate or compile
Options (33)
OptionDescriptionSource
-0format translation output all capabilities on one linehelp + man
-1format translation output one capability per linehelp + man
-atells tic to retain commented-out capabilities rather than discarding them.help + man
-CForce source translation to termcap format.help + man
-Dtells tic to print the database locations that it knows about, and exit.help + man
-ctells tic to perform only validation of file, including syntax problems and invalid “use” references;help + man
-e namesLimit writes and translations to the comma-separated list of terminal types.help + man
-fDisplay complex terminfo strings which contain if/then/else/endif expressions indented for readability.help + man
-GDisplay constant literals in decimal form rather than their character equivalents.help + man
-gDisplay constant character literals in quoted form rather than their decimal equivalents.help + man
-IForce source translation to terminfo format.help + man
-KSuppress some longstanding ncurses extensions to termcap format, e.g., "s" for space.help + man
-LForce source translation to terminfo format using the long C variable names listed in <term.h>help + man
-Ndisable smart defaults for source translationhelp + man
-o dirset output directory for compiled entry writeshelp
-Q ndump compiled descriptionhelp
-qSuppress comments and blank lines when showing translated source.help + man
-R namerestrict translation to given terminfo/termcap versionhelp
-rForce entry resolution (so there are no remaining tc capabilities) even when doing translation to termcap format.help + man
-sSummarize the compile by showing the database location into which entries are written, and the number of entries which are compiled.help + man
-Teliminates size-restrictions on the generated text.help + man
-ttells tic to discard commented-out capabilities.help + man
-Utells tic to not post-process the data after parsing the source file.help + man
-Vreports the version of ncurses which was used in this program, and exits.help + man
-WBy itself, the -w option will not force long strings to be wrapped.help + man
-v nset verbosity levelhelp
-w nset format width for translation outputhelp
-xTreat unknown capabilities as user-defined (see user_caps(5)).help + man
-odirWrite compiled entries to given database location. (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-QnRather than show source in terminfo (text) format, print the compiled (binary) format in hexadecimal or base64 form, depending on the option's value: (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-RsubsetRestrict output to a given subset. (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-vnspecifies that (verbose) output be written to standard error trace information showing tic's progress. (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-wnspecifies the width of the output. (in the manual page but not in --help)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.