toe(1M) User commands toe(1M)

# [NAME](#NAME)

**toe** - list table of entries of *terminfo* terminal types

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**toe** \[**-ahs**] \[**-v** \[*n*]] \[*directory* ...]

**toe** \[**-u**|**-U**] *file*

**toe -V**

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

**toe** reports to the standard output stream the (primary) names and descriptions of the terminal types available to the *terminfo* library. Each *directory* is scanned; if none are given, **toe** scans the default *terminfo* directory.

# [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS)

The **-h** option can be helpful to observe where **toe** is looking for terminal descriptions. Other options support maintainers of *terminfo* terminal descriptions.

[**-a**](#a)

lists entries from all terminal database directories that *terminfo* would search, instead of only the first that it finds.

If **-s** is also given, **toe** additionally reports, like [*conflict*(1)](/man/os/ncurses/conflict.1), which entries correspond to a given terminal database. An “\*” marks entries that differ, and “+” marks equivalent entries.

Without the **-s** option, **toe** does not attempt to merge duplicates in its report.

[**-h**](#h)

writes a heading naming each directory as it is accessed.

[**-s**](#s)

sorts the output by the entry names.

[**-u file**](#u)

lists terminal type dependencies in *file*, a *terminfo* entry source or *termcap* database file. The report summarizes the “**use**” (*terminfo*) and **tc** (*termcap*) relations: each line comprises the primary name of a terminal type employing **use**/**tc** capabilities, a colon, a space- and tab-separated list of primary names of terminal types thus named, and a newline.

[**-U file**](#U)

lists terminal type reverse dependencies in *file*, a *terminfo* entry source or *termcap* database file. The report summarizes the “**use**” (*terminfo*) and **tc** (*termcap*) reverse relations: each line comprises the primary name of a terminal type occurring in **use**/**tc** capabilities, a colon, a space- and tab-separated list of primary names of terminal types naming them thus, and a newline.

[**-v** \[*n*\]](#v)

reports verbose status information to the standard error stream, showing **toe**'s progress.

The optional parameter *n* is an integer between 1 and 10 inclusive, interpreted as for [**tic**(1M)](/man/os/ncurses/tic.1M). If *ncurses* is built without tracing support, *n* is ignored.

[**-V**](#V)

reports the version of *ncurses* associated with this program and exits with a successful status.

# [FILES](#FILES)

*/usr/share/terminfo*

compiled terminal description database

# [PORTABILITY](#PORTABILITY)

**toe** is not provided by other implementations. There is no applicable X/Open or POSIX standard for it.

# [HISTORY](#HISTORY)

**toe** replaces a **-T** option that was briefly supported by the *ncurses* **infocmp** utility in 1995.

The **-a** and **-s** options were added in 2006 and 2011, respectively.

The program's name originates with a developer's pun:

- **tic**,
- **tac** (now **tack**),
- **toe**.

# [EXAMPLES](#EXAMPLES)

When not sorting with the **-s** option, the **-a** option reports all of the names found in all of the terminal database directories named in the *TERMINFO* and *TERMINFO\_DIRS* environment variables.

xterm-color generic color xterm xterm-xfree86 xterm terminal emulator (XFree86) xterm-vt220 xterm emulating vt220 xterm-256color xterm with 256 colors xterm-r6 xterm X11R6 version xterm-r5 xterm R5 version xterm-mono monochrome xterm xterm xterm terminal emulator (X Window System) vt220 dec vt220 vt102 dec vt102 vt100 dec vt100 (w/advanced video) vt52 dec vt52 ...

Use the **-a** and **-s** options together to show where each terminal description was found.

--> /etc/terminfo ----> /lib/terminfo ------> /usr/share/terminfo

--\*---: vt100 dec vt100 (w/advanced video) --\*---: vt102 dec vt102 --\*---: vt220 dec vt220 --\*---: vt52 dec vt52 --\*---: xterm xterm terminal emulator (X Window System) --\*---: xterm-256color xterm with 256 colors --\*---: xterm-color generic color xterm --\*---: xterm-mono monochrome xterm --\*---: xterm-r5 xterm R5 version --\*---: xterm-r6 xterm X11R6 version --\*---: xterm-vt220 xterm emulating vt220 --\*---: xterm-xfree86 xterm terminal emulator (XFree86) ...

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**captoinfo**(1M)](/man/os/ncurses/captoinfo.1M), [**infocmp**(1M)](/man/os/ncurses/infocmp.1M), [**infotocap**(1M)](/man/os/ncurses/infotocap.1M), [**tic**(1M)](/man/os/ncurses/tic.1M), [**curses**(3X)](/man/os/ncurses/curses.3X), [**terminfo**(5)](/man/os/ncurses/terminfo.5)

2025-11-11 ncurses 6.6

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Document: toe(1m) from ncurses 6.6.20261031-r0 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/ThomasDickey/ncurses-snapshots