INSTALL-INFO(1) User Commands INSTALL-INFO(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

install-info - update info/dir entries

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**install-info** \[*OPTION*]... \[*INFO-FILE* \[*DIR-FILE*]]

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

Add or remove entries in INFO-FILE from the Info directory DIR-FILE. INFO-FILE and DIR-FILE are required unless the **--info-file** or **--dir-file** (or **--info-dir**) options are given, respectively.

# [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS)

[**--add-once**](#add)

add only to first matching section, not all.

[**--align**=*COL*](#align)

start description of new entries at column COL.

[**--calign**=*COL*](#calign)

format second and subsequent description lines to start at column COL.

[**--debug**](#debug)

report what is being done.

[**--delete**](#delete)

delete existing entries for INFO-FILE from DIR-FILE; don't insert any new entries.

[**--defsection**=*TEXT*](#defsection)

like **--section**, but only use TEXT if no sections are present in INFO-FILE (replacing "Miscellaneous").

[**--description**=*TEXT*](#description)

the description of the entry is TEXT; used with the **--name** option to become synonymous with the **--entry** option.

[**--dir-file**=*NAME*](#dir)

specify file name of Info directory file; equivalent to using the DIR-FILE argument.

[**--dry-run**](#dry)

same as **--test**.

[**--entry**=*TEXT*](#entry)

insert TEXT as an Info directory entry, overriding any corresponding entry from DIR-FILE. TEXT is written as an Info menu item line followed

[by zero or more extra lines starting with whitespace.](#by)

If you specify more than one entry, all are added. If you don't specify any entries, they are determined

from information in the Info file itself.

[**--help**](#help)

display this help and exit.

[**--info-dir**=*DIR*](#info)

same as **--dir-file**=*DIR*/dir.

[**--info-file**=*FILE*](#info~2)

specify Info file to install in the directory; equivalent to using the INFO-FILE argument.

[**--item**=*TEXT*](#item)

same as **--entry**=*TEXT*.

[**--keep-old**](#keep)

do not replace entries, or remove empty sections.

[**--maxwidth**, **--max-width**=*COL*](#maxwidth)

wrap description at column COL.

[**--menuentry**=*TEXT*](#menuentry)

same as **--name**=*TEXT*.

[**--name**=*TEXT*](#name)

the name of the entry is TEXT; used with **--description** to become synonymous with the **--entry** option.

[**--no-indent**](#no)

do not format new entries in the DIR file.

[**--quiet**](#quiet)

suppress warnings.

[**--regex**=*R*](#regex)

put this file's entries in all sections that match the regular expression R (ignoring case).

[**--remove**](#remove)

same as **--delete**.

[**--remove-exactly**](#remove~2)

only remove if the info file name matches exactly; suffixes such as .info and .gz are not ignored.

[**--section**=*SEC*](#section)

put entries in section SEC of the directory. If you specify more than one section, all the entries

[are added in each of the sections.](#are)

If you don't specify any sections, they are determined

[from information in the Info file itself;](#from)

if nothing is available there, the **--defsection** value is used; if that is not specified, the final default is "Miscellaneous".

[**--section** R SEC](#section~2)

equivalent to **--regex**=*R* **--section**=*SEC* **--add-once**.

[**--silent**](#silent)

suppress warnings.

[**--test**](#test)

suppress updating of DIR-FILE.

[**--version**](#version)

display version information and exit.

# [REPORTING BUGS](#REPORTING_BUGS)

Email bug reports to bug-texinfo@gnu.org, general questions and discussion to help-texinfo@gnu.org.  
Texinfo home page: https://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/

# [COPYRIGHT](#COPYRIGHT)

Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>  
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

The full documentation for **install-info** is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the **info** and **install-info** programs are properly installed at your site, the command

**info install-info**

should give you access to the complete manual.

October 2026 GNU texinfo 7.3

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Document: install-info(1) from texinfo 7.3-r9 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/texinfo.git