Instead of man pages: tldr pages

Why tldr pages is better

• Pages are short and example-first, so tldr tar shows the commands people actually run instead of every flag in order.
• It covers commands across Linux, macOS, the BSDs, Windows, Android and more in one place.
• Pages are community-maintained and translated into many languages.
• Clients cache pages locally, so lookups work offline after the first update.

When to keep man pages

Keep man for the complete, authoritative reference of every option, for system calls and library functions, and for the exact version installed on your machine. tldr is a complement, as the project itself says, not a replacement.

Switching

Install a client. The project recommends the Python client via pipx install tldr, there is an official Rust client called tlrc, and tealdeer is a popular fast alternative. Run tldr --update once to fetch the pages.

Watch out

Pages cover common commands and common uses only, and may not match the version installed on your system. Several clients exist and they differ slightly in features and speed. Nothing replaces reading the man page when a flag behaves unexpectedly.

Also worth a look

• tealdeer A fast tldr client written in Rust that caches pages for offline use; install it instead of the Python client if you want instant output.

More newer, better command-line tools

• grep →, use ripgrep
• find →, use fd
• cat →, use bat
• ls →, use eza
• cd →, use zoxide
• du →, use dust
• diff →, use delta
• sed →, use sd
• curl →, use xh
• htop →, use btop
• Make →, use just