man2html

Man2html

man2html is a simple utility that converts UNIX manual pages from man format to HTML. It allows browsing man pages conveniently in a web browser instead of using the terminal.
Development Documentation Tools
man2html image
documentation man-pages html-conversion
Man2html alternatives ➤

man2html: Convert UNIX Manual Pages to HTML

A simple utility to convert UNIX manual pages from man format to HTML, enabling convenient browsing in a web browser instead of using the terminal.

What is Man2html?

man2html is a command line tool that converts UNIX manual pages from the typical man format to HTML pages that can be viewed in a web browser. It preserves the original formatting of the man pages including headings, lists, bold/italic text etc. but makes it more readable and searchable in a GUI format.

Some key features of man2html:

  • Simple single binary, no dependencies required
  • Generates multiple HTML files, one per man page
  • Has options for customizing output location, styling, table of contents etc.
  • Acts as a man page repository to browse documentation easily
  • Lightweight and fast compared to having full blown browsers/GUIs
  • Open source software written in C

man2html is useful for developers/sysadmins who frequently reference man pages but want the convenience of browsing documentation in HTML format. It can be used to host a local documentation system of man pages. Most Linux distros have man2html or similar converters available through the packaging system.

Some alternatives that provide similar functionality are man2html-bash, man server, gman2html etc. but man2html is a simple no-fuss utility that works across UNIX variants without needing many other components or being tied to a particular desktop environment.

Man2html Features

Features

  1. Converts UNIX manual pages from man format to HTML
  2. Allows browsing man pages in a web browser instead of terminal
  3. Supports man pages for different sections like commands, system calls, libraries, devices, file formats, etc
  4. Preserves original formatting like headings, lists, bold, italics, etc when converting to HTML
  5. Generates table of contents for easy navigation of long manual pages
  6. Has options for customizing output HTML
  7. Works on Linux, Unix, macOS and other UNIX-like systems

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Makes man pages more readable and navigable

No need to view man pages in terminal

Hyperlinked table of contents for quick access

Retains original formatting for easy understanding

Portable reference material for UNIX/Linux commands

Cons

May not render some exotic formatting correctly

HTML output may not look visually appealing

Limited customization options

Not updated frequently

Official Links

Official Website
https://www.nongnu.org/man2html/

The Best Man2html Alternatives

Top Development and Documentation Tools and other similar apps like Man2html

Here are some alternatives to Man2html:

Pandoc icon
Pandoc
Suggest an alternative ❐

Pandoc icon

Pandoc

Pandoc is a versatile document conversion software tool that allows users to convert files from one markup format into another. Some key features and details about Pandoc:Free and open source software written in HaskellCan read and write several markup formats like Markdown, HTML, LaTeX, Word docx, EPUB, and moreExcellent support...
Pandoc image