Tools

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Reference and lookup commands for finding information quickly.

Commands

TLDR

Show simplified man pages (Too Long; Didn't Read).

Usage:

bash $tldr ls $tldr tar $tldr command_namebash

Parameters:

  • command (required) - Command to look up

Aliases: man

Permission: Rank 0 (Everyone)

Features:

  • Simplified command documentation
  • Common use cases
  • Example commands
  • Faster than full man pages

Example:

bash $tldr tarbash

Shows common tar usage examples instead of the full manual.

Wolfram

Query Wolfram|Alpha for computations and information.

Usage:

bash /wolfram query:"integrate x^2" /wolfram query:"population of France" $wolfram integrate x^2bash

Parameters:

  • query (required) - Question or computation

Permission: Rank 0 (Everyone)

Use Cases:

  • Mathematical calculations
  • Unit conversions
  • Scientific queries
  • General knowledge questions
  • Symbolic math

Examples:

bash /wolfram query:"derivative of sin(x)" /wolfram query:"100 USD to EUR" /wolfram query:"weather in London"bash

Note: Returns image result from Wolfram|Alpha API.

Wiki

Search Arch Linux Wiki or All Things Linux Wiki for articles.

Usage:

bash /wiki arch query:"systemd" /wiki atl query:"discord" $wiki arch systemd $wiki atl discordbash

Parameters:

  • arch or atl (required) - Wiki source to search
  • query (required) - Search term

Permission: Rank 0 (Everyone)

Features:

  • Arch Linux Wiki search for technical documentation
  • All Things Linux Wiki search for community content
  • Article summaries and links
  • Disambiguation handling

Examples:

bash /wiki arch query:"systemd" /wiki atl query:"discord"bash

Shows relevant wiki articles from the specified source.

Permission Requirements

Command Minimum Rank Typical Role
tldr 0 Everyone
wolfram 0 Everyone
wiki 0 Everyone

Common Use Cases

Learning Commands

bash $tldr git # Quick git reference $tldr docker # Docker cheat sheet $tldr systemctl # Systemd service managementbash

Quick Calculations

bash /wolfram query:"50 kilograms to pounds" /wolfram query:"solve x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0" /wolfram query:"integral of e^x"bash

Quick Lookups

bash /wiki query:"GNU" /wiki query:"Package manager" /wiki query:"Shell scripting"bash

Tips

TLDR is Fast

TLDR gives you what you need without scrolling through full man pages!

Wolfram for Math

Wolfram|Alpha is excellent for math, physics, and scientific queries.

Wiki for Context

Use wiki when you need background on a topic quickly.

Combine with Snippets

Save common TLDR results as snippets for instant access!

Troubleshooting

TLDR "Not Found"

Cause: Command not in TLDR database

Solution:

  • Try man command in your terminal instead
  • Check spelling
  • Command might be too niche for TLDR

Wolfram API Error

Cause: API limit reached or query malformed

Solution:

  • Wait a moment and try again
  • Simplify your query
  • Check query syntax

Wiki No Results

Cause: Ambiguous query or typo

Solution:

  • Be more specific
  • Check spelling
  • Try different search terms

External Resources

Next: Learn about Code Execution for running code snippets.

Fun Code Execution