Re: Why I can't use `info' in emacs?

[Robert Thorpe]

Hadron Quark wrote:
> Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:
> >> Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2006 17:20:23 +0800
> >> From: Ronald <followait@163.com>
> >> CC:  help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> >> >
> >> I'd like to see the info page for the word where the point is.
> >> When I type ``C-h C-i" it says there is no info node for that word.
> >> But in bash there is.
> >
> > What version of Emacs do you have?  I assume it's Emacs 21.x, because
> > in that version `C-h C-i' was running the command info-lookup-symbol,
> > and it was buggy.  In Emacs 22, info-lookup-symbol is bound to `C-h S',
> > and it does work for me in the situation you described (point is on
> > printf).  Please consider upgrading.
> >
> >> >> ``man 3 printf" ,  how to do it with info?
> >> >
> >> > There are several ways.  If you are sure you are looking for the C
> >> > library function `printf', type "C-h S c-mode RET printf RET".
> >>
> >> I think the key sequence is too long for convenience.
> >
> > Don't be ridiculous, it's exactly 3 characters longer than "man 3
> > printf".  And if you are already in a buffer whose major mode is C,
> > and point is on `printf', all you need to type is "C-h S RET", which
> > is only 3 keystrokes.
>
> How is one supposed to set this up?

This works if you are on a fairly GNUy system.  One that has GNUlibc,
such as a "linux" distribution.  If this is the case then there should
be an info node called libc or glibc.  If that is the case then just
pressing C-h S over a symbol documented in the manual should bring up
that symbols info-page.
Possible reasons why this doesn't work are:-
* Distribution does not set Info paths correctly
* Distribution does not ship with Glibc manual
If either of the above are the case then complain loudly.

This keystroke is C-h C-i in Emacs21 and C-h S in Emacs22.

> On my emacs-snapshot printf is not a documented symbol.

It's not documented by Emacs, it's documented in the Info docs that
come with GLibc.

> I have
>
> (defun jump-man-page ()
>   (interactive)
>   (manual-entry (current-word))
>   )
>
> assigned to a key in cc-mode

As other posters have said C-h S is better, the GNU info pages are
better than their man-pages.