What does the number in parentheses shown after Unix command names in manpages mean?

Question

For example: `man(1)`, `find(3)`, `updatedb(2)`? What do the numbers in parentheses (Brit. "brackets") mean?

Accepted Answer

It's the section that the man page for the command is assigned to.

These are split as

- General commands

- System calls

- C library functions

- Special files (usually devices, those found in /dev) and drivers

- File formats and conventions

- Games and screensavers

- Miscellanea

- System administration commands and daemons

Original descriptions of each section can be seen in the Unix Programmer's Manual (page ii).

In order to access a man page given as "foo(5)", run:

```
man 5 foo
```

Solution