Overview
tldr (short for too long; didn’t read) is a community‑maintained documentation project that provides simplified, example‑driven help pages for command‑line tools. Instead of long explanations and exhaustive option lists, tldr focuses on the most common and useful command patterns.
It is designed for situations where you already know what tool you want to use — you just need a reminder of how to use it.
- Overview
- How tldr Differs from man Pages
- What a tldr Page Looks Like
- Installing tldr
- Using tldr
- When tldr Shines
- Limitations
- Final Thoughts
How tldr Differs from man Pages
Traditional man pages aim to be complete and authoritative. While this is useful for deep reference, it often makes them inefficient for day‑to‑day use.
tldr takes a different approach:
- Short descriptions instead of long explanations
- Practical examples instead of exhaustive flags
- Focus on common use cases
- Consistent formatting across commands
In practice, tldr works best as a quick reference, while man remains useful for edge cases and deep dives.
What a tldr Page Looks Like
tldr pages are structured consistently:
- A brief description of the command
- A list of common tasks
- One or more example commands for each task
Each example is meant to be copied, modified slightly, and executed.
This makes tldr especially useful during troubleshooting, scripting, or when switching between tools you don’t use every day.
Installing tldr
tldr clients are available on most platforms.
Common installation options include:
- Linux package managers via the EPEL repository
- macOS via Homebrew
Once installed, pages are typically cached locally for fast access.
Using tldr
Basic usage is simple:
- Request help for a command by name
- Read the examples
- Apply or adapt them to your situation
tldr is especially effective for commands like:
tarfindrsyncgitdocker
These tools have many options, but only a handful are commonly used.
When tldr Shines
tldr is most useful when:
- You need a reminder, not a tutorial
- You already understand the tool conceptually
- You want a working example quickly
- You are switching between many systems or environments
For system administrators and engineers, it often becomes the first stop before consulting man pages or online documentation.
Limitations
While tldr is extremely useful, it is not a complete replacement for man pages.
Limitations include:
- Not all commands are covered
- Advanced flags and edge cases may be missing
- Content depends on community contributions
For authoritative or highly specific behavior, man pages and official documentation are still necessary.
Final Thoughts
tldr fills an important gap between memory and documentation. It is fast, readable, and focused on what most people actually need when working at the command line.
Used alongside traditional man pages, tldr can significantly improve productivity and reduce friction when working with complex CLI tools.
If you spend time in a terminal, tldr is worth keeping installed.
Here are additional places to learn more about tldr:
