Which client should I install?

The Rust client (tlrc) and the Python client are the two actively maintained official options; the Node.js client exists but has fallen behind on updates.

Can I use tldr-pages without installing anything?

Yes, there's a web client with offline (PWA) support, and a PDF of all pages is published with each release.

Does tldr-pages replace man pages?

No, it's meant as a simpler complement focused on practical examples, not a full replacement for exhaustive documentation.

Are translations available?

Yes, pages are translated into multiple languages by the community, with progress tracked on a dedicated translation site.

How do I contribute a new page?

Pages are written in Markdown and submitted as pull requests; the project has a contributing guide and welcomes additions, corrections, and translations.

tldr: Simplified, example-based help pages instead of dense man pages

tldr-pages is a community-maintained collection of help pages for command-line tools that favors practical examples over exhaustive option lists. It's built for anyone who finds man pages too dense when they just need a quick reminder of how a command works, covering tools across Linux, macOS, BSD variants, Android, Windows, Cisco IOS, and more.

Key features

Example-first pages: each page shows common, practical invocations of a command rather than documenting every flag.
Broad platform coverage: pages exist for UNIX, Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, SunOS, Android, Windows, Cisco IOS, and DOS tools.
Multiple official clients: Python, Rust, and Node.js clients are maintained alongside the page repository.
Community translations: pages are translated into many languages, with a dedicated site tracking translation progress.
Offline access: a PDF version of the whole page set is published with every release for anyone who wants it without a client.
Web client with offline support: a browser-based client is available with PWA offline support, no install required.
Markdown source: pages are plain Markdown, making it straightforward for contributors to add or edit them through pull requests.
Active community chat: a Matrix chatroom and a wider Matrix space cover all tldr-related discussion, alongside a Mastodon account for project updates.

Ideal use cases

tldr-pages is useful any time you want a fast answer for a command you don't use often. It's popular as a companion to man, not a full replacement: for edge-case flags or deep configuration detail, you'll still want the man page or official docs. Teams writing internal onboarding docs also point new engineers at tldr for common CLI tools instead of writing their own cheat sheets.

It's not a good fit if you need complete, authoritative documentation of every option a command supports. Pages are intentionally short and example-focused, and not every command or flag combination is covered. For scripting edge cases or exhaustive references, the tool's own --help output or man page is the better source.

Installation

There's no single official client, since tldr-pages is a content repository with several official clients. The Python client installs from PyPI via pipx:

pipx install tldr

The Rust client (tlrc) can be installed with Homebrew, Cargo, or Winget:

brew install tlrc

cargo install tlrc --locked

winget install tldr-pages.tlrc

The Node.js client is also available, though the README notes it has fallen behind in updates:

npm install -g tldr

Once installed, you look up a command with tldr <command> (for example tldr tar) instead of man tar. If you'd rather not install anything, the web client at tldr.inbrowser.app works in a browser with offline support, and a PDF of the full page collection is published with each release.

Contributing is done through pull requests against Markdown page files, following the project's contributing guidelines and governance docs. Beyond adding new pages, the project welcomes contributors who improve examples on existing pages, work through issues tagged "help wanted," or help translate pages into other languages; translation progress across all languages is tracked on a companion site so it's easy to see what's missing or outdated.

A number of similar projects exist for comparison: cheat.sh aggregates cheat sheets from multiple sources including tldr-pages into one interface, devhints covers a broader set of programming cheatsheets beyond just the command line, and tools like navi and cheat focus on interactive, on-the-fly cheatsheet browsing in the terminal. tldr-pages itself stays focused on being a plain, example-first reference maintained as community-edited Markdown.

The project also maintains a governance document describing how the community operates, and it aims to keep that community welcoming and collaborative for new contributors. If you're translating pages rather than writing new ones, the tldri18n site tracks progress language by language, which is a useful way to find a language that needs help before starting a large translation effort from scratch.