Where to find documentation for `whois` command options? macOS has whois command available. Running it without any argument shows the following:

usage: whois [-aAbfgiIklmPQrRS] [-c country-code | -h hostname] [-p port] name ...


Here, the -c, -h, and -p options have description. However, no description is available for the rest of the shown options -aAbfgiIklmPQrRS.

How can I find the documentation for the same?
You can read the man page for whois command by running the following in the Terminal:

man whois

The man page for a command is the all-encompassing document, listing all the available options for the command. Man pages are generally available for all the available external commands. To locate installed man page(s) for a command, run the following:

man -aw &lt;command&gt;

To read a specific man page for a command, (in case more than one are listed on running the above) use the absolute path for the man page.



While viewing the man page for a command, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts to navigate:


j: Scroll down one line at a time.
k: Scroll up one line at a time.
f or Space: Scroll down one page at a time.
b: Scroll up one page at a time.
/search: To search for the keyword search. Use n to navigate to the next match.
q: Quit the man page viewer and return to the shell.