Install the CLI

If you haven't already, install the ocli tool:

$ go install github.com/bcdxn/opencli/cmd/ocli@latest

Generate a man page

Run the gen docs command with the --format man flag:

$ ocli gen docs \
  --format man \
  --out ./man \
  ./pleasantries-cli.ocs.yaml

This produces a .1 file (e.g., pleasantries-cli.ocs.1) in the output directory. The man page follows standard roff/troff conventions with properly formatted sections for name, synopsis, description, commands, arguments, flags, and examples.

What's in the generated man page

A generated man page includes:

• NAME — CLI name and summary
• SYNOPSIS — Usage pattern
• DESCRIPTION — Full CLI description with capabilities
• GLOBAL OPTIONS — Shared flags across all commands
• COMMANDS — Each command with its arguments, flags, and examples

Use the man page

You have a few options for working with your generated man page:

Option 1 — Preview without installing

Quick preview straight from the output directory using the man command with a relative path:

$ man ./man/pleasantries-cli.ocs.1

No installation needed — great for validating output before shipping.

Option 2 — Install system-wide

Copy the man page to your system's man directory so it's available globally:

$ sudo cp ./man/pleasantries-cli.ocs.1 /usr/local/share/man/man1/pleasantries.1
$ man pleasantries

On macOS and Linux, the man command will automatically pick it up after installation.

Option 3 — Ship with your GoReleaser Homebrew tap

If you distribute your CLI via GoReleaser, include the man page in your Homebrew formula so it's installed alongside the binary:

# .goreleaser.yaml
archives:
  - files:
    - README.md
    - LICENSE
    - pleasantries-cli.ocs.1

With this config, users who install via brew install pleasantries will get the man page installed automatically — no extra steps required.