How can you exit a man page and return to the shell?

To exit a man page and return to the shell, you simply need to press the 'Q' key. This command is a built-in feature of the pager program that displays man pages, typically 'less' or 'more'. When viewing a man page, the content is often more extensive than what can fit on the screen at one time, so a pager is used to allow navigation through the text. By pressing 'Q', you send a signal to quit and return to the shell prompt.

The use of 'Q' for quitting is standard across many Unix-like systems, making it consistent and easy to remember for users familiar with command line interfaces. Understanding this behavior is essential for effectively navigating documentation and getting familiar with Linux command line operations.