Remove broken generate-man option

ChangeLog

@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ Release date: TBA
 
   Closes #6074
 
+* Removed the broken ``generate-man`` option.
+
+  Closes #5283
+  Closes #1887
+
 * Add new check ``unnecessary-dunder-call`` for unnecessary dunder method calls.
 
   Closes #5936

doc/whatsnew/2.14.rst

@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ Other Changes
 
   Closes #5931
 
+* Removed the broken ``generate-man`` option.
+
+  Closes #5283
+  Closes #1887
+
 * The concept of checker priority has been removed.
 
 * The ``set_config_directly`` decorator has been removed.

pylint/config/__init__.py

@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
     find_default_config_files,
     find_pylintrc,
 )
-from pylint.config.man_help_formatter import _ManHelpFormatter
 from pylint.config.option import Option
 from pylint.config.option_manager_mixin import OptionsManagerMixIn
 from pylint.config.option_parser import OptionParser
@@ -32,7 +31,6 @@
     "ConfigurationMixIn",
     "find_default_config_files",
     "find_pylintrc",
-    "_ManHelpFormatter",
     "Option",
     "OptionsManagerMixIn",
     "OptionParser",

pylint/config/option_manager_mixin.py

@@ -10,11 +10,9 @@
 import os
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
-from types import ModuleType
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional, TextIO, Tuple
 
 from pylint import utils
-from pylint.config.man_help_formatter import _ManHelpFormatter
 from pylint.config.option import Option
 from pylint.config.option_parser import OptionParser
 
@@ -219,20 +217,6 @@ def generate_config(
             )
             printed = True
 
-    def generate_manpage(
-        self, pkginfo: ModuleType, section: int = 1, stream: TextIO = sys.stdout
-    ) -> None:
-        with _patch_optparse():
-            formatter = _ManHelpFormatter()
-            formatter.output_level = self._maxlevel
-            formatter.parser = self.cmdline_parser
-            print(
-                formatter.format_head(self.cmdline_parser, pkginfo, section),
-                file=stream,
-            )
-            print(self.cmdline_parser.format_option_help(formatter), file=stream)
-            print(formatter.format_tail(pkginfo), file=stream)
-
     def load_provider_defaults(self):
         """Initialize configuration using default values."""
         for provider in self.options_providers:

pylint/lint/run.py

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 import warnings
 from typing import NoReturn, Optional
 
-from pylint import __pkginfo__, config, extensions, interfaces
+from pylint import config, extensions, interfaces
 from pylint.config.config_initialization import _config_initialization
 from pylint.constants import DEFAULT_PYLINT_HOME, OLD_DEFAULT_PYLINT_HOME, full_version
 from pylint.lint.pylinter import PyLinter
@@ -238,16 +238,6 @@ def __init__(
                         "configuration.",
                     },
                 ),
-                (
-                    "generate-man",
-                    {
-                        "action": "callback",
-                        "callback": self.cb_generate_manpage,
-                        "group": "Commands",
-                        "help": "Generate pylint's man page.",
-                        "hide": True,
-                    },
-                ),
                 (
                     "errors-only",
                     {
@@ -437,11 +427,6 @@ def cb_generate_config(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.linter.generate_config(skipsections=("COMMANDS",))
         sys.exit(0)
 
-    def cb_generate_manpage(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        """Optik callback for sample config file generation."""
-        self.linter.generate_manpage(__pkginfo__)
-        sys.exit(0)
-
     def cb_help_message(self, option, optname, value, parser):
         """Optik callback for printing some help about a particular message."""
         self.linter.msgs_store.help_message(utils._splitstrip(value))