The following sample shows what is needed. The elements given here are explained in more detail in the following sections. Other commands are often included at the beginning of Texinfo files, but the ones here are the most critical.
See GNU Sample Texts, for the full texts to be used in GNU manuals.
\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
@c %**start of header
@setfilename infoname.info
@settitle name-of-manual version
@c %**end of header
@copying
This manual is for program, version version.
Copyright @copyright{} years copyright-owner.
@quotation
Permission is granted to ...
@end quotation
@end copying
@titlepage
@title name-of-manual-when-printed
@subtitle subtitle-if-any
@subtitle second-subtitle
@author author
@c The following two commands
@c start the copyright page.
@page
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
@insertcopying
Published by ...
@end titlepage
@c So the toc is printed at the start.
@contents
@ifnottex
@node Top
@top title
@insertcopying
@end ifnottex
@menu
* First Chapter:: Getting started ...
* Second Chapter:: ...
...
* Copying:: Your rights and freedoms.
@end menu
@node First Chapter
@chapter First Chapter
@cindex first chapter
@cindex chapter, first
...