Configuration file commands

Most of the configuration file commands are similar to corresponding command line options, but there are a few exceptions. When they are the same, we omit the description here.

As with command line options, many may be turned off by suffixing the letter with a zero (`0').

Within a configuration file, empty lines, and lines starting with a space, asterisk, equal sign, percent sign, or pound sign are ignored. There is no provision for continuation lines.

`@ name hsize vsize'

Define paper sizes. See section Configuration file paper size command.

`a*'

Memory conservation. Same as `-a', see section Option details.

`b #copies'

Multiple copies. Same as `-b', see section Option details.

`D dpi'

Output resolution. Same as `-D', see section Option details.

`e num'

Max drift. Same as `-e', see section Option details.

`E command'

Executes the command listed with system(3); can be used to get the current date into a header file for inclusion, for instance. Possibly dangerous; this may be disabled, in which case a warning will be printed if the option is used (and warnings are not suppressed).

`f*'

`F'

Run as a filter. Same as `-f', see section Option details.

`h header'

Prepend header to output. Same as `h-', see section Option details.

`H path'

Use path to search for PostScript header files. The environment variable DVIPSHEADERS overrides this.

`i n'

Make multiple output files. Same as `-i -S n', see section Option details.

`j*'

Partially download Type 1 fonts. Same as `-j', see section Option details.

`K*'

Remove comments from included PostScript files. Same as `-K', see section Option details.

`m num'

Declare num as the memory available for fonts and strings in the printer. Default is 180000. This value must be accurate if memory conservation and document splitting is to work correctly. To determine this value, send the following file to the printer:

%! Hey, we're PostScript
/Times-Roman findfont 30 scalefont setfont 144 432 moveto
vmstatus exch sub 40 string cvs show pop showpage

The number printed by this file is the total memory free; it is usually best to tell Dvips that the printer has slightly less memory, because many programs download permanent macros that can reduce the memory in the printer. Some systems or printers can dynamically increase the memory available to a PostScript interpreter, in which case this file might return a ridiculously low number; for example, the NeXT computer and Ghostscript. In these cases, a value of one million works fine.

`M mode'

Metafont mode. Same as `-mode', see section Option details.

`N*'

Disable structured comments. Beware: This also turns off displaying page numbers or changing to specific pagenumbers in PostScript viewers. Same as `-N', see section Option details.

`o name'

Send output to name. Same as `-', see section Option details. In the file `config.foo', a setting like this is probably appropriate:

o |lpr -Pfoo

`O xoff,yoff'

Origin offset. Same as `-O', see section Option details.

`p [+]name'

Examine name for PostScript font aliases. Default is `psfonts.map'. This option allows you to specify different resident fonts that different printers may have. If name starts with a `+' character, then the rest of the name (after any leading spaces) is used as an additional map file; thus, it is possible to have local map files pointed to by local configuration files that append to the global map file. This can be used for font families.

`P path'

Use path to search for bitmap PK font files is path. The PKFONTS, TEXPKS, GLYPHFONTS, and TEXFONTS environment variables override this. See section `Supported file formats' in Kpathsea.

`q*'

`Q'

Run quietly. Same as `-q', see section Option details.

`r*'

Page reversal. Same as `-r', see section Option details.

`R num1 num2 ...'

Define the list of default resolutions for PK fonts. If a font size actually used in a document is not available and cannot be created, Dvips will scale the font found at the closest of these resolutions to the requested size, using PostScript scaling. The resulting output may be ugly, and thus a warning is issued. To turn this last-resort scaling off, use a line with just the `R' and no numbers. The given numbers must be sorted in increasing order; any number smaller than the preceding one is ignored. This is because it is better to scale a font up than down; scaling down can obliterate small features in the character shape. The environment and config file values `DVIPSSIZES' or `TEXSIZES' override this configuration file setting. If no `R' settings or environment variables are specified, a list compiled in during installation is used. This default list is defined by the Makefile variable `default_texsizes', defined in the file `make/paths.make'.

`s*'

Output global save/restore. Same as `-s', see section Option details.

`S path'

Use path to search for special illustrations (Encapsulated PostScript files or psfiles). The TEXPICTS and then TEXINPUTS environment variables override this.

`T path'

Use path to search for TFM files. The TFMFONTS and then TEXFONTS environment variables overrides this. This path is used for resident fonts and fonts that can't otherwise be found.

`U*'

Work around bug in Xerox 4045 printer. Same as `-U', see section Option details.

`V path'

Use path to search for virtual font files. This may be device-dependent if you use virtual fonts to simulate actual fonts on different devices.

`W [string]'

If string is supplied, write it to standard error after reading all the configuration files; with no string, cancel any previous `W' message. This is useful in the default configuration file to remind users to specify a printer, for instance, or to notify users about special characteristics of a particular printer.

`X num'

Horizontal resolution. Same as `-X', see section Option details.

`Y num'

Vertical resolution. Same as `-Y', see section Option details.

`Z*'

Compress bitmap fonts. Same as `-Z', see section Option details.