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(dvips.info)Configuration file searching
Configuration file searching
----------------------------
The Dvips program loads many different configuration files, so that
parameters can be set globally across the system, on a per-device basis,
or individually by each user.
1. Dvips first reads (if it exists) `config.ps'; it is searched for
along the path for Dvips configuration files, as described in
Note: Supported file formats.
2. A user-specific startup file is loaded, so individual users can
override any options set in the global file. The environment
variable `DVIPSRC', if defined, is used as the specification of
the startup file. If this variable is undefined, Dvips uses a
platform-specific default name. On Unix Dvips looks for the
default startup file under the name `$HOME/.dvipsrc', which is in
the user's home directory. On MS-DOS and MS-Windows, where users
generally don't have their private directories, the startup file
is called `dvips.ini' and it is searched for along the path for
Dvips configuration files (as described in Note: Supported file
formats.); users are expected to
set this path as they see fit for their taste.
3. The command line is read and parsed: if the `-PDEVICE' option is
encountered, at that point `config.DEVICE' is loaded. Thus, the
printer configuration file can override anything in the site-wide
or user configuration file, and it can also override options in
the command line up to the point that the `-P' option was
encountered. (On MS-DOS, the printer configuration files are
called `DEVICE.cfg', since DOS doesn't allow more than 3 characters
after the dot in filenames.)
4. If no `-P' option was specified, and also the `-o' and `-f'
command line options were not used, Dvips checks the environment
variable `PRINTER'. If it exists, then `config.$PRINTER'
(`$PRINTER.cfg' on MS-DOS) is loaded (if it exists).
Because the `.dvipsrc' file is read before the printer-specific
configuration files, individual users cannot override settings in the
latter. On the other hand, the `TEXCONFIG' path usually includes the
current directory, and can in any case be set to anything, so the users
can always define their own printer-specific configuration files to be
found before the system's.
A few command-line options are treated specially, in that they are not
overridden by configuration files:
`-D'
As well as setting the resolution, this unsets the mode, if the
mode was previously set from a configuration file. If
`config.$PRINTER' is read, however, any `D' or `M' lines from
there will take effect.
`-mode'
This overrides any mode setting (`M' line) in configuration files.
`-mode' does not affect the resolution.
`-o'
This overrides any output setting (`o' line) in configuration
files.
The purpose of these special cases is to (1) minimize the chance of
having a mismatched mode and resolution (which `mktexpk' cannot
resolve), and (2) let command-line options override config files where
possible.
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