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(groff)Groff Options

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Options
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   `groff' normally runs the `gtroff' program and a postprocessor
appropriate for the selected device.  The default device is `ps' (but
it can be changed when `groff' is configured and built).  It can
optionally preprocess with any of `gpic', `geqn', `gtbl', `ggrn',
`grap', `grefer', or `gsoelim'.

   This section only documents options to the `groff' front end.  Many
of the arguments to `groff' are passed on to `gtroff', therefore those
are also included.  Arguments to pre- or postprocessors can be found in
Note: Invoking gpic, Note: Invoking geqn, Note: Invoking gtbl,
Note: Invoking ggrn, Note: Invoking grefer, Note: Invoking
gsoelim, Note: Invoking grotty, Note: Invoking grops, Note:
Invoking grohtml, Note: Invoking grodvi, Note: Invoking grolj4,
Note: Invoking grolbp, and Note: Invoking gxditview.

   The command line format for `groff' is:


     groff [ -abeghilpstvzCEGNRSUVXZ ] [ -FDIR ] [ -mNAME ]
           [ -TDEF ] [ -fFAM ] [ -wNAME ] [ -WNAME ]
           [ -MDIR ] [ -dCS ] [ -rCN ] [ -nNUM ]
           [ -oLIST ] [ -PARG ] [ -LARG ] [ -IDIR ]
           [ FILES... ]

   The command line format for `gtroff' is as follows.


     gtroff [ -abivzCERU ] [ -wNAME ] [ -WNAME ] [ -dCS ]
            [ -fFAM ] [ -mNAME ] [ -nNUM ]
            [ -oLIST ] [ -rCN ] [ -TNAME ]
            [ -FDIR ] [ -MDIR ] [ FILES... ]

Obviously, many of the options to `groff' are actually passed on to
`gtroff'.

   Options without an argument can be grouped behind a single `-'.  A
filename of `-' denotes the standard input.  It is possible to have
whitespace between an option and its parameter.

   The `grog' command can be used to guess the correct `groff' command
to format a file.

   Here's the description of the command-line options:

`-h'
     Print a help message.

`-e'
     Preprocess with `geqn'.

`-t'
     Preprocess with `gtbl'.

`-g'
     Preprocess with `ggrn'.

`-G'
     Preprocess with `grap'.

`-p'
     Preprocess with `gpic'.

`-s'
     Preprocess with `gsoelim'.

`-R'
     Preprocess with `grefer'.  No mechanism is provided for passing
     arguments to `grefer' because most `grefer' options have
     equivalent commands which can be included in the file.  Note:
     grefer, for more details.

     Note that `gtroff' also accepts a `-R' option, which is not
     accessible via `groff'.  This option prevents the loading of the
     `troffrc' and `troffrc-end' files.

`-v'
     Make programs run by `groff' print out their version number.

`-V'
     Print the pipeline on `stdout' instead of executing it.

`-z'
     Suppress output from `gtroff'.  Only error messages are printed.

`-Z'
     Do not postprocess the output of `gtroff'.  Normally `groff'
     automatically runs the appropriate postprocessor.

`-PARG'
     Pass ARG to the postprocessor.  Each argument should be passed
     with a separate `-P' option.  Note that `groff' does not prepend
     `-' to ARG before passing it to the postprocessor.

`-l'
     Send the output to a spooler for printing.  The command used for
     this is specified by the `print' command in the device description
     file (see Note: Font Files, for more info).  If not present,
     `-l' is ignored.

`-LARG'
     Pass ARG to the spooler.  Each argument should be passed with a
     separate `-L' option.  Note that `groff' does not prepend a `-' to
     ARG before passing it to the postprocessor.  If the `print'
     keyword in the device description file is missing, `-L' is ignored.

`-TDEV'
     Prepare output for device DEV.  The default device is `ps', unless
     changed when `groff' was configured and built.  The following are
     the output devices currently available:

    `ps'
          For POSTSCRIPT printers and previewers.

    `dvi'
          For TeX DVI format.

    `X75'
          For a 75dpi X11 previewer.

    `X100'
          For a 100dpi X11 previewer.

    `ascii'
          For typewriter-like devices.

    `latin1'
          For typewriter-like devices that support the Latin-1
          (ISO 8859-1) character set.

    `utf8'
          For typewriter-like devices which use the Unicode (ISO 10646)
          character set with UTF-8 encoding.

    `cp1047'
          For typewriter-like devices which use the EBCDIC encoding IBM
          cp1047.

    `lj4'
          For an HP LaserJet4-compatible (or other PCL5-compatible)
          printer.

    `lbp'
          For Canon CAPSL printers (LBP-4 and LBP-8 series laser
          printers).

    `html'
          To produce HTML output.  Note that the HTML driver consists
          of two parts, a preprocessor (`pre-grohtml') and a
          postprocessor (`post-grohtml').

     The predefined `gtroff' string register `.T' contains the current
     output device; the read-only number register `.T' is set to 1 if
     this option is used (which is always true if `groff' is used to
     call `gtroff').  Note: Built-in Registers.

     The postprocessor to be used for a device is specified by the
     `postpro' command in the device description file.  (Note: Font
     Files, for more info.)  This can be overridden with the `-X'
     option.

`-X'
     Preview with `gxditview' instead of using the usual postprocessor.
     This is unlikely to produce good results except with `-Tps'.

     Note that this is not the same as using `-TX75' or `-TX100' to
     view a document with `gxditview': The former uses the metrics of
     the specified device, whereas the latter uses X-specific fonts and
     metrics.

`-N'
     Don't allow newlines with `eqn' delimiters.  This is the same as
     the `-N' option in `geqn'.

`-S'
     Safer mode.  Pass the `-S' option to `gpic' and disable the
     `open', `opena', `pso', `sy', and `pi' requests.  For security
     reasons, this is enabled by default.

`-U'
     Unsafe mode.  Reverts to the old unsafe behaviour.

`-a'
     Generate an ASCII approximation of the typeset output.  The
     read-only register `.A' is then set to 1.  Note: Built-in
     Registers.  A typical example is


          groff -a -man -Tdvi troff.man | less

     which shows how lines are broken for the DVI device.  Note that
     this option is rather useless today since graphic output devices
     are available virtually everywhere.

`-b'
     Print a backtrace with each warning or error message.  This
     backtrace should help track down the cause of the error.  The line
     numbers given in the backtrace may not always be correct: `gtroff'
     can get confused by `as' or `am' requests while counting line
     numbers.

`-i'
     Read the standard input after all the named input files have been
     processed.

`-wNAME'
     Enable warning NAME.  Available warnings are described in Note:
     Debugging.  Multiple `-w' options are allowed.

`-WNAME'
     Inhibit warning NAME.  Multiple `-W' options are allowed.

`-E'
     Inhibit all error messages.

`-C'
     Enable compatibility mode.  Note: Implementation Differences,
     for the list of incompatibilities between `groff' and traditional
     Unix `troff'.

`-dCS'
`-dNAME=s'
     Define C or NAME to be a string S.  C must be a one-letter name;
     NAME can be of arbitrary length.  All string assignments happen
     before loading any macro file (including the start-up file).

`-fFAM'
     Use FAM as the default font family.  Note: Font Families.

`-mNAME'
     Read in the file `NAME.tmac'.  Normally `groff' searches for this
     in its macro directories.  If it isn't found, it tries `tmac.NAME'
     (and searches in the same directories).

`-nNUM'
     Number the first page NUM.

`-oLIST'
     Output only pages in LIST, which is a comma-separated list of page
     ranges; `N' means print page N, `M-N' means print every page
     between M and N, `-N' means print every page up to N, `N-' means
     print every page beginning with N.  `gtroff' exits after printing
     the last page in the list.  All the ranges are inclusive on both
     ends.

     Within `gtroff', this information can be extracted with the `.P'
     register.  Note: Built-in Registers.

     If your document restarts page numbering at the beginning of each
     chapter, then `gtroff' prints the specified page range for each
     chapter.

`-rCN'
`-rNAME=N'
     Set number register C or NAME to the value N.  C must be a
     one-letter name; NAME can be of arbitrary length.  N can be any
     `gtroff' numeric expression.  All register assignments happen
     before loading any macro file (including the start-up file).

`-FDIR'
     Search `DIR' for subdirectories `devNAME' (NAME is the name of the
     device), for the `DESC' file, and for font files before looking in
     the standard directories.

`-MDIR'
     Search directory `DIR' for macro files before the standard
     directories.

`-IDIR'
     This option is as described in Note: gsoelim.  It implies the
     `-s' option.