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(web2c.info)Output file location

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Output file location
====================

  All the programs generally follow the usual convention for output
files.  Namely, they are placed in the directory current when the
program is run, regardless of any input file location; or, in a few
cases, output is to standard output.

  For example, if you run `tex /tmp/foo', for example, the output will
be in `./foo.dvi' and `./foo.log', not `/tmp/foo.dvi' and
`/tmp/foo.log'.

  However, if the current directory is not writable, the main programs
(TeX, Metafont, MetaPost, and BibTeX) make an exception: if the
environment variable or config file value `TEXMFOUTPUT' is set (it is
not by default), output files are written to the directory specified.
This is useful when you are in some read-only distribution directory,
perhaps on a CD-ROM, and want to TeX some documentation, for example.