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General Purpose PostScript Generating Utility

4. Configuration Files

a2ps reads several files before the command line options. In the order, they are:

1. the system configuration file (usually `/usr/local/etc/a2ps.cfg') unless you have defined the environment variable `A2PS_CONFIG', in which case a2ps reads the file it points to;

2. the user's home configuration file (`$HOME/.a2ps/a2psrc')

3. the local file (`./.a2psrc')

Because a2ps needs architecture dependent information (such as the local lpr command) and architecture independent information (such as the type of your printers), users have found useful that `a2ps.cfg' be dedicated to architecture dependent information. A sub configuration file, `a2ps-site.cfg' (see section 4.1 Including Configuration Files) is included from `a2ps.cfg'.

The file `a2ps.cfg' is updated when you update a2ps, while `a2ps-site.cfg' is not, to preserve local definitions.

In the configuration files, empty lines and lines starting with `#' are comments.

The other lines have all the following form:

Topic: Arguments

where Topic: is a keyword related to what you are customizing, and Arguments the customization. Arguments may be spread on several lines, provided that the last character of a line to continue is a `\'.

In the following sections, each Topic: is detailed.

4.1 Including Configuration Files		Isolating site specific values
4.2 Your Library Path		Setting the files search path
4.3 Your Default Options		Default state of a2ps
4.4 Your Media		Sheets dimensions
4.5 Your Printers		How to access the printers
4.6 Your Shortcuts		Your very own command line options
4.7 Your PostScript magic number		Handling very old printers
4.8 Your Page Labels		Page names as in Ghostview
4.9 Your Variables		Short cut for long sequences
4.10 Your Delegations		Delegating some files to other filters
4.11 Your Internal Details		Details you might want to tune