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4.20 GMT environment parameters
GMT relies on several environment parameters, in particular to find data files and program settings.
- $GMT_SHAREDIR
- points to the GMT share directory where all run-time support files
such as coastlines, custom symbols, PostScript macros, color tables, and much more reside. If this
parameter is not set it defaults to the share sub-directory selected during the GMT install process (e.g., your answer to question C.9 on the web install form). If no selection
was made the ultimate default is the share directory under the GMT installation directory.
- $GMT_DATADIR
- points to one or more directory where large and/or widely used data files can
be placed. All GMT programs look in this directories when a file is specified on the
command line and it is not present in the current directory. This allows maintainers to
consolidate large data files and to simplify scripting that use these files since the absolute path need not be specified.
Separate multiple directories with colons; under Windows you use semi-colons.
- $GMT_USERDIR
- points to a directory where the user may place custom configuration files
(e.g., an alternate coastline.conf file, preferred default settings in .gmtdefaults4,
custom symbols and color palettes, and
shorthands for gridfile extensions via .gmt_io). Users may also place their own
data files in this directory as GMT programs will search for files given on the command
line in both $GMT_DATADIR and $GMT_USERDIR.
- $GMT_TMPDIR
- is where GMT will write its state parameters via the three files
.gmtcommands4, .gmtdefaults4 and .gmt_bb_info. If not set
then these files are written to the current directory. See Appendix P for more on
the use of $GMT_TMPDIR.
Next: 5. GMT Coordinate Transformations
Up: 4. General features
Previous: 4.19 The NaN data
Contents
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Paul Wessel
2010-11-01