{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "MPOST",
    "section": "1",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MPOST/1/json",
    "generated": "2026-10-20T09:29:44Z",
    "synopsis": "mpost [options] [commands]\nmpost --dvitomp dvifile[.dvi] [mpxfile[.mpx]]",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "mpost,  pmpost,  upmpost - MetaPost, a system for creating graphics r-mpost, r-pmpost, r-upm‐\npost - restricted MetaPost\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "mpost [options] [commands]\n\nmpost --dvitomp dvifile[.dvi] [mpxfile[.mpx]]\n\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "MetaPost interprets the MetaPost language and produces PostScript (EPS)  or  Scalable  Vector\nGraphics  (SVG)  pictures.   The  MetaPost language is similar to Knuth's Metafont with addi‐\ntional features for including tex(1) or troff(1) commands and  accessing  features  of  Post‐\nScript not found in Metafont.\n\nMetaPost  is normally used with a set of basic macros, and it will use its executable name as\nthe name of the preload file to use.   For example, when called as mpost the mpost.mp file is\nused, which simply reads plain.mp.  When the --ini option is given, preloading does not  hap‐\npen.\n\nThe  commands given on the command line to the MetaPost program are passed to it as the first\ninput line.  (But it is often easier to type extended arguments  as  the  first  input  line,\nsince  UNIX  shells tend to gobble up or misinterpret MetaPost's favorite symbols, like semi‐\ncolons, unless you quote them.) The normal usage is to say mpost figs  to  process  the  file\nfigs.mp.   The  basename  of figs becomes the ``jobname'', and is used in forming output file\nnames.  If no file is named, the jobname becomes mpout.  The default extension, .mp,  can  be\noverridden by specifying an extension explicitly.\n\nWhen  the --dvitomp option is given, MetaPost acts as DVI-to-MPX converter only.  See dvitomp\n(1) for details.\n\nThe pmpost program is a variant with Japanese support, and upmpost has Unicode-enabled Japan‐\nese support, analogous to ptex and uptex.\n\nAll three variants are also installed with an `r-' prefix, that is, r-mpost, r-pmpost, r-upm‐\npost, which implicitly specify the --restricted option to make MetaPost safe to  run  on  un‐\nknown input; the tex, makempx, and editor commands are disabled.\n\nThis manual page is a mere skeleton.  For a list of all command line options, run --help.\n\nThe  main  documentation  for  this  version of MetaPost can be found in the User Manual that\nshould  have  been  installed  along  with  the  program   and   is   also   available   from\nhttps://tug.org/metapost.\n\nThe  MetaPost  language  is similar to Metafont, but the manual assumes no knowledge of Meta‐\nfont.  MetaPost does not have bitmap output commands or Metafont's online display mechanism.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "FILES": {
            "content": "plain.mp\nThe standard preload file.\n\nmfplain.mp\nThe Metafont-compatible preload file.\n\n$TEXMFMAIN/metapost/base/*.mp\nThe standard MetaPost macros included in the original distribution.\n\n$TEXMFMAIN/metapost/support/*\nVarious tables for handling included tex and troff.\n\n$TEXMFMAIN/metapost/support/trfonts.map\nTable of corresponding font names for troff and PostScript.\n\npsfonts.map\nTable of corresponding font names for tex and PostScript.\n\n$TEXMFMAIN/doc/metapost/*\nThe MetaPost manual and tutorial source, also including sample figures\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SUGGESTED READING": {
            "content": "Donald E. Knuth, The Metafontbook (Volume C of Computers  and  Typesetting),  Addison-Wesley,\n1986, ISBN 0-201-13445-4.\nTUGboat (the journal of the TeX Users Group).\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SEE ALSO": {
            "content": "dvitomp(1), epstopdf(1), mf(1), mptopdf(1), tex(1),\nMetaPost home page ⟨https://tug.org/metapost/⟩.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "AUTHORS": {
            "content": "MetaPost  was  created  by John D. Hobby, incorporating algorithms from Metafont by Donald E.\nKnuth.  It was originally implemented on Unix, incorporating system-dependent  routines  from\nweb2c, while not relying on it except for the actual Web-to-C translator.\n\nUlrik  Vieth  adapted  MetaPost  to take advantage of the advanced path searching features in\nmore recent versions of web2c and worked towards fully integrating MetaPost into the  canoni‐\ncal Unix TeX distribution.\n\nThe  primary author of the current MetaPost was Taco Hoekwater, with assistance from Hans Ha‐\ngen and many others.  It is currently maintained by Luigi Scarso.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "BUGS": {
            "content": "The MetaPost home page is https://tug.org/metapost.\n\nWeb2C 2023                                31 December 2018                                  MPOST(1)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "mpost,  pmpost,  upmpost - MetaPost, a system for creating graphics r-mpost, r-pmpost, r-upm‐ post - restricted MetaPost",
    "flags": [],
    "examples": [],
    "see_also": [
        {
            "name": "dvitomp",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/dvitomp/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "epstopdf",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/epstopdf/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "mf",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mf/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "mptopdf",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mptopdf/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "tex",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/tex/1/json"
        }
    ]
}