# phpman > man > TEX(1) > **TLDR:** Compile a DVI document from TeX source files. > - Compile a DVI document: `tex {{source.tex}}` - Compile a DVI document, specifying an output directory: `tex -output-directory={{path/to/directory}} {{source.tex}}` - Compile a DVI document, exiting on each error: `tex -halt-on-error {{source.tex}}` *Source: tldr-pages* --- [TEX(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/TEX/1/markdown) General Commands Manual [TEX(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/TEX/1/markdown) ## NAME tex, initex - text formatting and typesetting ## SYNOPSIS **tex** [_options_] [**&**_format_] [_file_|**\**_commands_] ## DESCRIPTION Run the TeX typesetter on _file_, usually creating _file.dvi_. If the file argument has no ex‐ tension, ".tex" will be appended to it. Instead of a filename, a set of TeX commands can be given, the first of which must start with a backslash. With a **&**_format_ argument TeX uses a different set of precompiled commands, contained in _format_**.fmt**; it is usually better to use the **-fmt** _format_ option instead. TeX formats the interspersed text and commands contained in the named files and outputs a typesetter independent file (called _DVI_, which is short for _DeVice_ _Independent_). TeX's capa‐ bilities and language are described in _The_ _TeXbook_. TeX is normally used with a large body of precompiled macros, and there are several specific formatting systems, such as LaTeX, which require the support of several macro files. This version of TeX looks at its command line to see what name it was called under. If they exist, then both **initex** and **virtex** are symbolic links to the **tex** executable. When called as **initex** (or when the **-ini** option is given) it can be used to precompile macros into a _.fmt_ file. When called as **virtex** it will use the _plain_ format. When called under any other name, TeX will use that name as the name of the format to use. For example, when called as **tex** the _tex_ format is used, which is identical to the _plain_ format. The commands defined by the _plain_ format are documented in _The_ _TeXbook_. Other formats that are often available include _latex_ and _amstex_. The non-option command line arguments to the TeX program are passed to it as the first input line. (But it is often easier to type extended arguments as the first input line, since UNIX shells tend to gobble up or misinterpret TeX's favorite symbols, like backslashes, unless you quote them.) As described in _The_ _TeXbook_, that first line should begin with a filename, a _\controlsequence_, or a _&formatname_. The normal usage is to say tex paper to start processing _paper.tex_. The name _paper_ will be the ``jobname'', and is used in form‐ ing output filenames. If TeX doesn't get a filename in the first line, the jobname is _tex__‐ _put_. When looking for a file, TeX looks for the name with and without the default extension (_.tex_) appended, unless the name already contains that extension. If _paper_ is the ``job‐ name'', a log of error messages, with rather more detail than normally appears on the screen, will appear in _paper.log_, and the output file will be in _paper.dvi_. This version of TeX can look in the first line of the file _paper.tex_ to see if it begins with the magic sequence _%&_. If the first line begins with **%&**_format_ **-translate-file** _tcxname_ then TeX will use the named format and translation table _tcxname_ to process the source file. Ei‐ ther the format name or the **-translate-file** specification may be omitted, but not both. This overrides the format selection based on the name by which the program is invoked. The ### -parse-first-line behaviour is enabled. The _e_ response to TeX's error prompt causes the system default editor to start up at the cur‐ rent line of the current file. The environment variable TEXEDIT can be used to change the editor used. It may contain a string with "%s" indicating where the filename goes and "%d" indicating where the decimal line number (if any) goes. For example, a TEXEDIT string for **emacs** can be set with the **sh** command _TEXEDIT="emacs_ _+%d_ _%s";_ _export_ _TEXEDIT_ A convenient file in the library is _null.tex_, containing nothing. When TeX can't find a file it thinks you want to input, it keeps asking you for another filename; responding `null' gets you out of the loop if you don't want to input anything. You can also type your EOF charac‐ ter (usually control-D). ## OPTIONS This version of TeX understands the following command line options. ### -cnf-line Parse _string_ as a _texmf.cnf_ configuration line. See the Kpathsea manual. ### -enc -ini For documentation of the encTeX extensions see ****. ### -file-line-error Print error messages in the form _file:line:error_ which is similar to the way many com‐ pilers format them. ### -no-file-line-error Disable printing error messages in the _file:line:error_ style. ### -file-line-error-style This is the old name of the **-file-line-error** option. ### -fmt Use _format_ as the name of the format to be used, instead of the name by which TeX was called or a _%&_ line. ### -halt-on-error Exit with an error code when an error is encountered during processing. ### -help ### -ini setting, but no format is preloaded, and basic initializations like setting catcodes may be required. ### -interaction Sets the interaction mode. The mode can be either _batchmode_, _nonstopmode_, _scrollmode_, and _errorstopmode_. The meaning of these modes is the same as that of the correspond‐ ing \commands. ### -ipc available is the choice of the installer. ### -ipc-start As **-ipc**, and starts the server at the other end as well. Whether this option is available is the choice of the installer. ### -jobname Use _name_ for the job name, instead of deriving it from the name of the input file. ### -kpathsea-debug Sets path searching debugging flags according to the bitmask. See the _Kpathsea_ manual for details. ### -mktex Enable mktex_fmt_, where _fmt_ must be either _tex_ or _tfm_. ### -mltex -ini ### -no-mktex Disable mktex_fmt_, where _fmt_ must be either _tex_ or _tfm_. ### -output-comment Use _string_ for the _DVI_ file comment instead of the date. ### -output-directory Write output files in _directory_ instead of the current directory. Look up input files in _directory_ first, then along the normal search path. See also description of the TEXMFOUTPUT environment variable. ### -parse-first-line If the first line of the main input file begins with _%&_ parse it to look for a dump name or a **-translate-file** option. ### -no-parse-first-line Disable parsing of the first line of the main input file. ### -progname Pretend to be program _name_. This affects both the format used and the search paths. ### -recorder Enable the filename recorder. This leaves a trace of the files opened for input and output in a file with extension _.fls_. ### -shell-escape Enable the **\write18{**_command_**}** construct. The _command_ can be any shell command. This construct is normally disallowed for security reasons. ### -no-shell-escape Disable the **\write18{**_command_**}** construct, even if it is enabled in the _texmf.cnf_ file. ### -src-specials Insert source specials into the _DVI_ file. ### -src-specials Insert source specials in certain places of the _DVI_ file. _where_ is a comma-separated value list: _cr_, _display_, _hbox_, _math_, _par_, _parent_, or _vbox_. ### -translate-file Use the _tcxname_ translation table to set the mapping of input characters and re-map‐ ping of output characters. ### -default-translate-file Like **-translate-file** except that a _%&_ line can overrule this setting. ### -version Print version information and exit. ## ENVIRONMENT See the Kpathsearch library documentation (the `Path specifications' node) for precise de‐ tails of how the environment variables are used. The **kpsewhich** utility can be used to query the values of the variables. One caveat: In most TeX formats, you cannot use ~ in a filename you give directly to TeX, be‐ cause ~ is an active character, and hence is expanded, not taken as part of the filename. Other programs, such as Metafont, do not have this problem. **TEXMFOUTPUT** Normally, TeX puts its output files in the current directory. If any output file can‐ not be opened there, it tries to open it in the directory specified in the environment variable TEXMFOUTPUT. There is no default value for that variable. For example, if you say _tex_ _paper_ and the current directory is not writable, if TEXMFOUTPUT has the value _/tmp_, TeX attempts to create _/tmp/paper.log_ (and _/tmp/paper.dvi_, if any output is produced.) TEXMFOUTPUT is also checked for input files, as TeX often generates files that need to be subsequently read; for input, no suffixes (such as ``.tex'') are added by default, the input name is simply checked as given. **TEXINPUTS** Search path for _\input_ and _\openin_ files. This should probably start with ``.'', so that user files are found before system files. An empty path component will be re‐ placed with the paths defined in the _texmf.cnf_ file. For example, set TEXINPUTS to ".:/home/user/tex:" to prepend the current directory and ``/home/user/tex'' to the standard search path. **TEXFORMATS** Search path for format files. **TEXPOOL** search path for **tex** internal strings. **TEXEDIT** Command template for switching to editor. The default, usually **vi**, is set when TeX is compiled. **TFMFONTS** Search path for font metric (_.tfm_) files. Notes for Debian developers: please keep in mind, that this version of the TeX interpreter ignores the **SOURCE**___**DATE**___**EPOCH** variable. Instead the current timestamp is written into the _DVI_ file. If you need a reproducible time stamp, please use any engine based on pdfTeX, e.g., etex, pdftex, latex, pdflatex. ## FILES The location of the files mentioned below varies from system to system. Use the **kpsewhich** utility to find their locations. _texmf.cnf_ Configuration file. This contains definitions of search paths as well as other con‐ figuration parameters like **parse**___**first**___**line**. _tex.pool_ Text file containing TeX's internal strings. _texfonts.map_ Filename mapping definitions. _*.tfm_ Metric files for TeX's fonts. _*.fmt_ Predigested TeX format (.fmt) files. _$TEXMFMAIN/tex/plain/base/plain.tex_ The basic macro package described in the TeXbook. ## NOTES This manual page is not meant to be exhaustive. The complete documentation for this version of TeX can be found in the info manual _Web2C:_ _A_ _TeX_ _implementation_. ## BUGS This version of TeX implements a number of optional extensions. In fact, many of these ex‐ tensions conflict to a greater or lesser extent with the definition of TeX. When such exten‐ sions are enabled, the banner printed when TeX starts is changed to print **TeXk** instead of **TeX**. This version of TeX fails to trap arithmetic overflow when dimensions are added or sub‐ tracted. Cases where this occurs are rare, but when it does the generated _DVI_ file will be invalid. ## SEE ALSO [**mf**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mf/1/markdown), Donald E. Knuth, _The_ _TeXbook_, Addison-Wesley, 1986, ISBN 0-201-13447-0. Leslie Lamport, _LaTeX_ _-_ _A_ _Document_ _Preparation_ _System_, Addison-Wesley, 1985, ISBN 0-201-15790-X. K. Berry, _Eplain:_ _Expanded_ _plain_ _TeX_, Michael Spivak, _The_ _Joy_ _of_ _TeX_, 2nd edition, Addison-Wesley, 1990, ISBN 0-8218-2997-1. _TUGboat_ (the journal of the TeX Users Group). ## TRIVIA TeX, pronounced properly, rhymes with ``blecchhh.'' The proper spelling in typewriter-like fonts is ``TeX'' and not ``TEX'' or ``tex.'' ## AUTHORS TeX was created by Donald E. Knuth, who implemented it using his Web system for Pascal pro‐ grams. It was ported to Unix at Stanford by Howard Trickey, and at Cornell by Pavel Curtis. The version now offered with the Unix TeX distribution is that generated by the Web to C sys‐ tem (**web2c**), originally written by Tomas Rokicki and Tim Morgan. The encTeX extensions were written by Petr Olsak. Web2C 2022/dev 6 August 2019 [TEX(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/TEX/1/markdown)