# phpman > man > pdflatex(1) > **TLDR:** Compile a PDF document from LaTeX source files. > - Compile a PDF document: `pdflatex {{source.tex}}` - Compile a PDF document specifying an output directory: `pdflatex -output-directory={{path/to/directory}} {{source.tex}}` - Compile a PDF document, exiting on each error: `pdflatex -halt-on-error {{source.tex}}` *Source: tldr-pages* --- [PDFTEX(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/PDFTEX/1/markdown) General Commands Manual [PDFTEX(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/PDFTEX/1/markdown) ## NAME pdftex - PDF output from TeX ## SYNOPSIS **pdftex** [_options_] [**&**_format_] [_file_|**\**_commands_] ## DESCRIPTION Run the pdfTeX typesetter on _file_, usually creating _file.pdf_. If the file argument has no extension, ".tex" will be appended to it. Instead of a filename, a set of pdfTeX commands can be given, the first of which must start with a backslash. With a **&**_format_ argument pdfTeX uses a different set of precompiled commands, contained in _format_**.fmt**; it is usually better to use the **-fmt** _format_ option instead. pdfTeX is a version of TeX, with the e-TeX extensions, that can create PDF files as well as DVI files. In DVI mode, pdfTeX can be used as a complete replacement for the TeX engine. The typical use of pdfTeX is with a pregenerated formats for which PDF output has been en‐ abled. The **pdftex** command uses the equivalent of the plain TeX format, and the **pdflatex** com‐ mand uses the equivalent of the LaTeX format. To generate formats, use the **-ini** switch. The **pdfinitex** and **pdfvirtex** commands are pdfTeX's analogues to the **initex** and **virtex** com‐ mands. In this installation, if the links exist, they are symbolic links to the **pdftex** exe‐ cutable. In PDF mode, pdfTeX can natively handle the _PDF_, _JPG_, _JBIG2_, and _PNG_ graphics formats. pdf‐ TeX cannot include PostScript or Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) graphics files; first convert them to PDF using [**epstopdf**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/epstopdf/1/markdown). pdfTeX's handling of its command-line arguments is similar to that of of the other TeX programs in the _web2c_ implementation. Starting with version 1.40, pdfTeX incorporates the e-TeX extensions, and pdfeTeX is just a copy of pdfTeX. See [**etex**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/etex/1/markdown). ## OPTIONS This version of pdfTeX understands the following command line options. ### -cnf-line Parse _string_ as a _texmf.cnf_ configuration line. See the Kpathsea manual. ### -draftmode Sets \pdfdraftmode so pdfTeX doesn't write a PDF and doesn't read any included images, thus speeding up execution. ### -enc -ini For documentation of the encTeX extensions see . ### -etex -ini See [**etex**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/etex/1/markdown). ### -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 pdfTeX 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 tion is 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 In DVI mode, use _string_ for the DVI file comment instead of the date. This option is ignored in PDF mode. ### -output-directory Write output files in _directory_ instead of the current directory. Look up input files in _directory_ first, the along the normal search path. ### -output-format Set the output format mode, where _format_ must be either _pdf_ or _dvi_. This also influ‐ ences the set of graphics formats understood by pdfTeX. ### -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. ### -shell-restricted Enable restricted \write18{}, as explained in the ``Shell escapes'' section of the Web2c Texinfo manual. ### -src-specials In DVI mode, insert source specials into the DVI file. This option is ignored in PDF mode. ### -src-specials In DVI mode, insert source specials in certain places of the DVI file. The _where_ argu‐ ment is a comma-separated value list: _cr_, _display_, _hbox_, _math_, _par_, _parent_, or _vbox_. This option is ignored in PDF mode. ### -synctex generate SyncTeX data for previewers according to bits of NUMBER. See the _synctex_ man‐ ual page for details. ### -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. ### -8bit ## ENVIRONMENT See the Kpathsea library documentation (e.g., 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 pdfTeX formats, you cannot use ~ in a filename you give directly to pdf‐ TeX, because ~ is an active character in TeX, and hence is expanded, not taken as part of the filename. Other programs, such as Metafont, do not have this problem. **TEXMFOUTPUT** Normally, pdfTeX puts its output files in the current directory. If any output file cannot be opened there, it tries to open it in the directory specified in the environ‐ ment variable TEXMFOUTPUT. There is no default value for that variable. For example, if you say _pdftex_ _paper_ and the current directory is not writable and TEXMFOUTPUT has the value _/tmp_, pdfTeX attempts to create _/tmp/paper.log_ (and _/tmp/paper.pdf_, if any output is produced.) TEXMFOUTPUT is also checked for input files, as TeX often gener‐ ates 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 normally starts with ``.'', so that user files are found before system files. An empty path component will be replaced 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. **TEXEDIT** Command template for switching to editor. The default, usually **vi**, is set when pdfTeX is compiled. **TFMFONTS** Search path for font metric (_.tfm_) files. **SOURCE**___**DATE**___**EPOCH** If set, its value, taken to be in epoch-seconds, will be used for the timestamps in the PDF output, such as the CreationDate and ModDate keys. This is useful for making reproducible builds. **FORCE**___**SOURCE**___**DATE** If set to the value "1", the time-related TeX primitives (_\year_, _\month_, _\day_, _\time_) are also initialized from the value of SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH. This is not recommended if there is any viable alternative. pdfTeX also has several primitives to support reproducible builds, which are prefer‐ able to setting these environment variables; see the main manual. Many, many more environment variables may be consulted related to path searching. See the Kpathsea manual. ## FILES The location of the files mentioned below varies from system to system. Use the **kpsewhich** utility to find their locations. _pdftex.map_ Font name mapping definitions. _*.tfm_ Metric files for pdfTeX's fonts. _*.fmt_ Predigested pdfTeX format (.fmt) files. ## NOTES ## BUGS This version of pdfTeX 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 or PDF file will be invalid. ## AVAILABILITY pdfTeX is available for a large variety of machine architectures and operating systems. pdf‐ TeX is part of all major TeX distributions. The pdfTeX home page: . pdfTeX on CTAN: . pdfTeX mailing list for all discussion: . ## SEE ALSO This manual page is not meant to be exhaustive. The complete documentation for this version of pdfTeX can be found in the _pdfTeX_ _user_ _manual_ and the Texinfo manuals _Kpathsea_ _library_, _Web2C:_ _A_ _TeX_ _implementation_. These manuals, and more, can be accessed from the pdfTeX or CTAN web pages given above. Some related programs: [**epstopdf**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/epstopdf/1/markdown), [**etex**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/etex/1/markdown), [**latex**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/latex/1/markdown), [**luatex**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/luatex/1/markdown), [**mptopdf**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mptopdf/1/markdown), [**tex**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/tex/1/markdown), [**mf**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mf/1/markdown). ## AUTHORS The primary authors of pdfTeX are Han The Thanh, Petr Sojka, Jiri Zlatuska, and Peter Breit‐ enlohner (eTeX). TeX was designed 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 [PDFTEX(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/PDFTEX/1/markdown)