Supported file formats

Kpathsea has support for a number of file types. Each file type has a list of environment and config file variables that are checked to define the search path, and most have a default suffix that plays a role in finding files (see the next section). Some also define additional suffixes, and/or a program to be run to create missing files on the fly.

Since environment variables containing periods, such as `TEXINPUTS.latex', are not allowed on some systems, Kpathsea looks for environment variables with an underscore, e.g., `TEXINPUTS_latex' (see section Config files).

The following table lists the above information.

`.afm'

(Adobe font metrics, see section `Metric files' in Dvips) AFMFONTS.

`.base'

(Metafont memory dump, see section `Memory dumps' in Web2c) MFBASES, TEXMFINI.

`.bib'

(BibTeX bibliography source, see section `bibtex invocation' in Web2c) BIBINPUTS, TEXBIB.

`.bst'

(BibTeX style file, see section `Basic BibTeX style files' in Web2c) BSTINPUTS.

`.cnf'

(Runtime configuration files, see section Config files) TEXMFCNF.

`ls-R'

(Filename databases, see section Filename database (ls-R)) TEXMFDBS.

`.fmt'

(TeX memory dump, see section `Memory dumps' in Web2c) TEXFORMATS, TEXMFINI.

`gf'

(generic font bitmap, see section `Glyph files' in Dvips) programFONTS, GFFONTS, GLYPHFONTS, TEXFONTS.

`.map'

(Fontmaps, see section Fontmap) TEXFONTMAPS.

`.ist'

(makeindex style files) TEXINDEXSTYLE, INDEXSTYLE.

`.mem'

(MetaPost memory dump, see section `Memory dumps' in Web2c) MPMEMS, TEXMFINI.

`.mf'

(Metafont source, see section `mf invocation' in Web2c) MFINPUTS; dynamic creation program: MakeTeXMF.

`.mft'

(MFT style file, see section `mft invocation' in Web2c) MFTINPUTS.

`mf.pool'

(Metafont program strings, see section `pooltype invocation' in Web2c) MFPOOL, TEXMFINI.

`.mp'

(MetaPost source, see section `mpost invocation' in Web2c) MPINPUTS.

`mp.pool'

(MetaPost program strings, see section `pooltype invocation' in Web2c) MPPOOL, TEXMFINI.

`(none)'

(MetaPost support files, used by DMP; see section `dmp invocation' in Web2c) MPSUPPORT.

`.ocp'

(Omega compiled process files) OCPINPUTS;
dynamic creation program: MakeOmegaOCP.

`.ofm'

(Omega font metrics) OFMFONTS, TEXFONTS;
dynamic creation program: MakeOmegaOFM.

`.opl'

(Omega property lists) OPLFONTS, TEXFONTS.

`.otp'

(Omega translation process files) OTPINPUTS.

`.ovf'

(Omega virtual fonts) OVFFONTS, TEXFONTS.

`.ovp'

(Omega virtual property lists) OVPFONTS, TEXFONTS.

`.eps'

(Encapsulated PostScript figures, see section `PostScript figures' in Dvips) TEXPICTS, TEXINPUTS; additional suffixes: `.epsi'.

`pk'

(packed bitmap fonts, see section `Glyph files' in Dvips) PROGRAMFONTS (program being `XDVI', etc.), PKFONTS, TEXPKS, GLYPHFONTS, TEXFONTS; dynamic creation program: MakeTeXPK.

`.pro'

(downloadable PostScript, see section `Header files' in Dvips) TEXPSHEADERS, PSHEADERS.

`.tex'

(TeX source, see section `tex invocation' in Web2c) TEXINPUTS; additional suffixes: `.ltx' `.dtx' `.texi' `.texinfo' `.txi' `.eps' `.epsi'; dynamic creation program: MakeTeXTeX.

`(none)'

(Documentation files for the TeX system) TEXDOCS.

`tex.pool'

(TeX program strings, see section `pooltype invocation' in Web2c) TEXPOOL, TEXMFINI.

`(none)'

(Source files for the TeX system) TEXSOURCES.

`.tfm'

(TeX font metrics, see section `Metric files' in Dvips) TFMFONTS, TEXFONTS; dynamic creation program: MakeTeXTFM.

`(none)'

(Troff fonts, used by DMP; see section `DMP invocation' in Web2c) TRFONTS.

`.pfa'

(Type 1 PostScript outline fonts, see section `Glyph files' in Dvips) T1FONTS, T1INPUTS, TEXPSHEADERS, DVIPSHEADERS; additional suffix: `.pfb'.

`.vf'

(virtual fonts, see section `Virtual fonts' in Dvips) VFFONTS, TEXFONTS.

`(none)'

(Dvips `config.*' files, such as `config.ps', see section `Config files' in Dvips) TEXCONFIG.

If an environment variable by these names are set, the corresponding `texmf.cnf' definition won't be looked at (unless, as usual, the environment variable value has an extra `:'). See section Default expansion.

For the font variables, the intent is that:

• TEXFONTS is the default for everything.
• GLYPHFONTS is the default for bitmap (or, more precisely, non-metric) files.
• Each font format has a variable of its own.
• Each program has its own font override path as well; e.g., DVIPSFONTS for Dvipsk. Again, this is for bitmaps, not metrics.

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