Where Does Xpdf Store Settings?
Xpdf reads a single xpdfrc text file from your home directory, with command line flags overriding it.
Last updated
Xpdf keeps all of its configuration in one plain text file, xpdfrc, in your home directory. Fonts paths, paper size, key bindings, and viewer defaults each get a line. Copy the file and your setup follows you to any machine.
The file may not exist on a fresh install. Xpdf runs happily on compiled in defaults until you create it. Command line flags override file values for that run only, which makes testing a tweak safe: try it as a flag, keep it in the file once it behaves.
Where Xpdf stores this, by platform
~/.xpdfrc
Single config file read at startup. Create it if absent. System wide defaults live in /etc/xpdfrc when installed. See the xpdfrc man page for every directive since names must match exactly.
Frequently asked questions
Xpdf ignores my xpdfrc. Why?
Check the filename and location first: exactly .xpdfrc directly in home. Then check directive spelling against the man page, since unknown lines are silently skipped. A flag on the command line also overrides the file for that run.
How do I move Xpdf settings to a new machine?
Copy ~/.xpdfrc over. That is the entire configuration. Adjust any absolute font or tool paths inside if the new system lays out directories differently.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.