---
name: "ctxtools"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "context"
version: "2012.05.30.20120611-1"
release: "Debian 7 (Wheezy)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ctxtools"
---

# ctxtools(1)

clean up temporary ConTeXt files, install latest ConTeXt

## NAME

ctxtools - clean up temporary ConTeXt files, install latest ConTeXt

## SYNOPSIS

**ctxtools** \[ *OPTION* ...  \]

## DESCRIPTION

**ctxtools** is useful for dealing with ConTeXt source and generated files and for installing new versions of ConTeXt.

## OPTIONS

- **--help**

  Print the available options.

- **--purgefiles**

  Get rid of many temporary files generated by ConTeXt.  You can give the  **--all** option to remove a larger fraction of those files, and the  **--recurse** option to remove these files also in subdirectories.

- **--contextversion**

  Show the date of the ConTeXt macros and the format file.  Useful after upgrading ConTeXt (perhaps using **--updatecontext**) to check whether the new formats and macros are visible to the TeX path searches (see  [**kpsewhich**(1)](/kpsewhich/1.md).

- **--updatecontext**

  Download the latest ConTeXt distribution and install it in the TEXMFLOCAL tree (see  [**kpsewhich**(1)](/kpsewhich/1.md) for information on TeX path searching).  TEXMFLOCAL usually points to a system-wide location.  If you want to install the new ConTeXt in your home directory (i.e. an install for one user), then set the TEXMFLOCAL  environment variable while running  **ctxtools**. For example, using the syntax of the Bourne shell  [**sh**(1)](/sh/1.md):

  ```
  TEXMFLOCAL=$HOME/texmf ctxtools --updatecontext
  ```

- **--documentation**

  Generate a *.ted* file from the source file.  See also the **--module** option to  [**texexec**(1)](/texexec/1.md).

- **--patternfiles** \[languagecode\]

  Generate pattern files.  You can also give the  **--all**, **--xml**, and **--utf8** options.

## ENVIRONMENT

- TEXMFLOCAL

  Used by `--updatecontext` to decide where to install the distribution.

## SEE ALSO

[**texexec**(1)](/texexec/1.md), [**texmfstart**(1)](/texmfstart/1.md).

ConTeXt wiki ⟨URL: http://www.contextgarden.net ⟩.

## BUGS

This manual page is not complete.

## AUTHOR

This manual page was written by Sanjoy Mahajan \<sanjoy@mit.edu\>.  It is in the public domain.