---
name: "install-fmt-base"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "mflib"
version: "1.0-8"
release: "Debian 1.2 (Rex)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/install-fmt-base"
---

# install-fmt-base(8)

install/remove format/base files

## NAME

install-fmt-base - install/remove format/base files

## SYNOPSIS

**install-fmt-base** \[-i\|--install\|-r\|--remove\] \[format\|base\] **install-fmt-base** \[-h\|--help\] \[-V\|--version\] \[-L\|--license\]

## DESCRIPTION

This manual page documents the  **install-fmt-base** sh script which provides an easy way to install or remove format or base files required for TeX, LaTeX, Metafont and related software. *Install-fmt-base* needs an initialization file to be present in /usr/lib/texmf/ini. This initialization file should have the initex or inimf extension and should contain the script to be processed by respectively the initex or inimf program in order to create the corresponding format or base file and a symbolic link to virtex when dealing with an initex script. The presence of the initialization file is checked --and must be true-- when removing the format or base file too.

## EXAMPLES

- **install-fmt-base --install \[tex\|latex\|cmmf\|xytex\]**

  - **tex**

  Install tex.fmt in /usr/lib/texmf/ini and create a symbolic link to virtex named tex in /usr/bin.

- **latex**

  Install latex.fmt in /usr/lib/texmf/ini and create a symbolic link to virtex named latex in /usr/bin.

- **cmmf**

  Install cmmf.base in /usr/lib/texmf/ini.

- **xytex**

  Install xytex.fmt in /usr/lib/texmf/ini and create a symbolic link to virtex named xytex in /usr/bin.

- **install-fmt-base --remove \[latex\|mf\]**

  - **latex**

  Remove latex.fmt from /usr/lib/texmf/ini and remove the symbolic link to virtex named latex from /usr/bin.

- **mf**

  Remove mf.base from /usr/lib/texmf/ini.

### OPTIONS

- *-i, --install format/base*

  Install format/base file using corresponding script and exit successfully.

- *-r, --remove format/base*

  Remove format/base file and links and exit successfully.

- *-h, --help*

  Print a usage message and exit successfully.

- *-V, --version*

  Print version information and exit successfully.

- *-L, --license*

  Print copyright information and (a reference to GNU) license information and exit successfully.

## BUGS?

Successfully tested on *Debian GNU/Linux* systems only.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright 1995, Erick Branderhorst. **Install-fmt-base** is free software; see the GNU General Public Licence version 2 or later for copying conditions. There is *no* warranty.

## SEE ALSO

[**initex**(1)](/initex/1.md), [**inimf**(1)](/inimf/1.md), [**virtex**(1)](/virtex/1.md), [**sh**(1)](/sh/1.md).