Reference

lilypond(1)

manual page for LilyPond 2.26.0 (running Guile 3.0)

NAME

LilyPond - manual page for LilyPond 2.26.0 (running Guile 3.0)

SYNOPSIS

lilypond [OPTION]... FILE...

DESCRIPTION

Typeset music and/or produce MIDI from FILE.

LilyPond produces beautiful music notation. For more information, see https://lilypond.org

OPTIONS

-f, --formats=FORMATs

dump FORMAT,... Also as separate options:

--pdf

generate PDF files (default)

--svg

generate SVG files

--png

generate PNG files

--ps

generate PostScript files

-E, --eps

generate Encapsulated PostScript files

-O, --pspdfopt=KEY

set ps/pdf optimization to KEY, which is either 'size' (default), 'TeX', or 'TeX-GS'

-d, --define-default=SYM[=VAL]

set Scheme option SYM to VAL (default: '#t')

-d, --define-default=no-SYM

set Scheme option SYM to '#f'

-d, --define-default=help

show help for Scheme options

-e, --evaluate=EXPR

evaluate scheme code

-h, --help

show this help and exit

-H, --header=FIELD

dump \header field FIELD to file named BASENAME.FIELD

-I, --include=DIR

append DIR to search path

-i, --init=FILE

use FILE as init file

-j, --jail=USER,GROUP,JAIL,DIR

chroot to JAIL, become USER:GROUP and cd into DIR

-l, --loglevel=LOGLEVEL

print log messages according to LOGLEVEL, which is either NONE, ERROR, WARN, BASIC, PROGRESS, INFO (default), or DEBUG

-o, --output=FILE

write output to FILE (suffix will be added) or to FOLDER, in which case the file name will be taken from the input file.

--relocate

(ignored)

-s, --silent

no progress, only error messages (equivalent to --loglevel=ERROR)

-v, --version

show version number and exit

-V, --verbose

be verbose (equivalent to --loglevel=DEBUG)

-w, --warranty

show warranty and copyright

You found a bug? Please read https://lilypond.org/bug-reports.html

Top-level directory of LilyPond's data tree:

'/usr/share/lilypond/2.26.0'

COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 1996--2026 by

Han-Wen Nienhuys <[email protected]> Jan Nieuwenhuizen <[email protected]> and others.

This program is free software. It is covered by the GNU General Public License and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under certain conditions. Invoke as `lilypond --warranty' for more information.

SEE ALSO

The full documentation for LilyPond is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and LilyPond programs are properly installed at your site, the command

info LilyPond

should give you access to the complete manual.

History

--define-default since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --eps since Debian 11 (Bullseye); --evaluate since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --formats since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --header since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --help since Debian 2.1 (Slink); --init since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --jail since Debian 11 (Bullseye); --loglevel since Debian 8 (Jessie); --pdf since Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --png since Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --ps since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --pspdfopt since Debian 11 (Bullseye); --relocate since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --silent since Debian 8 (Jessie); --svg since Debian 11 (Bullseye); --verbose since Debian 3.0 (Woody); --version since Debian 2.2 (Potato); --warranty since Debian 2.1 (Slink); -E since Debian 11 (Bullseye); -H since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -O since Debian 11 (Bullseye); -V since Debian 2.1 (Slink); -d since Debian 3.1 (Sarge); -e since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -f since Debian 2.2 (Potato); -h since Debian 2.1 (Slink); -i since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -j since Debian 11 (Bullseye); -l since Debian 8 (Jessie); -s since Debian 8 (Jessie); -v since Debian 2.2 (Potato); -w since Debian 2.1 (Slink).

--backend until Debian 5.0 (Lenny); --debug until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --dep-prefix until Debian 3.0 (Woody); --dependencies until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --dvi until Debian 5.0 (Lenny); --find-fourths until Debian 2.1 (Slink); --find-old-relative until Debian 2.2 (Potato); --find-pfa until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --format until Debian 3.0 (Woody); --html until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --ignore-version until Debian 2.2 (Potato); --keep until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --midi until Debian 2.1 (Slink); --no-lily until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --no-paper until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --no-pdf until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --no-print until Debian 5.0 (Lenny); --no-ps until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --no-timestamps until Debian 2.2 (Potato); --output-format until Debian 2.2 (Potato); --pdftex until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --postscript until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --preview until Debian 5.0 (Lenny); --preview-resolution until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --psgz until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --safe until Debian 3.0 (Woody); --safe-mode until Debian 5.0 (Lenny); --set until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); --test until Debian 2.2 (Potato); --tex until Debian 5.0 (Lenny); -D until Debian 2.1 (Slink); -M until Debian 3.0 (Woody); -P until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); -Q until Debian 2.2 (Potato); -S until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); -T until Debian 2.2 (Potato); -b until Debian 5.0 (Lenny); -k until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); -m until Debian 3.1 (Sarge); -p until Debian 5.0 (Lenny); -t until Debian 2.2 (Potato).