--- name: "mtxrun-context" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "texlive-doc" version: "2026.1-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/mtxrun-context" --- # mtxrun-context(1) ConTeXt Process Management ## NAME mtx-context - ConTeXt Process Management ## SYNOPSIS **mtxrun --script context \[** *OPTIONS ...* **\] \[** *FILENAMES* **\]** ## DESCRIPTION **ConTeXt Process Management** ## OPTIONS: BASIC - **--run** process (one or more) files (default action) - **--make** create context formats - **--ctx=name** use ctx file (process management specification) - **--noctx** ignore ctx directives and flags - **--interface** use specified user interface (default: en) - **--autopdf** close pdf file in viewer and start pdf viewer afterwards - **--purge** purge files either or not after a run (--pattern=...) - **--purgeall** purge all files either or not after a run (--pattern=...) - **--usemodule=list** load the given module or style, normally part of the distribution - **--environment=list** load the given environment file first (document styles) - **--mode=list** enable given the modes (conditional processing in styles) - **--path=list** also consult the given paths when files are looked for - **--arguments=list** set variables that can be consulted during a run (key/value pairs) - **--randomseed=number** set the randomseed - **--result=name** rename the resulting output to the given name - **--trackers=list** set tracker variables (show list with --showtrackers) - **--directives=list** set directive variables (show list with --showdirectives) - **--silent=list** disable logcategories (show list with --showlogcategories) - **--strip** strip Lua code (only meant for production where no errors are expected) - **--errors=list** show errors at the end of a run, quit when in list (also when --silent) - **--htmlerrorpage** generate html error page instead (optional: =scite) - **--noconsole** disable logging to the console (logfile only) - **--nodummy** don't create a dummy file (can confuse pdf viewers that keep file in view) - **--purgeresult** purge result file before run - **--find=string** search for the given pattern in the documentation sources - **--forcexml** force xml stub - **--forcecld** force cld (context lua document) stub - **--forcelua** force lua stub (like texlua) - **--forcemp** force mp stub - **--arrange** run extra imposition pass, given that the style sets up imposition - **--noarrange** ignore imposition specifications in the style - **--pages** report pagenumbers of names pages and list references (--page=... or --page=...) - **--jit** use luajittex with jit turned off (only use the faster virtual machine) - **--jiton** use luajittex with jit turned on (in most cases not faster, even slower) - **--once** only run once (no multipass data file is produced) - **--runs** process at most this many times - **--forcedruns** process this many times (permits for optimization trial runs) - **--batchmode** run without stopping and do not show messages on the console - **--nonstopmode** run without stopping - **--nocompactfonts** revert to less efficient (traditional) font scaling - **--nosynctex** never initializes synctex (for production runs) - **--synctex** run with synctex enabled (better use etupsynctex\[state=start\]) - **--nodates** omit runtime dates in pdf file (optional value: a number (1970 offset) or string "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM") - **--nocompression** forcefully turns off compression in the backend - **--trailerid** alternative trailer id (or constant one) - **--generate** generate file database etc. (as luatools does) - **--paranoid** do not descend to .. and ../.. - **--version** report installed context version - **--integrity** report mismatch between binary and expectations - **--global** assume given file present elsewhere - **--nofile** use dummy file as jobname - **--forceinput** use this file as input file instead of the given one - **--expert** show some more options ## OPTIONS: EXPERT - **--touch** update context version number (also provide --expert, optionally provide --basepath) - **--nostatistics** omit runtime statistics at the end of the run - **--profile** profile job (use: mtxrun --script profile --analyze) - **--timing** generate timing and statistics overview - **--keeptuc** keep previous tuc files (jobname-tuc-\[run\].tmp) - **--keeppdf** keep previous pdf files (jobname-pdf-keep.tmp) - **--keeplog** keep previous log files (jobname-log-\[run\].tmp) - **--notuc** don't write a tuc file - **--lmtx** force lmtx mode (when available) - **--overloadmode=error\|warning\|0--6\|255** enable csname overload checking - **--extra=name** process extra (mtx-context-... in distribution) - **--extras** show extras - **--ownerpassword** encrypt the (pdf) file using this master password - **--userpassword** use an additional password for opening the document - **--permissions** list of: print, modify, extract, add, fillin, assemble, quality - **--wtpdf** add an wtpdf conformance blob but best check first if it applies ## OPTIONS: SPECIAL - **--luatex** process file with luatex instead of luametatex - **--pdftex** process file with texexec using pdftex - **--xetex** process file with texexec using xetex - **--mkii** process file with texexec - **--pipe** do not check for file and enter scroll mode (--dummyfile=whatever.tmp) - **--parallel** process multiple files at the same time (you can specify a number of processes, default: 8) - **--parallellist** process commands in this file (lines that start with 'context') - **--sandbox** process file in a limited environment - **--addbinarypath** prepend the (found) binarypath to runners ## AUTHOR More information about ConTeXt and the tools that come with it can be found at: **maillist:** ntg-context@ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context **webpage:** http://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://tex.aanhet.net **wiki:** http://contextgarden.net