---
name: "pcp.conf"
section: "4"
platform: "linux"
package: "pcp"
version: "3.3.3-squeeze3"
release: "Debian 6.0 (Squeeze)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pcp.conf/4"
---

# pcp.conf(4)

the Performance Co-Pilot configuration and environment file

## NAME

**pcp.conf** - the Performance Co-Pilot configuration and environment file

## SYNOPSIS

*/etc/pcp.conf*

## DESCRIPTION

When using Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) tools and utilities and when calling PCP library functions, a standard set of environment variables are defined in  */etc/pcp.conf*. These variables are generally used to specify the location of various PCP pieces in the file system and may be loaded into shell scripts by sourcing the */etc/pcp.env*(4) shell script and queried by C/C++ programs using the [*pmGetConfig*(3)](/pmGetConfig/3.md) library function. If a variable is already defined in the environment, the values in *pcp.conf* do  **not** override those values, i.e. the values in *pcp.conf* serve as installation defaults only.

Both the *pcp.env* and *pcp.conf* files are expected to be found in */etc* by default. If required, the *pcp.conf* file may be relocated and **PCP\_CONF** set in the environment to specify the full path to the new location. The *pcp.env* file can not be relocated (this is the only hard coded path required by PCP).

The syntax rules for *pcp.conf* are as follows :

- 1\.

  the general syntax is\
  \
   **PCP\_VARIABLE\_NAME=variable value to end of line**

- 2\.

  lines that begin with **#** and all blank lines are ignored.

- 3\.

  all variables must be prefixed with **PCP\_**. This is a security issue - variables that do not have this prefix will be silently ignored.

- 4\.

  there should be no space between the variable name and the literal **=** and no space between the **=** and the variable value (unless the value actually starts with a space). This is required because the *pcp.conf* file may be sourced directly by Makefiles as well as interpreted by the *pcp.env* script and the *pmGetConfig* function.

- 5\.

  variable values may contain spaces and should **not** be quoted. The *pcp.env* script automatically quotes all variable values from the character immediately following the **=** through to the end of the line.

For further details and an explanation of the use of each variable, see the comments in the */etc/pcp.conf* file itself.

## ENVIRONMENT

The **PCP\_CONF** environment variable specifies an alternative path to the *pcp.conf* file.

## SEE ALSO

[**PCPIntro**(1)](/PCPIntro/1.md), [**PCPIntro**(3)](/PCPIntro/3.md), [**PMAPI**(3)](/PMAPI/3.md), [**pmGetConfig**(3)](/pmGetConfig/3.md) and [**pcp.env**(4)](/pcp.env/4.md).