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4.9.2 Predefined Variables

There are a few predefined variables. The fact that a2ps builds them at startup changes nothing to their status: they can be modified like any other variable using --define (see Global Options).

In what follows, there are numbers (i) like this, or (ii) this. It means that a2ps first tries the solution (i), if a result is obtained (non empty value), this is the value given to the variable. Otherwise it tries solution (ii), etc. The rationale behind the order is usually from user modifiable values (e.g. environment variables) through system’s hard coded values (e.g., calls to getpwuid) and finally arbitrary values.

‘user.comments’

Comments on the user. Computed by (i) the system’s database (the part of pw_gecos after the first ‘,’), (ii) not defined.

‘user.home’

The user’s home directory. Determined by (i) the environment variable HOME, (ii) the system’s database (using getpwuid), (iii) the empty string.

‘user.host’

The user’s host name. Assigned from (i) the system (gethostname or uname), (ii) the empty string.

‘user.login’

The user’s login (e.g. ‘bgates’). Computed by (i) the environment variable LOGNAME, (ii) the environment variable USERNAME, (iii) the system’s database (using getpwuid), (iv) the translated string ‘user’.

‘user.name’

The user’s name (e.g. ‘William Gates’). Computed by (i) the system’s database (pw_gecos up to the first ‘,’), (ii) capitalized value of the variable ‘user.login’ unless it was the translated string ‘user’, (iii) the translated string ‘Unknown User’.