Provided by: lyx_2.2.4-0ubuntu0.18.04.1_amd64 
NAME
LyX - A Document Processor
SYNOPSIS
lyx [ command-line switches ] [ name[.lyx] ... ]
DESCRIPTION
LyX is too complex to be described completely in the "man" page format. If your system is properly
configured, you can access the full documentation within LyX under the Help menu.
LyX is a document preparation system. It excels at letting you create complex technical and scientific
articles with mathematics, cross-references, bibliographies, indices, etc. It is very good at documents
of any length in which the usual processing abilities are required: automatic sectioning and pagination,
spellchecking, and so forth. It can also be used to write a letter to your mom, though granted, there are
probably simpler programs available for that. It is definitely not the best tool for creating banners,
flyers, or advertisements, though with some effort all these can be done, too. Some examples of what it
is used for: memos, letters, dissertations and theses, lecture notes, seminar notebooks, conference
proceedings, software documentation, books (on PostgreSQL, remote sensing, cryptology, fictional novels,
poetry, and even a children's book or two), articles in refereed scientific journals, scripts for plays
and movies, business proposals... you get the idea.
Currently, LyX uses the Qt4 library as a toolkit. LyX should run everywhere, where this library runs.
This is on all major Unix platforms as well as Windows and Mac OS X (which actually is a unix platform).
OPTIONS
LyX supports the following command-line switches.
-help summarizes LyX usage
-version
provides version information on the build of LyX.
-sysdir directory
sets system directory. Normally not needed.
-userdir directory
sets user directory. Needed if you want to use LyX with different lyxrc settings.
-geometry WxH+X+Y
set geometry of the main window.
-dbg feature[,feature...]
where feature is a name or number. Use "lyx -dbg" to see the list of available debug features.
-x [--execute] command
where command is a lyx command.
-e [--export] fmt
where fmt is the export format of choice (latex, pdflatex, luatex, xetex, xhtml, text, lyx, ps,
pdf, ...). Note that the order of -e and -x switches matters.
-E [--export-to] fmt filename
where fmt is the export format of choice (see --export), and filename is the destination filename.
Note that any additional external file needed by filename (such as image files) will be exported as
well to the folder containing filename (preserving the relative path embedded within the original
LyX document, if any).
-i [--import] fmt file.xxx
where fmt is the import format of choice and file.xxx is the file to be imported.
-f [--force-overwrite] what
where what is is either "all", "main" or "none". Specify "all" to allow overwriting all files
during a batch export, "main" to allow overwriting the main file only, or "none" to disallow
overwriting any file. When this switch is followed by anything else other than "all", "main" or
"none", the behavior is as if "all" was specified, but what follows is left on the command line for
further processing.
-n [--no-remote]
open documents passed as arguments in a new instance, even if another instance of LyX is already
running.
-r [--remote]
by using the lyxpipe, ask an already running instance of LyX to open the documents passed as
arguments and then exit. If the lyxpipe is not set up or is not working, a new instance is created
and execution continues normally.
-batch
causes LyX to run the given commands without opening a GUI window. Thus, something like:
lyx -batch -x "buffer-print printer default dvips" myfile.lyx
will cause LyX to print myfile.lyx to the default printer, using dvips and the default print
settings (which, of course, have to have been configured already).
ENVIRONMENT
LYX_DIR_22x
can be used to specify which system directory to use.
The system directory is determined by searching for the file "chkconfig.ltx". Directories are searched in
this order:
1) -sysdir command line parameter
2) LYX_DIR_22x environment variable
3) Maybe <path of binary>/TOP_SRCDIR/lib
4) <path of binary>/../share/<name of binary>/
5) hardcoded lyx_dir (at build time: /usr/share/lyx)
LYX_USERDIR_22x
can be used to specify which user directory to use.
The user directory is, in order of precedence:
1) -userdir command line parameter
2) LYX_USERDIR_22x environment variable
3) $HOME/.<name of binary> if no explicit setting is made
LYX_LOCALEDIR
can be used to tell LyX where to look for the translations of its GUI strings in other languages.
LYX_FORCE_OVERWRITE
can be used to change the default behavior when exporting from command line.
By default, LyX overwrites the main file when exporting from command line but not the ancillary files.
This behavior can be changed by setting this environment variable, which relieves the need of using the
-f switch. Allowed values are either "all", "main" or "none", with same meaning as for the -f switch.
FILES
~/.lyx/preferences Personal configuration file ~/.lyx/lyxrc.defaults Personal autodetected configuration file LIBDIR/lyxrc.dist System wide configuration file LIBDIR/configure.py Updates LyX if config has changed LIBDIR/bind/ Keybindings LIBDIR/clipart/ Clipart pictures LIBDIR/doc/ Documentation in LyX format. LIBDIR/examples/ Example documents LIBDIR/images/ Images used as icons or in popups LIBDIR/kbd/ Keyboard mappings LIBDIR/layouts/ Layout descriptions LIBDIR/templates/ Templates for documents LIBDIR/tex/ Extra TeX files LIBDIR is the system directory. This was at build time /usr/share/lyx.
SEE ALSO
tex2lyx(1), latex(1). Full documentation in either native LyX or postscript format.
BUGS/LIMITATIONS
There are still some bugs in LyX. To report one, read if possible the Introduction found under the Help
menu in LyX. You'll find detailed info on submitting bug reports there. If you can't do that, send
details to the LyX Developers mailing list lyx-devel@lists.lyx.org, or use the LyX bug tracker at
http://www.lyx.org/trac/wiki/BugTrackerHome. Don't forget to mention which version you are having
problems with!
LaTeX import is still not perfect and may produce buggy *.lyx files. Consult the tex2lyx documentation.
AUTHORS
LyX is Copyright (C) 1995 by Matthias Ettrich, 1995-2010 LyX Team