boom.cfg - Configuration file for LxDoom v1.3.2 onwards

When a version of LxDoom (that is lxdoom, lsdoom, or other port of LxDoom) is run, it searches for this configuration file to modify its default settings. Every time LxDoom exits, it rewrites the configuration file, updating any settings that have been changed using teh in-game menues.

LxDoom expects the config file to be ~/.lxdoom/boom.cfg. Alternatively, it can be made to look elsewhere by using a command-line parameter:

{lxdoom,lsdoom} [ -config myconf ]

boom.cfg consists of a number of variables and values. Each line is of the following format:

[ { {{#,;,[} comment_text , variable {decimal_integer, 0xhex_integer, "string_text"}}]

Any line beginning with a non-alphabetic character is treated as a comment and ignored; for future compatibility you should start comments with a #, ; or [. Note however that when LxDoom rewrites boom.cfg it does not preserve user added comments.

Any line beginning with an alphabetic character is treated as a variable-value pair. The first word (sequence of non-whitespace characters) is the variable name, and everything after the following block of whitespace is taken to be the value assigned to the variable.

Variables not recognised by LxDoom, or which are given an invalid value or a value of an inappropriate type, are ignored. Warning messages are given where relevant.

The variables recognised by LxDoom are described per-section in the following sections. The sections are informal however; when LxDoom rewrites the config file it writes in section headings and puts variables into the relevant sections, but when reading these are ignored.

compatibility_level

LxDoom is capable of behaving in a way compatible with earlier versions of Doom and Boom/PrBoom. The value given here selects the version to be compatible with when doing new games/demos (loading savegames and playing back demos automatically selects the level of compatibility that was played with). The current values are: 0=Doom v1.9 (bugs and all), 1=Boom's compatibility mode (Doom v1.9 but without most of the bugs), 2=Boom v2.02 (TeamTNT's popular DOS port of Doom, on which LxDoom is based), 3=LxDoom v1.3.2+ (most bug fixes and features).

realtic_clock_rate

Selects the speed that LxDoom runs at, as a percentage of normal game speed. Leave at 100 unless you want to experiment. Note that it is considered `cheating' to use this at any setting below 100 (or above?).

max_player_corpse

Sets the maximum number of player corpses to leave lying around. If this limit would be exceeded, an old corpse is removed. Useful for big/long Deathmatch games, where the sheer number of corpses could slow the game down.

demo_insurance

Selects a method of protecting demos against `going out of sync' (where the player seems to lose control and behave madly, but in fact the players original instructions as stored in the demo have got out of sync with the game he was playing). 0=No protection, 1=Full protection, 2=Only while recording demos. Safest when left set to 2.

leds_always_off

A feature of Boom for DOS. The config setting is saved but not implemented in LxDoom.

endoom_mode

This parameter specifies options controlling the display of the credits screen when Doom exits. Currently it is the sum fo 3 options: add 1 for colours, 2 for non-ascii characters to be displayed, and 4 for the last line to be skipped so the top line doesn't scroll off screen.

screenshot_pcx

Selects whether to take screenshots in PCX format (1), or BMP format (0).

auto_load

A semicolon-separated list of .wad, .deh and .bex files to load automatically when LxDoom is started. Currently LxDoom searches the current directory, your home directory, and the directory pointed to by the DOOMWADDIR environimental variable for these files.

default_skill

The default skill level when starting a new game.

weapon_recoil

Enables recoil from weapon fire.

player_bobbing

Enables player bobbing (view randomly moving up/down slightly as the player runs).

monsters_remember

Makes monsters remember their previous enemy after killing their current target.

sts_always_red

LxDoom makes the colour of the text displays on the status bar reflect your current status (red=low, yellow=average, green=good, blue=supercharged). This option, if set, disables this behavior, returning to the original Doom behavior of displaying the numbers in red always, which is slightly faster.

sts_pct_always_gray

See above, this makes just the percent signs always gray, instead of changing colour.

sts_traditional_keys

Doom and LxDoom have two types of keys; LxDoom will normally display both keys of a given colour if you have both. This option, if enabled, instead makes LxDoom only ever display one key of each colour, in the same way Doom did.

traditional_menu

Changes LxDoom's menu ordering to be the same as original Doom if enabled.

show_messages

When enabled, text messages are displayed in the top left corner of the screen describing events in the game. Can be toggled in the game, this is just to preserve the setting.

autorun

Makes the player always run, without having to hold down a run key. Can be toggled in the game, this just preserves the setting.

sound_card

Selects whether sound effects are enabled (non-zero enables). For compatibility reasons with Boom, a range of values are accepted.

music_card

Selects whether in-game music is enabled (non-zero enables). For compatibility reasons a range of values are accepted.

pitched_sounds

If enabled by this variable, this enables `pitching' (making pitch adjustments to the playing sounds) for 16 bit sound cards.

sfx_volume

Sound effects volume. This is best adjusted in the game.

music_volume

Music volume. This is best adjusted in the game.

mus_pause_opt

Selects what LxDoom does to the music when a games is paused. 0=stop the music, 1=pause the music (stop it playing, but when resumed resume it at the same place - not implemented), 2=continue playing.

soundsrv

Selects the program to try to execute as an external sound server, without which no sound effects can be played. The only program I know of to do this is the supplied sound server (sndserv) with LxDoom, so enter its path here if needed.

musicsrv

Selects the program to try to execute as an external music server, without which no in-game music can be played. The only program I know of to do this is the program lxmusserver, linked from the LxDoom site, so enter its path here if needed.

sounddev

The device to which sound effects are sent. This must be a device compatible with /dev/dsp on UNIX systems. For example, to play LxDoom's sound effects through the PC speaker driver for Linux v2.0.x, change this entry to /dev/pcsp16.

snd_channels

The number of channels of audio that LxDoom is to manage simultaneously. Note that this is separate from the sound server which maintains its own limits, so this is probably irrelevant to UNIX ports of LxDoom.

detect_voices

This is a historical entry used by a certain audio library for DOS, I don't know for what. Thank god we're not using DOS eh? ;) Anyway this is preserved only for compatibility/historical reasons in LxDoom.

screen_width, screen_height

For versions of LxDoom which support high-res, these specify the default screen or window size for LxDoom. These settings are ignored and preserved by versions of LxDoom which do not do high-res (they assume 320x200).

use_vsync

For versions of LxDoom that have access to the hardware at this low a level, this tells LxDoom to wait to update the screen until a vertical retrace of the CRT screen. This means that the screen is updated while nothing is being drawn, giving a smoother animation and faster redraws. However it does lower the framerate.

translucency

Causes LxDoom to display certain objects as translucent.

tran_filter_pct

Selects how translucent objects are when they are translucent. Play with this and see for yourself.

screenblocks

Selects a reduced screensize inside the LxDoom window (the player's view is surrounded by a border). Normally this is undesirable, but it can help speed up the game. Can be changed in the game with the +/- keys, this variable is just to preserve that setting.

usegamma

Selects a level of gamma correction (extra screen brightening) to correct for a dark monitor or light surroundings. Can be selected in the game with the F11 key, this config entry preserves that setting.

X_options

Sets various misc options used by the Xwindows version, lxdoom. Default is 0; add 1 to disable MitSHM, add 2 to select alternate 24bpp code (use this if lxdoom has video corruption in 24bpp visuals).

This section specifies settings for using a mouse with LxDoom. There are several setings that control button bindings (what action each button causes inthe game); these are easiest set from the in-game menus, these config entries are to preserve the settings between games.

use_mouse

Enable or disable the use of a mouse with LxDoom.

mouse_sensitivity_horiz, mouse_sensitivity_vert

Sets the sensitivity of the mouse in LxDoom. Easier set from the in-game menus.

These specify the keys that trigger various actions in LxDoom. The codes used for keys are internal to LxDoom, though many keys are represented by their ASCII codes. It is easiest to modify these via the in-game menus (OPTIONS->SETUP->KEY BINDINGS). These config file entries preserve the settings from this menu between game sessions.

There are the trigger variables here, which are calculated during joystick calibration (the values received from the kernel driver outside of which movement is caused in the game). Also there are the button-bindings, again best adjusted using the in-game menus.

use_joystick

This selects the number of the joystick to use, or 0 selects no joystick. You have to have the relevant device files (/dev/js0 etc) and the kernel driver loaded.

These are pre-written text strings for quick transmission to players in a network game (consult your Doom documentation). Easiest set via the in-game menus (OPTIONS->SETUP->CHAT MACROS).

These are settings related to the automap. These are easiest set from within the game.

These are settings related to the heads-up display, that is messages received while playing and the heads-up display of your current status obtained by pressing + while the view is full-screen in LxDoom. See the Boom documentation for details. All controlled best from within the game.

Here are the settings from the Weapons menu in the game (OPTIONS->SETUP->WEAPONS).

lxdoom(6), LxDoom's documentation (including the Boom documentation) and your Doom documentation.

Colin Phipps (cph@lxdoom.linuxgames.com)