boom.cfg, glboom.cfg - Configuration file for PrBoom v2.1.0 onwards

When a version of PrBoom is run, it searches for this configuration file to modify its default settings. Every time PrBoom exits, it rewrites the configuration file, updating any settings that have been changed using the in-game menus.

PrBoom expects the config file to be ~/.prboom/boom.cfg, or ~/.prboom/glboom.cfg if compiled with GL support. Alternatively, it can be made to look elsewhere by using a command-line parameter:

{prboom,xprboom} [-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 PrBoom 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 PrBoom, 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 PrBoom are described per-section in the following sections. The sections are informal however; when PrBoom rewrites the config file it writes in section headings and puts variables into the relevant sections, but when reading these are ignored.

compatibility_level

PrBoom 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. See README.compat for details.

realtic_clock_rate

Selects the speed that PrBoom 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.

flashing_hom

Flag indicating whether a flashing red background is drawn to highlight HOM errors in levels (for level developers)

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.

endoom_mode

This parameter specifies options controlling the display of the credits screen when Doom exits. Currently it is the sum of 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.

level_precache

If set, when loading a new level PrBoom precaches all the graphics the level is likely to need in memory. This makes it much slower to load the level, but reduces disk activity and slowdowns reading data during play. Most systems are fast enough that precaching is not needed.

wadfile_1, wadfile_2

The names of 2 .wad files to be automatically loaded when PrBoom is started. A blank string means unused.

dehfile_1, dehfile_2

The names of 2 patch files (.deh or .bex) to be automatically loaded when PrBoom is started (empty string for none).

default_skill

The default skill level when starting a new game.

weapon_recoil

Enables recoil from weapon fire.

doom_weapon_toggles

Flag indicating whether pressing 3 or 1 when that weapon is already selected causes the selected shotgun or fist/chainsaw to be toggled, as in original Doom. Some people prefer to use a number for each weapon alone.

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.

monster_infighting

Whether monsters will fight each other when they injure each other accidentally.

monster_backing

Whether monsters without close combat weapons will back away from close combat (unlike original Doom).

monster_avoid_hazards

Whether monsters avoid crushing ceilings.

monkeys

Whether monsters will climb steep stairs.

monster_friction

Whether monsters are affected by changed floor friction (they should be, but weren't in Boom)

help_friends

Whether monsters will help out injured monsters by aiding them against their attacker.

player_helpers

The number of helper dogs to spawn.

friend_distance

Distance within which friends will generally stay.

dog_jumping

Whether dogs will jump.

sts_always_red

PrBoom makes the colour of the text displays on the status bar reflect your current status (red=low, yellow=average, green=good, blue=super-charged). 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 PrBoom have two types of keys; PrBoom will normally display both keys of a given colour if you have both. This option, if enabled, instead makes PrBoom only ever display one key of each colour, in the same way Doom did.

traditional_menu

Changes PrBoom'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.

samplerate

The samplerate for soundmixing and timidity. The sound quality is much better at higher samplerates, but if you use timidity then higher samplerates need much more CPU power. Useful values are 11025, 22050, 44100 and 48000.

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 PrBoom 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.

sounddev, snd_channels, soundsrv, musicsrv

These variables are no longer used by PrBoom, but are kept for compatibility reasons.

These are settings that let you choose whether the normal game mechanics are used, or whether various quirks, bugs and limitations of the original Doom game are emulated.

screen_width, screen_height

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

use_fullscreen

If set, this causes PrBoom to try to go full screen. Depending on your video driver and mode, this may include changing screen resolution to better match the game's screen resolution.

use_doublebuffer

Use double buffering to reduce tearing. On some machines this is even faster than the normal method, but on others this makes problems, so you have to try out which setting works best.

translucency

Causes PrBoom 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 screen size inside the PrBoom 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 X version, xprboom. Default is 0; add 1 to disable MitSHM, add 2 to select alternate 24bpp code (use this if xprboom has video corruption in 24bpp visuals).

If you are knowledgable about OpenGL, you can tweak various aspects of the GL rendering engine.

gl_nearclip

The near clipping plane *100.

gl_farclip

The far clipping plane *100.

gl_colorbuffer_bits

The bit depth for the framebuffer. (16, 24 or 32 bits)

gl_depthbuffer_bits

The bit depth for the z-buffer. (16, 24 or 32 bits)

gl_tex_filter_string

A string, one of the following: GL_NEAREST or GL_LINEAR (no mipmapping), or one of GL_NEAREST_MIPMAP_NEAREST, GL_NEAREST_MIPMAP_LINEAR, GL_LINEAR_MIPMAP_NEAREST, GL_LINEAR_MIPMAP_LINEAR with mipmapping.

gl_tex_format_string

One of the following strings: GL_RGBA - means format selected by driver (not so good), GL_RGBA2 - means 2 bits for each component (bad), GL_RGBA4 - means 4 bits for each component (like GL_RGBA on most cards), GL_RGB5_A1 - means 5 bits for each color component 1 bit for the alpha channel (default), GL_RGBA8 - means 8 bits for each component (best quality, but only a little bit better than GL_RGB5_A1 and slower on most cards)

gl_drawskys

If 0, disables drawing skies, which may be needed with some problematic 3D cards.

gl_sortsprites

Experimental option, possibly faster but less reliable.

This section specifies settings for using a mouse with PrBoom. There are several settings that control button bindings (what action each button causes in the 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 PrBoom.

mouse_sensitivity_horiz, mouse_sensitivity_vert

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

These specify the keys that trigger various actions in PrBoom. The codes used for keys are internal to PrBoom, 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 PrBoom. 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).

prboom(6), PrBoom's documentation (including the Boom and MBF documentation) and your Doom documentation.

See the file AUTHORS included with PrBoom for a list of contributors to PrBoom. This config file reference written by Colin Phipps (cph at cph.demon.co.uk).