Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I cannot figure out why GMT classic mode (github compile) does not recognized my FONT modifications to the gmt.conf file. I’ve double checked that there is no conflicting gmt.conf in the work directory, and this works for other changes to gmt.conf I want the …

Thanks, but setting GMT_THEME (which was set to classic) to OFF does not affect the behavior it seems.

And if you create a local gmt.conf file? It did work for me. C:\v>gmt set FONT_TITLE = 24p,Palatino-Roman,black C:\v>gmt get FONT_TITLE 24p,Palatino-Roman,black

Thanks, that works, while editing the gmt.conf file by hand, in either local or .gmt/ directory, did not. Bizarre, I cannot tell the difference.

Bizarre indeed. Can you post the non-working gmt.conf here as a zipped file?

Here’s an example https://www.dropbox.com/t/Z8sCp4SWwR4tB89W created with gmtdaults -D, and then replacing one Helvetica with Palatino-Roman, by hand (emacs editor). This does not get the right entry. Once I use gmt set, it seems to work?!

and your file fails for me as well??? C:\v>gmt get FONT_TITLE 24p,Helvetica,black

it seems GMT_THEME = classic resets the FONT_TITLE.

Found it. When one uses gmtdefaults -D, it set GMT_THEME = classic an that’s when the manual setting of FONT_TITLE (and possibly others) is ignored by gmt get. When we use gmt set it also changes GMT_THEME = off, and now the FONT_TITLE resetting woks. Looks a buggish behavior at least.

Phew, thought I was going crazy. Sorry for not catching that, thanks for digging into this!

Gmt.conf not read in classic mode?

Q&A

Andreas May 15, 2026, 9:51pm 2

Maybe there is a GMT_THEME overriding the setting? Try

gmt set GMT_THEME=off

Ref. Gmt not reading FORMAT_GEO_MAP from gmt.conf - #11 by Andreas

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Gmt.conf not read in classic mode?

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