# Changing global gmt.conf **URL:** \ **Category:** Q&A\ **Created:** [November 23, 2022, 7:16pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480 "2022-11-23T19:16:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Andreas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Andreas](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Andreas)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 11:24am UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480/21 "2022-11-25T11:24:31Z")
Alright. Any thoughts about why I get a classic frame? (3 posts above) ---
**Author:** ![pwessel](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/pwessel/32/30_2.png) [@pwessel](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/pwessel)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 11:31am UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480/22 "2022-11-25T11:31:19Z")
Looks like while theme is set to minimal, it gets overwritten by individual GMT\_FRAMEWIDTH etc settings that have **not** changed since you just sed to change that word. ---
**Author:** ![Andreas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Andreas](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Andreas)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 12:22pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480/23 "2022-11-25T12:22:39Z")
Ah, of course. Because `GMT_THEME` is basically just a parameter to _change other parameters_? ---
**Author:** ![pwessel](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/pwessel/32/30_2.png) [@pwessel](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/pwessel)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 12:37pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480/24 "2022-11-25T12:37:36Z")
Yes, it fores a reset of all the related parameters. ---
**Author:** ![Andreas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Andreas](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Andreas)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 12:39pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480/25 "2022-11-25T12:39:21Z")
So changing _just_ `GMT_THEME` defeats the purpose (i.e. my `sed` scheme)? ---
**Author:** ![Andreas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Andreas](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Andreas)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 12:44pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480/26 "2022-11-25T12:44:24Z")
Guess it does: ```auto $ gmt defaults > default $ gmt set GMT_THEME minimal $ diff default gmt.conf 99c99 < MAP_FRAME_PEN = thicker,black --- > MAP_FRAME_PEN = black 119,120c119,120 < MAP_TICK_PEN_PRIMARY = thinner,black < MAP_TICK_PEN_SECONDARY = thinner,black --- > MAP_TICK_PEN_PRIMARY = black > MAP_TICK_PEN_SECONDARY = black ``` This sets `GMT_THEME = off`. I was expecting _minimal_. ---
**Author:** ![pwessel](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/pwessel/32/30_2.png) [@pwessel](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/pwessel)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 1:25pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480/27 "2022-11-25T13:25:41Z")
If we are lucky, @maxrjones will remember why we did it that way. But I guess it is because a theme means a collection of settings and we apply those settings and set theme to off so that those settings do not get reset again and again. Also you may want to deviate slightly from minimal by doing a gmt set command and that would fail if the theme would get processed each time, ---
**Author:** ![Andreas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Andreas](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Andreas)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 1:45pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480/28 "2022-11-25T13:45:36Z")
Yes, that make sense. Thanks Paul for dealing with my messy posts. ---
**Author:** ![maxrjones](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/maxrjones/32/2698_2.png) [@maxrjones](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/maxrjones)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 11:54pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480/29 "2022-11-29T23:54:44Z")
I cannot remember, but any historical context would be detailed in [https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/gmt/pull/3344](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/gmt/pull/3344). ---
**Author:** ![Andreas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Andreas](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Andreas)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2022, 8:06am UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480/30 "2022-11-30T08:06:15Z")
Thanks Max. - It makes sense what Paul wrote; setting `GMT_THEME` doesn’t do much in and by itself; it changes other parameters to get the minimal look. - Having `gmt.conf` in `$HOME` and `$HOME/.gmt` works fine in classic mode. It would be nice ~~to have a way of doing this~~ if this would work in modern mode as well. I usually use modern mode, and would like to use e.g. `GMT_THEME minimal` for all plots. ---
**Author:** ![maxrjones](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/maxrjones/32/2698_2.png) [@maxrjones](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/maxrjones)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2022, 4:40pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480/31 "2022-11-30T16:40:29Z")
You mean specifically modern mode one-liners, right? It should work for modern mode scripts. ---
**Author:** ![Andreas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Andreas](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Andreas)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480/32 "2022-11-30T20:33:42Z")
Yes, I did. And you’re right @maxrjones. It works in modern mode, but not for one-liners. I guess this is fine. I’ll store my `gmt.conf` in `$HOME/.gmt`. Thank you all! ---
**Author:** ![maxrjones](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/maxrjones/32/2698_2.png) [@maxrjones](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/maxrjones)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2022, 8:44pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480/33 "2022-11-30T20:44:22Z")
You could open a feature request for that, it doesn’t seem like it was intentional for it not to work. ---
**Author:** ![Andreas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Andreas](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Andreas)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2022, 9:00pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480/34 "2022-11-30T21:00:22Z")
Ok! [Previous page](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/changing-global-gmt-conf/3480.md?page=1)