# Gmt.conf not read in classic mode? **URL:** \ **Category:** Q&A\ **Created:** [May 15, 2026, 8:59pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419 "2026-05-15T20:59:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thwbecker](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/thwbecker/32/1215_2.png) [@thwbecker](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/thwbecker)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 8:59pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/1 "2026-05-15T20:59:03Z")
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 Palatino font, for example, so I set grep FONT\_TITLE /home/twb/.gmt/gmt.conf FONT\_TITLE = 24p,Palatino-Roman,black However, gmt get FONT\_TITLE 24p,Helvetica,black seemingly no matter what font I chose. Changing other parameters like PS\_MEDIA, works. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Andreas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Andreas](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Andreas)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 9:51pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/2 "2026-05-15T21:51:37Z")
Maybe there is a `GMT_THEME` overriding the setting? Try ```auto gmt set GMT_THEME=off ``` Ref. [Gmt not reading FORMAT\_GEO\_MAP from gmt.conf - #11 by Andreas](http://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-not-reading-format-geo-map-from-gmt-conf/4511/11) ---
**Author:** ![thwbecker](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/thwbecker/32/1215_2.png) [@thwbecker](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/thwbecker)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 10:03pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/3 "2026-05-15T22:03:37Z")
Thanks, but setting GMT\_THEME (which was set to classic) to OFF does not affect the behavior it seems. ---
**Author:** ![Joaquim](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/joaquim/32/16_2.png) [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 2:47pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/4 "2026-05-16T14:47:47Z")
And if you create a local gmt.conf file? It did work for me. ```auto C:\v>gmt set FONT_TITLE = 24p,Palatino-Roman,black C:\v>gmt get FONT_TITLE 24p,Palatino-Roman,black ``` ---
**Author:** ![thwbecker](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/thwbecker/32/1215_2.png) [@thwbecker](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/thwbecker)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 3:50pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/5 "2026-05-16T15:50:00Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Joaquim](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/joaquim/32/16_2.png) [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 4:04pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/6 "2026-05-16T16:04:23Z")
Bizarre indeed. Can you post the non-working gmt.conf here as a zipped file? ---
**Author:** ![thwbecker](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/thwbecker/32/1215_2.png) [@thwbecker](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/thwbecker)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/7 "2026-05-16T16:13:48Z")
Here’s an example [https://www.dropbox.com/t/Z8sCp4SWwR4tB89W](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?! ---
**Author:** ![Joaquim](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/joaquim/32/16_2.png) [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 4:40pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/8 "2026-05-16T16:40:23Z")
and your file fails for me as well??? ```auto C:\v>gmt get FONT_TITLE 24p,Helvetica,black ``` ---
**Author:** ![mkononets](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/mkononets/32/4029_2.png) [@mkononets](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/mkononets)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 5:17pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/9 "2026-05-16T17:17:29Z")
it seems `GMT_THEME = classic` resets the `FONT_TITLE`. ---
**Author:** ![Joaquim](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/joaquim/32/16_2.png) [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 5:17pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/10 "2026-05-16T17:17:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![thwbecker](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/thwbecker/32/1215_2.png) [@thwbecker](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/thwbecker)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 5:19pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/11 "2026-05-16T17:19:32Z")
Phew, thought I was going crazy. Sorry for not catching that, thanks for digging into this! ---
**Author:** ![Joaquim](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/joaquim/32/16_2.png) [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 5:23pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/12 "2026-05-16T17:23:16Z")
and it also resets (`gmtset`) `TIME_EPOCH = 1970-01-01T00:00:00` to `TIME_EPOCH = 1970-01-01t00:00:00` (note the T → t change) as if considering that `gmtdefaults` did it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![thwbecker](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/thwbecker/32/1215_2.png) [@thwbecker](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/thwbecker)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 5:27pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/13 "2026-05-16T17:27:30Z")
Huh - seems like might be good to clarify at least, or maybe adjust the default behavior? The lowercase t “correction” does seem off (“T” is standard, FWICT) ---
**Author:** ![Joaquim](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/joaquim/32/16_2.png) [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 5:44pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/14 "2026-05-16T17:44:45Z")
Opened an issue ([gmtdefaults and gmtset disagreements · Issue #9023 · GenericMappingTools/gmt · GitHub](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/gmt/issues/9023)) ---
**Author:** ![Joaquim](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/joaquim/32/16_2.png) [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/15 "2026-05-17T22:26:58Z")
and fixed. ---
**Author:** ![thwbecker](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/thwbecker/32/1215_2.png) [@thwbecker](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/thwbecker)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 10:59pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/16 "2026-05-17T22:59:42Z")
Thank you! Downloaded and compiled, and the functionality is now as expected, but only after setting THEME to off, which is presumably how it’s supposed to work. (I.e. just doing gmtdefaults -D to the config file and changing the fonts does not change things, still overridden). ---
**Author:** ![Joaquim](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/joaquim/32/16_2.png) [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 11:43pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/gmt-conf-not-read-in-classic-mode/6419/17 "2026-05-17T23:43:36Z")
Yes, I left the THEME thing out of this because I’m not sure if what it is been currently done is correct or not. Opinions are well come.