# Environment Variables

The following environment variables are used by IDA:

## TMP or TEMP

Specifies the directory where the temporary files will be created.\
**Default**: `C:\TEMP`

## EDITOR

The name of the preferred text editor.

## IDALOG

Specifies the name of the log file. Everything appearing in the message window will be dumped there.\
**Default**: none

## IDALOG\_SILENT

Suppress all output to the message window. If the IDALOG variable is set, messages will continue to be written to the log file. Otherwise, they will be lost.

## IDADIR

Specifies the IDA directory.\
**Default**: the directory where IDA executable is located

## IDA\_LOADALL

The selected loader will load all segments without asking.

## IDAUSR

Specifies the directory for user-specific settings.\
**Default**:

* Windows: `%APPDATA%/Hex-Rays/IDA Pro`
* Linux: `$HOME/.idapro`
* Mac OS X: `$HOME/.idapro`

This variable can contain multiple paths, in which case they must be separated by the platform's path separator character (i.e., `;` on Windows, and `:` on Linux & Mac OS X.)

* **Using %IDAUSR% for loading plugins**:

  %IDAUSR% will be considered when scanning for plugins: for each directory component of %IDAUSR%, IDA will iterate on files in its "plugins" subdirectory, in alphabetical order.

  Plugins with the same case-insensitive file name (without extension) are considered to be duplicates and are ignored; only the first plugin with a given name will be considered. Thus, let's say %IDAUSR% is set to `C:\my_idausr`, and a file `C:\my_idausr\plugins\DWARF.py` exists, then `C:\my_idausr\plugins\DWARF.py` will be picked up first while `%IDADIR%\plugins\dwarf.dll` will be considered conflicting, and thus ignored.

  In addition, in each directory, IDA first looks for plugins with the native extension (e.g., `.dll` on Windows) and only then looks for files with extensions corresponding to extension languages (e.g., `.idc`, `.py`, ...). Consequently, if two files, say `foo.dll` and `foo.py`, are present in the same directory, `foo.dll` will be picked first, and `foo.py` will be considered conflicting, and thus ignored.
* **Using %IDAUSR% for overriding configuration**:

  %IDAUSR% will be considered when looking for configuration files, after the config file found in %IDADIR%\cfg has been read.

  After `%IDADIR%\cfg\<filename>` has been read & applied, for each directory component of %IDAUSR%, IDA will look for `cfg/<filename>` in it, and, if found, read & apply its contents as well. This enables users to have their own small, fine-tuned configuration files containing just the bits they wanted to override, stored in one (or more) folder(s) of their choosing.
* **Using %IDAUSR% for specifying themes**:

  %IDAUSR% will be considered when scanning for themes: for each directory component of %IDAUSR%, IDA will iterate on subdirectories in its "themes" subdirectory.
* **Using %IDAUSR% for providing additional loaders, processor modules, .til files, .sig and .ids files**:

  %IDAUSR% will also be considered when building the list of existing loaders, processor modules, `.til`, `.sig` and `.ids` files.

  The following directories will be inspected:

  * `%IDAUSR%\loaders`
  * `%IDAUSR%\procs`
  * `%IDAUSR%\til\<arch-name>`
  * `%IDAUSR%\sig\<arch-name>`
  * `%IDAUSR%\ids\<platform-name>`

## IDA\_MINIDUMP

**Platform**: Windows only

If IDA crashes, it creates a minidump file with the `MiniDumpWrite()`. Use this environment variable to specify MiniDump flags (a combination of MINIDUMP\_TYPE flags as a hexadecimal number). If set to `NO`, IDA will not write a dump.

## IDA\_MDMP\_INIT

**Platform**: Windows only

Let IDA load `dbghlp.dll` on startup so it is used for crash dump file generation in case of a crash. If not set, IDA will load `dbghlp.dll` dynamically (if needed). Using this option may cause the Windbg debugger plugin to malfunction in case its `dbghlp.dll` does not match the one loaded by IDA.

## IDA\_NOEH

If set, disable IDA's own exception handler and let all possible crashes to be handled by the OS or active debugger. It is useful if you're debugging a crash in a plugin or processor module.

## IDAIDS

Specifies the directory with the IDS files.\
**Default**: `%IDADIR%\IDS`

## IDASGN

Specifies the directory with the SIG files.\
**Default**: `%IDADIR%\SIG`

## IDATIL

Specifies the directory with the TIL files.\
**Default**: `%IDADIR%\TIL`

## IDAIDC

Specifies the directory with the IDC files.\
**Default**: `%IDADIR%\IDC`

## IDA\_LIBC\_PATH

**Platform**: Android remote host only

Specifies the exact path to the system libc.so

## IDA\_SKIP\_SYMS

**Platform**: Linux host only

Turns off loading of exported symbols for the main executable file at the start of a debugging session.

## IDA\_NONAMES

Disables the name resolution.

## IDA\_NO\_HISTORY

Disables updating file history.

## IDA\_NORELOC

Disables processing of the relocation information for some file formats.

## IDA\_NOEXP

Disables processing of the export information for some file formats.

## IDA\_NOTLS

Disables processing of the TLS entries for some file formats.

## H8\_NOSIZER

Disables the display of the operand sizes for H8 module.

## IDA\_LOADALL

Load all segments of the input file without further confirmations.

## IDA\_DEBUGBREAKPROCESS

**Platform**: Windows only

IDA debugger will use the `DebugBreakProcess()` API to break into the process. Otherwise it will instead attempt to set temporary breakpoints for all threads.

## IDA\_NO\_REBASE

IDA Debugger will not rebase the program when debugging. (This will be in effect even if the debugger plugin implements the `rebase_if_required_to` callback).

## IDABXPATHMAP

Variables related to the Bochs debugger.

## IDABXENVMAP

See plugins/bochs/startup.\* for more details.

## IDA\_NOWIN

**Platform**: Text MS Windows version only

Bypass the code trying to find out the foreground window. This code causes problems under WINE.

## IDA\_DONT\_SWITCH\_SCREENS

**Platform**: Text version only

Tells IDA to keep only one screen even during local debugging sessions. For local debugging sessions, IDA keeps by default one screen for the debugged application and one screen for itself.

## IDA\_NOAUTOCOMP

Do not autodetect compiler for name demangling. If this variable is absent and the current compiler is one of MS, Borland and Watcom, the compiler is autodetected.

## IDA\_ELF\_PATCH\_MODE

Overrides patch mode for the new ELF files. If this variable is defined, it must contain a number. Each bit of this number corresponds to an option from the following list:

## IDA\_ELF\_PATCH\_MODE

Overrides patch mode for the new ELF files. If this variable is defined, it must contain a number. Each bit of this number corresponds to an option from the following list:

| Bit | Description                                                         |
| --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 0   | Replace PIC form of 'Procedure Linkage Table' to non PIC form       |
| 1   | Direct jumping from PLT (without GOT) regardless of its form        |
| 2   | Convert PIC form of loading '*GLOBAL\_OFFSET\_TABLE*\[]' of address |
| 3   | Obliterate auxiliary bytes in PLT & GOT for 'final autoanalysis'    |
| 4   | Natural form of PIC GOT address loading in relocatable file         |
| 5   | Unpatched form of PIC GOT references in relocatable file            |
| 6   | Mark 'allocated' objects as library-objects (MIPS only)             |

## IDA\_DYLD\_SHARED\_CACHE\_SLIDE

Mach-O loader: specify the dyld shared cache image ASLR slide value (hexadecimal) or 'search' for automatic detection. If not set, slide is assumed to be 0 (unslid image).

## Linux-Specific Variables

The following variables are used to fine-tune the Linux version of IDA:

### TVLOG

Specifies the name of the log file. If not defined, use syslog with LOG\_WARNING priority.

### TERM

The terminal definition (see terminfo).

### TVHEADLESS

Disable all output (for i/o redirection). If this variable is defined, the TVOPT variable is ignored. This environment variable also works in graphical versions of IDA. When set, the graphical interface will not restore desktops, toolbars or show the main window.

### TVOPT

The end-user flags. It has many subfields, delimited by commas ','.

* `noX11` - when libX11.so is not compatible
* `noGPM` - when libgpm.so is not compatible
* `ansi` - OR `mono` - when the terminfo data of your display does not declare it as having the ANSI-color support
* `ign8` - ignore '8bit as meta key' in the terminfo description
* `xtrack` - if your xterm-emulator in telnet client does not support mode 1002 (only 1000), set this flag
* `alt866` - do not encode pseudographic symbols (for the console with alt-font loaded)
* `cyrcvt=` - Cyrillic conversion (oem/koi8r). Possible values are:
  * `linux` - for linux russian users and PuTTY (in/out koi8r)
  * `kwin` - output in koi8 and input in cp1251 - any telnet
  * `windows` - for many telnet and any linux users (in/out 1251)

| Client name | Terminal     | TVOPT  | Client settings                                                                                                                                     |
| ----------- | ------------ | ------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| SecureCRT   | xterm-scokey | xtrack | Emulation->Terminal: xterm, Emulation->keyboard: either the built-in keyboard, either custom 'xt-sco.key' file Advanced->Terminaltype: xterm-scokey |
| SecureCRT   | xterm        | xtrack | Emulation->Terminal: xterm+internal kbd                                                                                                             |
| Putty       | xterm-scokey | -      | Terminal,Keyboard: Control?, Standard, SCO, Normal, Normal                                                                                          |
| Putty       | xterm        | -      | Terminal,Keyboard: ControlH, Standard, \~num, Normal, Normal                                                                                        |
| Console     | linux        | -      | default                                                                                                                                             |
| X11:xterm   | xterm        | -      | default                                                                                                                                             |

We recommend to use the 'xterm-scokey' terminal type for remote clients.

When the terminal type is xterm-scokey, add the following string to `/etc/inputrc` (or to `~/.inputrc`):

```
"\e[.": delete-char
```

When working on the console without GPM installed, append `noGPM` to TVOPT.

#### Russian Language Support

Russian users should append the following settings to the above:

|                              | Append to TVOPT       | Append to Client Settings                               |
| ---------------------------- | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| Console                      | `alt866,cyrcvt=linux` | -                                                       |
| X11                          | `cyrcvt=linux`        | -                                                       |
| Putty                        | `cyrcvt=linux`        | Window,Translation: use font in both ANSI and OEM modes |
| **SecureCRT**                |                       |                                                         |
| - with koi8font and kbd-hook | `cyrcvt=linux`        | -                                                       |
| - with koi8font              | `cyrcvt=kwin`         | -                                                       |
| - with ANSI-font             | `cyrcvt=windows`      | -                                                       |

The best settings for Russian users on the console are:

```
setfont alt-8x16.psf.gz -m koi2al
loadkey ru-ms.map
export TVOPT=cyrcvt=linux,alt866
```