grodvi

grodvi [options] [files...]

-b
    Print characters in bold instead of using light fonts when no specific font is available. This is primarily a fallback mechanism.

-l
    Set the paper orientation to landscape mode for the DVI output.

-ppaper_size
    Specify the paper size for the output. paper_size can be a predefined size like 'letter' or 'a4', or a custom size like '11in,8.5in'.

-r
    Reverse white and black colors in the output, producing a negative image of the document.

-spoint_size
    Set the default point size for fonts. This is typically used for basic font sizing if not otherwise specified in the groff document.

-e
    Encapsulate fonts within the DVI file. This can increase file size but ensures portability.

-a
    Generate DVI output using only ASCII characters, converting or omitting non-ASCII characters.

-cfont_map_file
    Use the specified font_map_file to define font mappings for DVI. This allows customization of how groff fonts map to TeX fonts.

-w
    Enable verbose warnings during processing, providing more diagnostic information.

-x
    Pass through DVI specials, which are commands or data embedded in the DVI stream that are specific to certain DVI processors or viewers.

-Fdirectory
    Search directory for font and device description files. This is a common groff option.

-V
    Print the version number of grodvi to standard error and exit.

The grodvi command is a groff output driver responsible for translating the groff intermediate output into DVI (DeVice Independent) format. DVI is a platform-independent page description language primarily used by the TeX typesetting system.

When you use groff -T dvi file.roff, grodvi is automatically invoked behind the scenes to produce a DVI file. This DVI output can then be viewed using a DVI viewer like xdvi, or further converted into other formats such as PostScript using dvips, or PDF using dvipdfm or dvipdfmx.

grodvi correctly handles character positioning, font selection, and graphic primitives generated by groff, ensuring that the final typeset document maintains its intended layout and appearance in a TeX-compatible environment. It is a crucial component for users who require groff documents to integrate into workflows centered around TeX/LaTeX.

grodvi produces DVI (DeVice Independent) files, which are intermediate representations. These files typically require a separate DVI viewer (like xdvi) or conversion to other formats (like PostScript or PDF) using tools such as dvips or dvipdfm/dvipdfmx for viewing or printing. Proper font setup for the TeX environment is often necessary for correct rendering of DVI files generated by grodvi.

grodvi reads its input from standard input or from the files specified on the command line. This input is expected to be in the groff intermediate output format, as generated by the groff preprocessors and main formatter. The command then writes the resulting DVI (DeVice Independent) file to standard output.

While grodvi can be run directly, it is most commonly invoked automatically by the groff command itself when the -T dvi option is specified. For example, groff -T dvi document.roff > document.dvi will process document.roff and pipe its intermediate output to grodvi, which then produces document.dvi.

grodvi is an integral part of the GNU troff (groff) project, which was initiated by James Clark in the early 1990s as a free software re-implementation of the AT&T troff text formatter. The development of grodvi provided groff with the capability to generate output in the DVI format, making groff documents compatible with the TeX ecosystem. This expanded groff's utility beyond its traditional PostScript (via grops) or plain text outputs, allowing users to leverage groff for documents intended for TeX-centric workflows and high-quality typesetting on various DVI-compatible output devices.

groff(1), troff(1), xdvi(1), dvips(1), dvipdfm(1), dvipdfmx(1), groff_out(5)