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<h3 class="section">32.3 Readline Init File</h3>

<p><a name="index-initialization-file_002c-readline-3187"></a>
Although the Readline library comes with a set of Emacs-like
keybindings installed by default, it is possible to use a different set
of keybindings. 
Any user can customize programs that use Readline by putting
commands in an <dfn>inputrc</dfn> file, conventionally in his home directory. 
The name of this
file is taken from the value of the environment variable <samp><span class="env">INPUTRC</span></samp>.  If
that variable is unset, the default is <samp><span class="file">~/.inputrc</span></samp>.  If that
file does not exist or cannot be read, the ultimate default is
<samp><span class="file">/etc/inputrc</span></samp>.

   <p>When a program which uses the Readline library starts up, the
init file is read, and the key bindings are set.

   <p>In addition, the <code>C-x C-r</code> command re-reads this init file, thus
incorporating any changes that you might have made to it.

<ul class="menu">
<li><a accesskey="1" href="Readline-Init-File-Syntax.html#Readline-Init-File-Syntax">Readline Init File Syntax</a>: 	Syntax for the commands in the inputrc file.

<li><a accesskey="2" href="Conditional-Init-Constructs.html#Conditional-Init-Constructs">Conditional Init Constructs</a>: 	Conditional key bindings in the inputrc file.

<li><a accesskey="3" href="Sample-Init-File.html#Sample-Init-File">Sample Init File</a>: 		An example inputrc file. 
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