@item
@cindex init file
-Reads the @dfn{init file} (if any) in your home directory@footnote{On
+Reads the system-wide @dfn{init file} (if @option{--with-system-gdbinit} was
+used when building @value{GDBN}; @pxref{System-wide configuration,
+ ,System-wide configuration and settings}) and executes all the commands in
+that file.
+
+@item
+Reads the init file (if any) in your home directory@footnote{On
DOS/Windows systems, the home directory is the one pointed to by the
@code{HOME} environment variable.} and executes all the commands in
that file.
and operands. Init files are not executed if you use the @samp{-nx}
option (@pxref{Mode Options, ,Choosing Modes}).
+To display the list of init files loaded by gdb at startup, you
+can use @kbd{gdb --help}.
+
@cindex init file name
@cindex @file{.gdbinit}
@cindex @file{gdb.ini}
* Separate Objdir:: Compiling @value{GDBN} in another directory
* Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
* Configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
+* System-wide configuration:: Having a system-wide init file
@end menu
@node Requirements
There are many other options available as well, but they are generally
needed for special purposes only.
+@node System-wide configuration
+@section System-wide configuration and settings
+@cindex system-wide init file
+
+@value{GDBN} can be configured to have a system-wide init file;
+this file will be read and executed at startup (@pxref{Startup, , What
+@value{GDBN} does during startup}).
+
+Here is the corresponding configure option:
+
+@table @code
+@item --with-system-gdbinit=@var{file}
+Specify that the default location of the system-wide init file is
+@var{file}.
+@end table
+
+If @value{GDBN} has been configured with the option @option{--prefix=$prefix},
+it may be subject to relocation. Two possible cases:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+If the default location of this init file contains @file{$prefix},
+it will be subject to relocation. Suppose that the configure options
+are @option{--prefix=$prefix --with-system-gdbinit=$prefix/etc/gdbinit};
+if @value{GDBN} is moved from @file{$prefix} to @file{$install}, the system
+init file is looked for as @file{$install/etc/gdbinit} instead of
+@file{$prefix/etc/gdbinit}.
+
+@item
+By contrast, if the default location does not contain the prefix,
+it will not be relocated. E.g.@: if @value{GDBN} has been configured with
+@option{--prefix=/usr/local --with-system-gdbinit=/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
+then @value{GDBN} will always look for @file{/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
+wherever @value{GDBN} is installed.
+@end itemize
+
@node Maintenance Commands
@appendix Maintenance Commands
@cindex maintenance commands