83. Command Line Options

Several command line options to define paths or files to load are available.

Start Little Navmap with the help option littlenavmap.exe -h (Windows), "Little Navmap.app/Contents/MacOS/littlenavmap" -h (macOS) or ./littlenavmap -h (Linux) to get more information on the terminal or the command line.

All files and parameters are passed to an already running Little Navmap instance, if detected. This will activate the other window and pass all files or parameters on the command line to the other instance. This applies to the options --flight-plan, --flight-plan-descr, --aircraft-perf and --layout. This is functional on all supported operating systems. A question dialog might appear asking to discard changes, if any.

Note that paths, files or parameters containing spaces or special characters have to be put in double quotes ". You can put all names in double quotes if you are unsure.

All supported flight plan formats can be loaded (see Open Flight Plan for a list) as well as .lnmperf aircraft performance files ( Open Aircraft Performance) and .lnmlayout window layout files (Open Window Layout) from the command line.

Using the option --flight-plan or -f will load the flight plan silently from all supported formats without question dialog windows. The flight plan cruise altitude is not corrected avoid further questions when loading more plans.

-d or --flight-plan-descr reads the route string using the current options set in the drop down menu button in the Flight Plan Route Description dialog window. The resulting plan is not permanent and has to be saved manually. Otherwise, it will be discarded on restart.

Files passed to Little Navmap without one of the - or -- options below are checked for file type and loaded into the program. All files without an option specifying the type, the file type is detected by the content and not by the extension.

Note that flight plans can be loaded without the options --flight-plan or -f but the loading might trigger question dialog windows and leave the plan in changed state.

The program will not start if the command line option --quit / -q was set, even if no other instance was found.

83.1. Examples

Load a flight plan file silently:

littlenavmap --flight-plan "IFR Ireland West Knock (EIKN) to Benbecula (EGPL).lnmpln"

Load a flight plan file and apply corrections, if needed. The file might be marked as changed:

littlenavmap EGHJ-EGPC.lnmpln

Create a flight plan from the given route description:

littlenavmap -d "KYKM WENAS7 PERTT 4741N12051W DIABO J503 FOLDY YDC PIGLU4 CYLW CYYF CZGF"

Quit an already running instance:

littlenavmap -q

Start the program on Windows and put cache, settings and log files into user defined folders on drive D::

littlenavmap.exe -c "D:\Little Navmap Cache" -p "D:\Little Navmap Settings"  -l "D:\Little Navmap Logs"

Start the program and put cache, settings and log files into user defined folders relative to the installation folder:

littlenavmap -c Cache -p Settings  -l Logs

83.2. Options

Both short and long options are available.

-h, --help

Displays help on command line options.

--help-all

Displays help including Qt specific options.

-v, --version

Displays version information.

-q, --quit

Quit an already running instance. The running instance might still ask about exiting or saving files.

-p, --settings-path <settings-path>

Use <settings-path> to store options and databases into the given directory. <settings-path> can be relative or absolute. Missing directories are created. Path can be on any drive.

-l, --log-path <settings-path>

Use <log-path> to store log files into the given directory. <log-path> can be relative or absolute. Missing directories are created. Path can be on any drive.

-c, --cache-path <cache-path>

Use <cache-path> to store tiles from online maps. Missing directories are created. Path can be on any drive.

-f, --flight-plan <flight-plan>

Load the given <flight-plan> file on startup. Can be one of the supported formats like .lnmpln, .pln, .fms, .fgfp, .fpl, .gfp or others.

-d, --flight-plan-descr <flight-plan-descr>

Parse and load the given <flight-plan-descr> flight plan route description on startup. Example EDDF BOMBI LIRF.

-a, --aircraft-perf <aircraft-perf>

Load the given <aircraft-perf> aircraft performance file .lnmperf on startup.

-y, --layout <layout>

Load the given <layout> window layout file .lnmlayout on startup.

-g, --language <language>

Use language code <language> like de or en_US for the user interface. The code is not checked for existence or validity and is saved for the next startup.