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P4 Server Administration Documentation | 2025.1

# Configuration parameter precedence

P4 Server configuration parameters can be set in different ways. When a P4 Server application (such as `p4` or P4V), or a P4 Server program (`p4d`) starts up, it reads its configuration parameters according to the following precedence, where 1 overrides 2, and 2 overrides 3, and so on:

1. For P4 Server applications or a P4 Server (`p4d`), command-line flags, but these are not a persistent configuration.
2. For a P4 Server (`p4d`), persistent configurables set with `p4 configure`.
3. The `P4CONFIG` file, if `P4CONFIG` is set.
4. User environment variables. See P4ENVIRO.
5. System environment variables.
6. Windows user registry or macOS user preferences set by `p4 set`.
7. Windows system registry or macOS system preferences (set by `p4 set -s`).

When a Perforce service (`p4s`) starts up, it reads its configuration parameters from the environment according to the following precedence:

1. Persistent configurables set with `p4 configure`
2. Windows service parameters set by `p4 set -S `servicename``
3. System environment variables.
4. Windows system registry or macOS user preferences (set by `p4 set -s`).

User environment variables can be set with any of the following:

- Linux `export`, Windows command prompt `set`
- The `AUTOEXEC.BAT` file
- Windows User Variables tab under the System Properties dialog box in Control Panel

System environment variables can be set with:

- Linux `export`, Windows System Variables tab under the System Properties dialog box in the Control Panel.

The output of `p4 set` lists the value of each variable and how each variable was set, such as by `config`, `enviro`, `set`, or `set -s`

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