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How to set up the IDL variable IDL_STARTUP so that a startup file is ignored

Calling IDLDE from the system prompt:

idlde -IDL_STARTUP ''

will not work. The IDL Workbench will start, but the following error will be shown in the IDL console:

Command line error: -IDL_STARTUP preference option mustbe followed by a value argument.

IDL Version 8.2.2 (linux x86_64 m64). (c) 2012,Exelis Visual Information Solutions, Inc.

Installation number: xxxxxxx

Licensed for use by: Exelis VIS

% Error opening file. File: IPS

% Error opening file. File: -IDL_STARTUP

IDL>

To avoid this error, the IDL_STARTUP variable will need to be set up to a space string instead. In other words:

idlde -IDL_STARTUP ' '

where a space is in between the single quotation marks. Then, IDL will not give an error and any start up file will be ignored.