I don't want to fix the world (new .def interface, new graphicx, etc.). With that prerequisite, we'll be waiting forever. I just want to load epstopdf.sty by default (when it's useful). In practice, that is the 99% case. It seems like we can add the require to pdftex.def or to graphics.cfg. Heiko, Martin, wdyt? (Obviously either is far better to mucking about with graphics/x itself, thanks to all for setting me straight.) (I did not realize that TL's graphics.cfg was so complex, never having had occasion to look at it before. Pretty depressing.) Thanks, k