UKTeX Volume 87 No 1
Replies to queries
TeX on IBM PC
DVIPS (replies to queries)
Site facilities for TeX
Config details (RHBNC)
Testing device drivers
TeX on IBM 3083 under VM/CMS
----------------------
From the Editor
I have adopted a number of the suggestions made concerning UKTeX. Since the
majority prefer method 1 I am imposing a little more discipline on the
system. I will number the issue in a similar manner to TeXhax digest
material i.e. V87 - year #1 - issue number. The end will be the !! lines
to show that you have a complete message. The issues will be filed
aston.kirk::[public.uktex]tex87.01
where 87 and 01 are the year and issue. If you find you have one missing
then you can 'pull' it yourself. My apologies to the minority that
preferred method 2. I think the results are self explanatory.
Method 1 (digest format) 7
Method 2 (individual messages) 1
Either method 1
(the mailing list is around 70+ at present with some redistribution at
sites)
I still have the problem of removing the `Aston rubbsih' in the header and
this will be done asap.
I am also experimenting with deferring desptach until the evening so you
may have received only part of this dispatch.
Peter
abbottp@uk.ac.aston.mail
--------------------------------
To: ABBOTTP%UK.AC.ASTON.MAIL@UK.AC.DARESBURY.DLGM
From: David Brightly <WC@UK.AC.DARESBURY.NNGA>
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 87 17:19 GMT
Message-Id: <04 SEP 1987 17:32:16 WC@UK.AC.DARESBURY.NNGA>
Subject: uktex distribution
could i suggest that you request people to submit replies to queries
to uktex and not directly to the questioner - eg Barbara Beetons
responses on texhax - queries often are of more general interest.
of course i realise this means more work for you....
--------------------------------
Date: 4-SEP-1987 18:05:54
From: CHAA006@UK.AC.RHBNC.VAXA
To: INFO-TEX@UK.AC.ASTON.MAIL
Subject: Responses to latest INFO-TEX mailing
Sender: JANET$UK-AC-RHBNC-VAXB"CHAA006"
(Philip Taylor, RHBNC: University of London)
<CHAA006@UK.AC.RHBNC.VAXB>
Reply-to: CHAA006@UK.AC.RHBNC.VAXB
Mailer: "Janet-mailshr V2.7(a)"
To Tony Sumner: Yes, TeX on the IBM PC certainly works. There are at
least two implementations, MicroTeX from Addison-Wesley, and PC-TeX from
(I forget who --- probably PC-TeX Ltd.). Addison-Wesley can also provide
various ArborText utilities, such as Preview (for Hercules boards, etc.),
and DVIPS (for conversion to PostScript). However, beware: A-W still aren't
shipping CM-series by default; they will ship you the AM-series, then charge
you for an upgrade. ArborText say they _should_ be shipping CM.
To Peter: The ArborText product above (DVIPS) does all that you require.
It is also available, direct from ArborText, for operating systems other
than MS-DOS (such as VMS).
Distribution methods: While the volume remains low, batching up the mails
into a digest seems fine. If the volume should significantly increase,
I would prefer direct mailings, with a correct 'From: ' field (_not_ as
INFO-VAX currently works, with two wrong 'From' fields and an 'Originally-
from: ' containing the definitive originator; when I want to reply to a mail,
I take the 'From: ' field as being the source (or 'Reply-to:', of course);
INFO-VAX should be using 'Resent-from: ' where they currently use 'From: ',
and leave 'From: ' strictly alone.
A (semi-) new topic: should we all mail INFO-TEX with our current TeX
configurations (implementation, release-level, operating system, etc.) ?
** Phil.
--------------------------------
I thought I'd set the ball rolling:
Site: RHBNC (Royal Holloway & Bedford New College, Univ. of London).
Systems: VAX 11/780 (2, clustered), running VMS 4.5; IBM PC/XT (-> AT)
TeX: Release V2.0.1
Implementor: Kellerman & Smith
Distributor: Kellerman & Smith
System: VAX/VMS
Release: V2.0
Implementor: Adrian Clarke, British Aerospace.
Distributor: Adrian Clarke, British Aerospace.
Features: TPU interface, half-tone graphics.
System: VAX/VMS
Release: V1.5A1
Implementor: David Fuchs
Distributor: Addison-Wesley
System: MS-DOS
Release: V1.3
Implementor: David Fuchs
Distributor: Unknown
System: VAX/VMS
MetaFont:
Release: V1.0.0
Implementor: Kellerman & Smith
Distributor: Kellerman & Smith
System: VAX/VMS
Fonts:
AM-series:
Release: Unknown, sparse, little available information.
Printer: DEC LN03
System: VAX/VMS
Release: V1.1
Distributor: Addison-Wesley
Printer: Epson series
Density: Unknown.
Release: Unknown
Implementor: ArborText
Distributor: Addison-Wesley
Printer: Preview board & Apple LaserWriter
Densities: 80, 118 & 300 dpi.
CM-series:
Release: V1.3
Implementor: John Sauter (DEC)
Distributor: John Sauter; UK tree-distribution in operation.
Printer: DEC LN03
Features: Meta-MetaFont: arbitrary design sizes available.
Utilities: all usual, plus:
Preview:
Release: V1.5, V1.7
System: VAX/VMS
Implementor: Andrew Trevorrow (Adelaide), Brian Williams (Sussex),
myself, Adrian Clarke, ...
Supports: BBC, Tektronix, VT-series, others ...
Release: Unknown
System: MS-DOS
Implementor: ArborText
Distributor: Addison-Wesley
Supports: Hercules graphics card, plus others ...
DVI-PS:
Language: 'C'
Implementor: Nelson Beebe
Status: uncompiled.
Language: Modula-2
Implementor: Andrew Trevorrow
Status: Compiled, failed during printing.
Language: Pascal
Implementor: Tony Arnold (Manchester CGU)
Status: Compiled, not yet printed.
Output devices:
Local: DEC LN03+, Epson FX-80, preview on BBC & Tek;
PostScript printer expected shortly.
Remote: Apple LaserWriter, Linotron 300.
** Phil.
--------------------------------
Date: 4-SEP-1987 18:44:17 GMT
From: CCZDAO@UK.AC.NOTT.VAXA
To: info-tex@UK.AC.ASTON.MAIL
Subject: Testing DVI drivers
Sender: David Osborne (at Univ of Nottingham) <cczdao@uk.ac.nott.vaxa>
Organization: Cripps Computing Centre, University of Nottingham, UK
Mailer: VAX/VMS Janet_Mailshr V2.7(a)
We have just taken delivery of a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet II for use on a
secretarial word-processing system. Since VAX/VMS and the LaserJet is a
combination which Nelson Beebe's DVI driver software supports, this gives us
the opportunity to try a combination of software/hardware that should work
before we try anything new (such as developing a driver for our Xerox 3700).
The plan is that we can use the LaserJet attached to the VAX for a couple of
weeks before it's installed on the wp system, so we'd like to be able to test
it thoroughly in the limited time that we have.
Over the past few months, we've generated a few DVI files which could be used
for testing, but they're mostly plain text with a few font changes but little
mathematics. Since we don't yet have a TeX user service, we have no-one typing
in appropriate text which could be used for testing. What we would like is a
representative one or two DVI files corresponding to a mathematical thesis.
If anyone has such DVI files of which they could let us have copies, we would
be very grateful. We undertake to respect the copyright of the author; we
just need something to give a realistic test of a printer-driver and printer.
Incidentally, what do other people in this situation do? How do you verify
that a new printer driver correctly supports all the TeXnical aspects of
getting print on to paper? Is there a DVI-driver equivalent of the TRIP
test?
Also, is there anyone who is successfully:
. using Nelson Beebe's drivers under VMS; and/or
. using an HP LaserJet II as a TeX output device ??
Dave.
--------------------------------
Date: MON, 07 SEP 87 14:04:21 BST
From: CS1CWM @ UK.AC.SHEFFIELD.PRIMEA
To: info-tex @ UK.AC.ASTON.MAIL
We have TeX on our IBM 3083 under VM/CMS - it is not in use yet as
we are waiting to get the CMR fonts for PCTeX but we have had no
problems in running it. You get the tape from
Maria Code
Data Processing Services
1371 Sydney Drive
Sunnyvale
California 94087
The tape cost about $92.00.
There are some problems in transferring files to the IBM, the \
character was not translated correctly - IBM has TWO \ characters!
This has now been solved however.
We have had PCTeX available as a service to our users for about a
month now, with selected users for a month before that. We have two
Elonex 10MHz AT-compatibles providing the service, one for
downloading files from the Prime (and later the IBM) and previewing,
the other providing output on an HP LaserJet Plus. It has proved
very popular.
We bought PCTeX from
UniTex Systems
12 Dale View Road
Beauchief
Sheffield S8 0EJ
Tel: (0742) 351489
including the screen driver and the driver for the LaserJet.
Chris Martin
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!!
!! Replies/submissions to info-tex@uk.ac.aston.mail please
!! distribution changes to info-tex-request@uk.ac.aston.mail please
!!
!! end of issue