UKTeX V89 #38 Friday 27 October 1989
Exabyte
our name
DVI driver wanted for Sperry Model 37
refer vs bibtex formats
tex 2.99
The cost of joining UK-TuG
Problems whith big files in the archive
help on contents of UK TeX archive
Reference works on English
Plea for return of lost David Kindersley book
Information on AMSTeX?
item for UKTeX digest.
active characters, and glossaries
Some common problems with accessing the Aston Archive
Editor Peter Abbott
Latest TeXhax in the Archive is #95
Latest TeXmag in the Archive is V3N3
---------------------------------
Via: UK.AC.UKC; Wed, 11 Oct 89 17:21 BST
Received: from aivru by kestrel.Ukc.AC.UK with UUCP id aa08501;
11 Oct 89 17:12 BST
Received: by aivru.uucp (3.2/SMI-2.0)
id AA02865; Wed, 11 Oct 89 15:57:39 GMT
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 89 15:57:39 GMT
From: Derek Jones <derek@uk.ac.sheffield.aivru>
Message-Id: <8910111557.AA02865@aivru.uucp>
Subject: Exabyte
Hello Peter,
I recently got around to trying to install the latest version of tex and friends
which I received from you on a sony-8 which I had sent. However, I could
not read the tape at all on my drive, (which is functioning correctly).
Could you confirm the format of the tape and tar archive to me please.
If this is no help (to me), do you suppose it is just a head alignment problem?
(and would the solution be to get the dist'n on 1/4" cartridge instead?)
I'm running SUNOS 3.5 on a 3/260 if that helps, and my exabyte is st1/9.
Derek Jones.
A.I. Vision Research Unit,
Sheffield University,
Western Bank,
Sheffield.
S10 2TN
U.K.
Tel: (0742) 768555 X 6557
email: derek@aivru.sheffield.ac.uk
***************************************************************************
Editor - The easy answer is I suspect to send a SUN cartridge.
***************************************************************************
---------------------------------
Via: UK.AC.AFRC.RESB; Fri, 13 Oct 89 11:32 BST
Date: 13-OCT-1989 11:33:48 GMT
From: RBAILEY@UK.AC.AFRC.RESB
Subject: our name
Sender: JANET"RBAILEY@UK.AC.AFRC.RESB" <RBAILEY@UK.AC.AFRC.RESB>
I have seen a document suggesting that our group be called ``Baskerville''.
I think that this is a bad idea, for two reasons.
1. Most members need to obtain time, and possibly also money, from
their employer to attend meetings of the group. Heads of
department, administrators and others who sign forms are not
usually specialists in typography. Thus the name of the group
must indicate clearly and quickly
(a) what the group is for (i.e. TeX)
(b) who it is for (i.e. users in the UK).
It is unfortunately true that the word ``Baskerville'' is more
likely to suggest Sherlock Holmes than typography to
non-specialists.
2. Someone in the UK just starting to use TeX should be able to
find out about us easily. The name ``Baskerville'' will not be
recognizable to most such people, so they may fail to read
relevant posters and messages. Points (a) and (b) above
apply for these people too.
Rosemary Bailey
Rothamsted
---------------------------------
Via: UK.AC.KINGSTON; Fri, 13 Oct 89 17:07 BST
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 89 17:04 GMT
From: Graham King <GPKING@UK.AC.KINGSTON>
Subject: DVI driver wanted for Sperry Model 37
Has anyone come across a DVI driver for a Sperry Model 37 laser printer,
using a page description language called EXPRESS? I've changed jobs recently,
so don't have access to the back issues of TUGBOAT I'd collected at Brighton.
Now I've got to start "selling" TeX all over again!
Graham King,
Kingston Poly.
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.NSFNET-RELAY; Sun, 15 Oct 89 4:20 BST
Received: from cs.rochester.edu by NSFnet-Relay.AC.UK via NSFnet with SMTP
id aa11224; 13 Oct 89 17:10 BST
Received: from falcon.cs.rochester.edu by cayuga.cs.rochester.edu (5.59/o) id AA06988; Thu, 12 Oct 89 14:47:44 EDT
Received: from loopback.ARPA by falcon.cs.rochester.edu (4.0/o) id AA03103; Thu, 12 Oct 89 14:50:55 EDT
Message-Id: <8910121850.AA03103@falcon.cs.rochester.edu>
Subject: refer vs bibtex formats
Reply-To: ken@edu.rochester.cs
In-Reply-To: Your message of 26 Sep 89 14:23:58 +0000.
X-Uucp: ..!rochester!ken Internet: ken@cs.rochester.edu
X-Snail: CS Dept., U of Roch., NY 14627. Voice: Ken!
X-Phone: (716) 275-1448 (office) Fax: (716) 461-2018
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 89 14:50:53 -0400
From: Ken Yap <ken@edu.rochester.cs>
> More widely though, I noticed in my latest copy
> oif Computer Graphics (April 1989, it comes surface,
> via Australia I think) that there is an on-line
> bibliography of computer graphics references, stored
> in refer (something to do with unix?) format
> and administered by acm/siggraph. An omen?
I don't find this surprising. Refer format is less verbose than bibtex
format and easier to search. However the real solution is some kind of
interchange format that can be converted to local preferences. And
easily digested by any bib database. Maybe it's time for a SGML
standard for bibliography interchange?
I really think this is problem worth spending some time on. Think
of all the time wasted by scholars typing in references.
Ken
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.EDINBURGH.EMAS-A; Tue, 17 Oct 89 14:04 BST
Via: UK.AC.EDINBURGH.MRCVAX ; (to uk.ac.edinburgh.emas-a) 17 Oct 89 14:04:52 bst
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 89 14:02:04 BST
From: Richard Baldock <richard@uk.ac.ed.mrcvax>
Subject: tex 2.99
Message-ID: <14026.8910171302@mrcsun1.mrcvax.ed.ac.uk>
I have a copy of a note from the uktex bulletin board indicating that
it is possible to get a copy of the new version (25 July 1989) of
Tex and Latex from you. We have an Exabyte video tape drive attached to
one of our Sun workstations. If you copy onto video tape for me will
the format be VMS backup (which we can't read) or Unix tar format?
If it is VME backup format I will send a 2400 1/2" tape and get it
copied to tar format at EUCS, alternatively do you know of anybody
in Edinburgh who already has a copy.
Thank you
Richard Baldock
Richard Baldock
MRC Human Genetics Unit
Western General Hospital Janet: richard@uk.ac.ed.mrcvax
Crewe Road Tel: +44-31 332 2471
Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK. Fax: +44-31 343 2620
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.RHBNC.VAXA; Tue, 17 Oct 89 17:24 BST
Date: Tue, 17 OCT 89 17:24:15 BST
From: CHAA006@UK.AC.RHBNC.VAXA
Subject: The cost of joining UK-TuG
Actually-to: <ABBOTTP@UK.AC.ASTON>
Sender: JANET"CHAA006@UK.AC.RHBNC.VAXA" <CHAA006@UK.AC.RHBNC.VAXA>
Reply-to: Philip Taylor (RHBNC) <P.Taylor@Uk.Ac.Rhbnc.Vaxa>
Originally-to: CBS%UK.AC.ASTON::ABBOTTP
Mailer: Janet_Mailshr V3.5 ( 13-OCT-1989 14:07:27 )
In the most recent UK-TeX, John Rostron <A42JR@@UK.AC.NE-LONDON-POLY> wrote:
>I recently received an invitation to join the UKTeX Users Group. This
>message included no information about the benefits of belonging. What are
>we to get for our money? How will membership of this relate (if at all) to
>membership of TUG? The proposed group was discussed at the meeting at the LSE
>and a steering committee elected. Presumably they have come up with some
>aims and objectives to tempt us into parting with out cash. What are they?
to which Peter Abbott responded (from the editorial chair):
>Editor - At the meeting on Wednesday october 11 here at Aston Malcolm Clark
>answered this question. Malcolm is the Chairman of the UKTUG and no doubt will
>respond when he read this.
With the greatest respect to both Peter and Malcolm, I don't feel that
Malcolm did adequately justify the proposed charge of \pounds 15. Among
the reasons that he adduced for the charge were (a) the cost of producing
TeXline, and (b) the cost of room hire for meetings such as that held at
Aston. However, TeXline is available to all, not just members of UK-TuG,
and the Aston meeting was funded directly by those attending, and again was
open to all. The only reason adduced by Malcolm which I felt contained an
element of validity was that the group would need such funds in order to be
able to book such a room at all. I have joined UK-TuG, and parted with
\pounds 15, but with considerable reservations: I hope that the one of the
first questions which the committee (of which I appear to be a member, by
virtue of my proposal and in the absence of any elections for committee
membership) will address is the question of the annual fee. Perhaps members
and potential members of UK-TuG would like to comment, through UK-TeX, on
what they feel is an appropriate fee (if any), and what services they will
expect as a result of it.
Philip Taylor
Royal Holloway and Bedford New College.
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.EARN-RELAY; Tue, 17 Oct 89 17:31 BST
Received: from UKACRL by UK.AC.RL.IB (Mailer X1.25) with BSMTP id 5486; Tue, 17
Oct 89 17:29:29 BS
Received: from ccuab1.uab.es by UKACRL.BITNET (Mailer X1.25) with BSMTP id
2953; Tue, 17 Oct 89 17:29:28 B
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 89 17:29 GMT
From: "Goncal Badenes. C.N.M. Barcelona (Spain)" <GONCAL%CNMVAX@
ES.UAB.CCUAB1>
Subject: Problems whith big files in the archive
X-VMS-To: IN::"info-tex@aston.ac.uk"
I have experienced a problem when trying to retrieve the new WEB file
for TeX 2.991 (TEX.WEB) from the Aston archive. It seems that some mailer
finds this file to big and cuts it, so I get an unusable file.
It would be very nice if there existed the possibility of requesting a file in
pieces (using VMS_SHARE, for example) as an option to the FILES command. This
would also optimize network traffic for big files.
Regards,
Gon{\c{c}}al
Goncal Badenes
Centre Nacional de Microelectronica
Campus Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
08193 BELLATERRA (Barcelona)
SPAIN
e-mail address: GONCAL@CNMVAX.UAB.ES
GONCAL%CNMVAX.UAB.ES@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
ICNM2@EBCCUAB1.BITNET
GONCAL%CNMVAX.UAB.ES@EARN-RELAY
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.SOUTHAMPTON.ECS; Mon, 23 Oct 89 17:04 BST
Received: from alonzo.ecs.soton.ac.uk by hilliard.ecs.soton.ac.uk; Mon, 23 Oct 89 17:06:36 BST
From: Sebastian Rahtz <spqr@uk.ac.soton.ecs>
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 89 17:04:26 BST
Message-Id: <1990.8910231604@alonzo.ecs.soton.ac.uk>
Subject: help on contents of UK TeX archive
> Having pulled down the files 000directory.list and 000aston.readme,
> I wondered if there is a file anywhere which has a description of
> what files are what etc, and also if there is a beginners guide to
> TeX file formats. Its all very well having PD TeX programs etc,
> but without documentation (24 pounds for Knuth's books!) it is hard
> to work out what exactly is going on!
I'm afraid you have to realise that the UK TeX archive exists mostly
on people's spare time and Aston University's machines, and that while
we are planning and implementing as much help on what we have as we
can, there is a limit on how much can be provided. It is certainly
neither possible nor desirable for us to produce documentation to
replace the `TeX Book', which I am afraid you will almost certainly
have to buy. Many people sell implementations of TeX, and it might be
sensible to buy one of those to start off with - they commonly include
a copy of the TeX Book. It is also worth mentioning that royalties from the
TeX books are generously passed by Knuth to the AMS and the TeX Users
Group, who have given much support to TeX over the years, so we all
owe it to those who produce the programs to give a little back.
But you will be pleased to know that we DO have an active program of
work indexing the UK TeX archive, and we are open to all suggestions
as to facilities that people want.
Sebastian Rahtz
pp uk tex, but mainly a personal reply
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.ESSEX.ESE; Mon, 23 Oct 89 17:14 BST
Date: 23 Oct 1989 16:11:47-WET
Subject: Reference works on English
Reply-To: JANET"alien@uk.ac.essex.ese" (Adrian Clark) <alien@ese.essex.ac.uk>
Sender: JANET"alien@uk.ac.essex.ese" (Adrian Clark) <alien@ese.essex.ac.uk>
From: "Adrian F Clark" <alien@essex.ese>
A few weeks ago, I asked about reference books which covered grammar
and the like. Here, presented in BibTeX format, is a summary of the
suggestions I received. Thanks to Phil Taylor, Carol Hewlett, Chris
Martin and others.
This information has been saved in the Aston archive as
[TEX-ARCHIVE.BIBTEX.DATABASES]ENGLISH.BIB. Please notify me of any
additions or corrections.
Adrian F. Clark
JANET: alien@uk.ac.essex.ese ARPA: alien%uk.ac.essex.ese@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk
BITNET: alien%uk.ac.essex.ese@ac.uk PHONE: (+44) 206-872432 (direct)
Dept ESE, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, C04 3SQ, UK.
@BOOK{Carey,
AUTHOR="G. V. Carey",
TITLE="Mind the Stop: A Brief Guide to Punctuation",
PUBLISHER="Penguin", YEAR="1958"}
@BOOK{Cooper,
AUTHOR="Bruce M. Cooper",
TITLE="Writing Technical Reports",
PUBLISHER="Penguin", YEAR="1964"}
@BOOK{Fowler-ModernEnglish,
AUTHOR="H. W. Fowler",
TITLE="[A Dictionary of] Modern {E}nglish Usage",
PUBLISHER="Oxford University Press",
EDITION="2", YEAR="1965"}
(but first published in 1926)
@BOOK{Fowler-KingsEnglish,
AUTHOR="H. W. Fowler and F. G. Fowler",
TITLE="The {K}ing's {E}nglish",
PUBLISHER="Oxford University Press",
EDITION="3", YEAR="1931"}
(but first published in 1906)
@BOOK{Gowers,
AUTHOR="Sir Ernest Gowers",
TITLE="The Complete Plain Words",
PUBLISHER="Penguin", YEAR="1954"}
(but first published by HMSO)
@BOOK{Hart,
AUTHOR="Horace Hart",
TITLE="[Hart's] Rules for Compositors and Readers
[at the Oxford University Press]",
PUBLISHER="Oxford University Press",
EDITION="39", YEAR="1983"}
(but first published in 1893)
@BOOK{Partridge,
AUTHOR="Eric Partridge",
TITLE="Use and Abuse: a Guide to Good {E}nglish",
PUBLISHER="Hamish Hamilton",
EDITION="4", YEAR="1970"}
(but first published in 1947)
@BOOK{Quirk-CompGram,
AUTHOR="Randolph Quirk and Sydney Greenbaum and Geoffrey Leach and
Jan Svartnik",
TITLE="A Comprehensive Grammar of the {E}nglish Language",
PUBLISHER="Longman", YEAR="1985"}
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.EXETER; Mon, 23 Oct 89 17:43 BST
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 89 17:40:12 BST
From: BOOTH.CM@UK.AC.EXETER
Subject: Plea for return of lost David Kindersley book
Message-ID: <BOOTH.CM.SCNE@UK.AC.EXETER>
A plea to all who attended the UKTUG Aston meeting on 11th October.....
At the UKTUG (or should it be Baskerville?) meeting in Aston on 11th October
I purchased a hardback copy of David Kindersley's book "His Work and Workshop".
I left the book with Lida Kindersley during lunchtime, who kindly agreed to get
David Kindersley to sign it for me. David and Lida left the meeting at the
start of the afternoon tea break before I could reach them. Lida Kindersley
assures me that she left the book on the chair where she had been sitting,
at the front of the room. I went to the chair minutes after she had gone,
but no book was to be found. I have also checked with Peter Abbott, and
there were no stray books left in the room after the meeting.
If anyone finds they are in possession of my book, could they please return
it to me --- I'll willingly pay postage and packing charges. The book can
be individually identified by the dedication to `Cathy Booth' on the title page.
Here's hoping (with thanks).
Cathy
Send to: Cathy Booth, Computing Development Officer,
University of Exeter Computer Unit,
North Park Road
Exeter EX4 4QE Tel: 0392 263945
Devon Janet email: BOOTH.CM@UK.AC.EXETER
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.IMPERIAL.CC.VAXA; Mon, 23 Oct 89 17:48 BST
Date: 23-OCT-1989 17:21:59 GMT
From: FPS@UK.AC.IMPERIAL.CC.VAXA
Query of the week:
where do i find TeX sources suitable for an Omega OS/9 system.
such does exist, we've seen a book produced with it.
malcolm clark
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.OXFORD.VAX; Tue, 24 Oct 89 13:44 BST
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 89 13:43 BST
From: David Handscomb <DCH@UK.AC.OXFORD.VAX>
Subject: Information on AMSTeX?
Where can I find a (comprehensive, up-to-date, inexpensive,
readable, usable, reliable, accessible) description of AMSTeX, please -
either on its own or relating it to TeX? And is AMSTeX set in concrete yet
or still volatile?
------------------------
From: Muhammad Naim Ullah
151, Gladstone Park Gardens
London
NW2 6RN
Tel: 01 4502989
I am a fully paid member of UKTEX but I am not on e-mail. I have a MacII
with 1 MB RAM, LaserwriterIINTX and I use Texture. I have LateX. I would
like to use the Adobe Fonts with LateX because cmf are not to the liking of
my clients.
Re: UKTEX V89 No. 36. Sebastian Rahtz says that PSLATEX can change the
fonts to PostScript fonts. How can I get the file 'pslatex.wolczo' on a
3.5" disk suitable for MacII? How much will it cost me? Can I also get
the printout setting step by step procedure of using this important (i.e.
important for me!) file?
Muhammad Ullah
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.HULL.CC.SEQUENT; Wed, 25 Oct 89 12:13 BST
Via: uk.ac.hull; Wed, 25 Oct 89 12:11:35 -0100
Date: Wed,25 Oct 89 12:12:03 BST
From: R.A.Reese@uk.ac.hull
Subject: item for UKTeX digest.
Message-Id: <25 Oct 89 12:12:03 A1031B@UK.AC.HULL>
% This following LaTeX input generates a problem.
% The text of the message discusses the problem.
\documentstyle{article}
\renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{1.4}
\setcounter{secnumdepth}{0}
\newenvironment{coutput} % this doesn't work - see text.
{\dimen11=\baselineskip \baselineskip=10pt}
{\baselineskip=\dimen11} % why is this faulted?
\begin{document}
% The next line is part of the brute force solution described.
%\dimen11=\baselineskip % remember default line spacing.
\LaTeX Environment problem
This is an example based on a draft paper that includes computer
output. The text wants wider than default linespacing but the
computer output is not subject to revision (well hardly ever) and
the plots especially look terrible if spread out, apart from
wasting paper. I therefore tried to define a \LaTeX environment
in which the computer output could be inserted.
The first problem is quite logical, but wasted some time. The
\LaTeX book suggests that a new environment is usually defined in
terms of an existing environment, so I tried to define COUTPUT as
a variant of VERBATIM. This caused \LaTeX to report a runaway
definition and end of document found. See section 3.7 of the
Manual; in VERBATIM environment\ \ N O T H I N G\ \ is recognised as
special until $\backslash end\{verbatim\}$, so $\backslash
end\{coutput\}$ just doesn't work.
I cannot see what is wrong with this second attempt. However, \LaTeX
stops with error \lq Use of endcoutput doesn't match its
definition\rq . The Manual suggests this means the wrong syntax
for the argument of a picture command---in other words it's
utterly utterly utterly unhelpful. If you allow it to continue
the results are apparently as intended.
In the end I resorted to force and did a global edit of
each $\backslash begin\{coutput\}$ into the next line which is
commented out.
%\baselineskip=7pt{\footnotesize\begin{verbatim}
What I wanted to write given that COUTPUT could not itself start
VERBATIM was,
\begin{coutput}\begin{verbatim}
$plot y x $ ! a GLIM command.
9.000 | x
8.400 |
7.800 | x
7.200 | x
6.600 | x x
6.000 | 3 2
5.400 | x 3 x
4.800 | 2 3 x x
4.200 | x x x
3.600 | 4 2 2 2
3.000 | x 2 2
2.400 | 2 9 2 2 2
1.800 | 5 5 4
1.200 | 2 6 x 2
0.600 |
0.000 |
----------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:
6.25 8.75 11.25 13.75 16.25 18.75
\end{verbatim}\end{coutput}
% but this had to become
%\end{verbatim}}\baselineskip=\dimen11
and we now continue with text to discuss that remarkable
scatterplot in the standard wide linespacing to allow blue pencil
work.
Any thoughts? I'm using \LaTeX 2.09 from TurboTeX as supplied
from Kinch if that is relevant.
\end{document}
Allan Reese
R.A.Reese@hull.ac.uk Post: Computer Centre
JANET: R.A.Reese@uk.ac.hull | University of Hull
Internet: R.A.Reese%hull.ac.uk@cunyvm.cuny.edu | Hull HU6 7RX
EARN/BITNET: R.A.Reese%hull.ac.uk@UKACRL | UK
|Phone +44 482 465296
|FAX +44 482 466205
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.POLY-EAST-LONDON; Thu, 26 Oct 89 10:32 BST
Date: Thu, 26 Oct 89 10:32:17 GMT
From: A42JR@UK.AC.NE-LONDON-POLY
Subject: active characters, and glossaries
I have two queries, one about TeX and one about LaTeX.
I have been trying to use active characters in TeX. I have tried to
follow the TeXbook as to implementing one. The idea is to make a macro
to typeset FORTRAN programs, replacing the digit 0 with the scandinavian
slashed-O. I created two macros as follows:
\def\beginfort{\smallskip\begingroup\tt
\catcode`0=\active %Note the use of open-quote zero
\let0=\O
\obeylines \obeyspaces }
\def\endfort{\endgroup\smallskip} %Ends the special-effects
When I tried to run this, TeX objected, claiming that there was an
undefined control sequence. If I removed the `\let0=\O' from the
macro and placed it explicitly in the text after the \beginfort macro
it worked fine!
The TeXbook examples of active characters are not simple, they are highly
convoluted!
My LaTeX problem comes in using \makeglossary. The LaTeX book says that
this works like \makeindex except that it creates a `.glo' file instead, and
enters \glossaryentry entries instead. Indeed it does create a `.glo' file,
but the entries are \indexentry entries, with page numbers, not \glossaryentry.!
John Rostron
A42JR@PEL
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK; Thu, 26 Oct 89 20:51 BST
Date: Thu, 26 OCT 89 20:48:22 GMT
From: RMCS_TEX@UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK
Subject: Some common problems with accessing the Aston Archive
Sender: JANET"RMCS_TEX@UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK" <RMCS_TEX@UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK>
Message-Id: <20A07263_002B30D8.0092CDBADAB8A1A0$45_4@UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK>
Originally-to: UKTEX,TEXHAX
Originally-from:RMCS_TEX "BHK and CNK (from RMCS)"
Mailer: Janet_Mailshr V3.4 (23-May-1989)
I've just been having a meander through today's log of activities by the
Aston Archive server <TeXserver@uk.ac.aston.tex>, and thought it might be
useful to publish here some of the common mistakes being made by users. I
mention the names of a few actual users below, not in any attempt to rub
their noses in it, but to make clearer the errors made by them (and
others), and also so that they can try again with the correct form --- at
least they now know that their messages are arriving here!
1) Your return address MUST be specified in a form understood by the server's
programs and command procedures. It doesn't understand the following:
a) Any address that doesn't include one, and only one, at-sign (@). ALL
other address lines will be interpreted as being a local DECnet mail
address, and disappear under the computer room's floorboards!
Example:
uk.ac.sheffield.primea.co1arc
(This person has since used the correct form of their address)
b) Standard RFC-822 addresses, enclosed in diamond brackets.
Example:
<mdoob%ca.umanitoba.ccu@ean-relay>
(This would be perfect if the diamond brackets had been omitted)
c) Any address where the part AFTER the at-sign isn't a true UK form NRS
address. This part of your address MUST appear in the UK's big-
endian order.
Examples:
pjs%grouch.jpl.nasa.gov@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk
duncanb@ibmpcug.co.uk
(The part following the @ should be reversed so that the uk comes
first. In the first example, this then becomes uk.ac.nsfnet-relay,
which may be abbreviated to just nsfnet-relay, since Aston too is
within the uk.ac. domain)
d) Non-existent sites! The server can only reply to addresses that are
in its CBS NetAuth database, i.e. those registered under the NRS.
Examples:
esww@uk.ac.warwick.eng
johnk@arizona.edu
(The latter should have specified johnk%arizona.edu@nsfnet-relay,
I don't know about the former; whilst Aston's NRS list has got
many machines listed at Warwick, ENG isn't one of them)
2) The return address MUST appear on the next line immediately after the
three hyphens line that spurs TeXserver into action. Put a blank line
there and it tries to send to nowhere!
3) The server can handle only one type of request at a time. HELP, SEARCH
and DIRECTORY are one line commands, and anything else on successive lines
will be totally ignored by the server. However, the FILES command (with
any desired qualifiers) is followed on succeeding lines by the names of
the files to be transferred. No defaults are applied, so if you want
a file in the archive's top-level directory, you must say so (for example,
[TEX-ARCHIVE]000DIRECTORY.LIST). ALL the following lines of your mail
message are presumed to be file specifications, so don't try asking for
a DIRECTORY listing half way through (as was done by someone in Greece;
sorry, I forgot to note your name). (And if you're in the habit of
sticking a signature box onto the end of your messages, please try not
to do so in this instance!)
4) TEXSERVER provides access ONLY to the files of the Aston archive, don't
try (as some cheeky individual did today) to do DIRECTORY [*...]*.*;*
5) BT Gold customers have a slight problem: mail incoming from your sites
usually arrives via UK.AC.UCL.CS.VS2 (and if your use the "Where am I"
facility mentioned below, that's what you'll be told). However, the
standard CBS tables, whilst having an entry for that machine, don't
permit MAIL access to it (Rutherford please note). Therefore, you
should specify your address as .....@uk.ac.ucl.cs, which WILL route the
message through to the gb.gold-400 domain.
If you're experiencing difficulty in accessing the archive, you're welcome
to mail me; just ensure that the string "help wanted" appears in the
subject line. Before doing so, however, check that your message has a line
starting with three hyphens, that your return address appears on the line
*immediately* afterwards, and that you issue a valid server command on the
line after that (in the first instance, HELP is a good one to try :-) ).
If you're unsure of the correct return address to specify, again send me a
mail message, but this time make the subject "where am I" (with or without
as much embedded white space as you wish, but without leading or trailing
blanks, nor any question mark). A message will be mailed back automatically
with the correct form of address to be specified to TEXSERVER.
*** Please note that the "where am I" needs to be specified in the
*** SUBJECT line of your message; if it isn't (I've had a couple of messages
*** with blank subjects today) it will arrive on my screen, from which it
*** will be dumped unceremoniously! (And if perchance you don't KNOW
*** how to get a subject line, speak to somebody who does.)
Incidentally, foreign language help may be available by appending one of
the following qualifiers to the word HELP:
/DANISH /DUTCH /FRANCAIS /ITALIANO /SPANISH
/DANSK /ENGLISH /FRENCH /NEDERLANDS /SWEDE
/DEUTSCH /ESPAGNOL /GERMAN /NL /SWEDISH
(If any user of one of these foreign language help files feels that the
translation could be improved, do please let us know. Requests for help in
those languages for which translations have not yet been written will
receive the standard English help: if you would be prepared to offer your
services to translate into your preferred language, please do contact me.)
Brian {Hamilton Kelly}
(p.p. Aston Archivists)
JANET: rmcs_tex@uk.ac.aston.kirk
BITNET: rmcs_tex%uk.ac.aston.kirk@ac.uk (or @UKACRL, if you prefer)
INTERNET: rmcs_tex%uk.ac.aston.kirk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk
------------------------
!!
!! Files of interest
!! [tex-archive]000aston.readme [tex-archive]000directory.list
!! [tex-archive]000directory_dates.list [tex-archive]000directory.size
!! [tex-archive]000last30days.files
!!
!! Editor - I have a tape labelled TeX 2.99 LaTeX 2.09 Metafont 1.7
!! Unix 4.2/3BSD & System V. Tar 1600 bpi blocked 20 1 file dated
!! 25 July 1989 (from washington.edu).
!!
!! FTP access site uk.ac.aston.tex
!! username public
!! password public
!!
!! I have the facility to copy this tape for anyone who sends the following
!! 1 2400 tape with return labels AND RETURN postage. (2.50 pounds sterling
!! for UK users, payable to `Aston University') Outside UK please ask me.
!! UK users send 4.25 for two tapes or 6.60 for three tapes.
!! Send to
!!
!! P Abbott
!! Computing Service
!! Aston University
!! Aston Triangle
!! Birmingham B4 7ET
!!
!! A VMS backup of the archive requires 2 (two ) 2400' tapes at 6250bpi.
!! Remaining details as above.
!!
!! A VMS backup of TeX 2.991 plus PSprint is available one tape is needed.
!!
!! Exabyte tape drive with Video 8 cassettes.
!!
!! Same formats available as 1/2in tapes. We use the following tapes
!! SONY Video 8 cassette P5 90MP, MAXCELL Video 8 cassette P5-90
!! TDK Video 8 cassette P5-90MPB
!! Postage 35p UK (stamp please), 1 pound sterling Europe, other areas 2 pounds
!!
!! OzTeX - Send 10 UNFORMATTED (800k) disks with return postage.
!!
!! Replies/submissions to info-tex@uk.ac.aston please
!! distribution changes to info-tex-request@uk.ac.aston please
!!
!! end of issue