UKTeX V90 #10 Friday 30 March 1990
Re: byte ordering in CM fonts
XDVI, CWEB, PS drivers
typo in sfb.sty
uktex.tex
Drawing Feynman diagrams in TeX/METAFONT or Postscript
Washington tape
web2c version of TeX 3.0 released
Editor Peter Abbott
I have a cheque and labels from Dr Francesc Cornellas, Barcelona, Spain but
no information on what to send from the archive.
I have a cheque and details of items required from Gustav Jeppesen, Denmark
but no return address.
Queries to this digest are now circulated to the group responsible for
maintaining the archive so that where possible answers can be included. The
routing software has recently been revised and in some cases the originator
cannot be identified. Hopefully this will not occur again.
Note that Friday April 13 is Good Friday and there will be no UKTeX.
Latest TeXhax in the Archive is #36 (but no 35 as yet)
Latest TeXmag in the Archive is V3N4 (in 2 parts)
-------------------------
Subj: TeX problems
>
> Can you send me advice/help on the TeX progs available?
> My first requirement is for a Hewlett Packard LaserJet Plus (actually
> a C.ITOH clone). This is for a IBM PC TeX implementation.
> More generally I'd like to put up TeX/METAFONT on a variety of our
> systems (I'm trying to encourage wide use of TeX here!)
I'm not clear what the question is. are you asking for drivers, or TeX
itself, or what? the second question is, can you do FTP from Aston? or
have you used the mail server already. you need to be more specific...
there is a LOT of TeX stuff around.
sebastian rahtz
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK; Wed, 28 Mar 90 16:31 BST
Date: Wed, 28 MAR 90 16:30:33 BST
From: ARCHIVEGROUP@UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK
Subject: Re: byte ordering in CM fonts
Originally-from:<SPQR@UK.AC.SOUTHAMPTON.ECS>
David R Evans writes:
> last time were caused by the dvi to PS programs not working correctly, but
> I intend trying Rokiki's this time. This one seems to work well enough for
> our needs, except that we still get Computer Modern Symbol font rather than
> the PostScript one -- has anyone solved this problem?
it depends on what you call a problem and on which version of
Rokicki you use. If you use TeX `version almost 3' with virtual fonts
you will find it easier to mix and match (should you wish to do so!).
if you mean that you want all the maths to use PS symbols, then you
have a fun job ahead! James Clark's dvitops starts to to it, but the
job is unsolvable in the simplest way, as Symbol doesn't have all the
characters you need. anyway, the question of font mapping is separate
from the drivers. how you build your LaTeX (I assume you are LaTeX not
plain) is the critical question...... it is certainly not worth
long-term work with the current system, as LaTeX 2.10 will use the new
font selection mechanism, which makes using PS fonts a lot easier, and
that (2.10) should be the default a year from now, I'd guess.
Sebastian
------------------------
From: CBS%UK.AC.GLASGOW.VMS2::GAGA50 30-MAR-1990 10:47:56.66
Via: UK.AC.ASTON.MAIL; Fri, 30 Mar 90 10:47 BST
Via: [000071100041.FTP.MAIL]; Fri, 30 Mar 90 10:46 BST
Date: Fri, 30 Mar 90 9:13 GMT
From: "Tony J Ibbs (Tibs) 041-339-8855 x6649" <GAGA50@UK.AC.GLASGOW.VMS2>
Subject: XDVI, CWEB, PS drivers
1) XDVI
In the last copy of UKTEX, you were asked if anyone was using the DECwindows
previewer. If this is the same as that to be found in
[TEX-ARCHIVE.DRIVERS.XDVI.DECWINDOWS]
then I have been using it here (ie, at the University of Glasgow) on my
VAXstation, and would appreciate a new version. If it isn't, I'm still
interested!
2) CWEB
I have just been compiling/linking CWEB under VMS. The change file for
VMS seems to have gone missing (there should be a file
[TEX-ARCHIVE.WEB.CWEB]VMS.CH
which is not there). The README. file mentions two changes required to
COMMON.C - in fact I found the following problems (if anyone cares:
a) in COMMON.C the #define constant `format' clashes with the
internals of STDIO.H - just rename it to something else in
COMMON.C
b) in COMMON.C, it is assumed that if a change file is not
given, then the file "/dev/null" can be used. Under VMS
this should be changed to (for instance) "NL:".
c) it is necessary to compile both CTANGLE.C and CWEAVE.C
using CC/INCLUDE=SYS$LIBRARY:, as VAX C does not quite
get its searching for include file right for cases like
#include "ctype.h"
NOTE that (b) solves the immediate problem of file names under
VMS - but some more general solution is necessary to cope
with VMS file names properly - the code assumes that it
can find whether an extension is present by looking for
a `.', so that directory names can cause things to go wrong
(mind you, will that work under UNIX with multiple dots being
legal in a file name?)
3) DVI to PostScript drivers
A few months ago I obtained the VMS `working system' tape from you
(for which many thanks). At the moment we do not have a universally
available PostScript printer for the VAX cluster on which I have put
TeX, but in the next couple of months we should have access to a
`server' machine on the local IBM mainframe. This will make available
the following process:
PS file -> IBM PS translator -> 3820 laserprinter
The IBM software claims to support full Adobe PostScript.
As part of the testing of this system, I produced some test files using
PSPRINT (in fact, PSPRINT/DEV=LW) and sent them to the relevant person
to try the above sequence. Unfortunately it did not work - it seems that
the translator read the file OK, and detected the setup data, output a
header page, and that was that. I looked at the PS output by PSPRINT, and
discovered that it does not conform to various things described as good
practice by the PS Reference Manual - specifically, it does not start the
file with the characters `%!', nor does it include any of those wonderful
`meaningful comments' that start with `%%'. I gather the IBM translator
DOES claim to cope with files that don't start `%!', but I do not have
the expertise to try and work out what was wrong (and quite reasonably
the person trying the data for me just said `well, everyone else's PS
works alright' - everyone else being quite a few people in this case).
So I began to look at other drivers from the archive.
In the end I have found that DVItoPS was quick to get going and produces
`pretty' PS, and its output works with no problems on the IBM. So I
shall probably stick with that. But I have the following summary of what
I found out about the other drivers, if it is any use (is there a better
summary/list available? it seems that it would be a useful thing to have
given the choice for UNIX sites in particular - and would it not be useful
for developers as well?)
------------------------------
PSPRINT
Constructed at Aston, claims output on Apple LW, Linotron, DEC PS40
Written in Modula-2 (so I can't compile it), but VMS executable available
Lots of options, including landscape mode - these are VMS style qualifiers
Poorly presented PS (doesn't follow the reference manual)
Allows use of PS fonts
Specials for (any type of PS) file inclusion
DVItoPS
UNIX and MS-DOC program, with VMS DIFFERENCE output for how to convert
it to VMS - took me about two hours, including some extra changes they
had not originally done (mainly to `environment variable' names)
Written in C (so I had no problems)
Relatively basic options, and UNIX style command line
Allows use of PS fonts (I've not tried that yet)
Specials for EPSF file inclusion, grey scale boxes, rotated text, ...
Snags: Landscape mode is per-page - this is not really too good.
WOLCSKO
I looked at this - it's simple, in C, lots of UNIX style switches,
not much \special support, and doesn't look like pretty PS output.
I didn't try to port it.
DVI3PS
This should be the `great hope' of drivers for PS, since it says it
took the best of everything else. I read a lot of its code.
It is strictly UNIX, but doesn't look as if it would need a great deal
of porting (a sign of good code)
It has lots of useful switches, including landscape mode
Allows use of PS fonts
Not much \special support (include files)
Doesn't output the `standard' PS comments
DVIPS
Written in C for UNIX
Lots of switches
Specials for EPSF (and other types of file) inclusion
Allows use of PS fonts
Good PS comment structure, and the comments can be suppressed (it says
that some printers get confused by them)
- But by this point I had PStoDVI and decided to wait until the output
device was actually available properly before worrying further.
If I had lots of time to spend on this (which I definitely don't) I
would investigate DVIPS further - I may do so in the future if
it looks like the local users require it.
------------------------------
The other PS drivers didn't look as if they supported PK files, which
all of the above do (I haven't noted which support other forms, because
I'm not interested). If people care, I can send my modified DVItoPS to
the archive, but it's in the traditional `I want to improve it later'
state (unless someone else has already done so...)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tony J Ibbs (Tibs)
Department of Geography and Topographic Science
University of Glasgow
GLASGOW G12 8QQ Telephone: +41-339-8855 x6649
Scotland Email - Janet (UK): GAGA50@uk.ac.Glasgow.vms
(non-UK): GAGA50@vms.Glasgow.ac.uk
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK; Fri, 30 Mar 90 11:04 BST
Date: Fri, 30 MAR 90 11:03:29 BST
From: ARCHIVEGROUP@UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK
Subject: typo in sfb.sty
Originally-from:<JL_BRAAMS%NL.PTTRNL@UK.AC.EARN-RELAY>
Hi,
In the file sfb.sty which I contibuted recently I've discovered
a typo. For xxvpt the family used is \sffam, it should be \sfbfam.
Johannes Braams
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK; Fri, 30 Mar 90 12:38 BST
Date: Fri, 30 MAR 90 12:37:08 BST
From: ARCHIVEGROUP@UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK
Subject: RE:
Originally-from:<P.TAYLOR@UK.AC.RHBNC.VAX>
John ---
> Can you help please, I tried to process the UKTEX.TEX set of files
>with LaTeX but do not have TREE.STY. I cannot find it either in
>TEX-ARCHIVE.LATEX or TEX-ARCHIVE.DOC.LATEX. Our system library doesn't hold
>it either.
I have to confess, I don't know what `the UKTEX.TEX set of files' is! Can you
confirm (or deny) that TREE.STY is Anne Bruggeman-Klein's tree-drawing macro
package ?
** Phil.
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK; Fri, 30 Mar 90 15:04 BST
Date: Fri, 30 MAR 90 15:04:26 BST
From: ARCHIVEGROUP@UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK
Originally-from:<ORA021@UK.AC.LANCASTER.CENTRAL1>
subject: uktex.tex
Can you help please, I tried to process the UKTEX.TEX set of files
with LaTeX but do not have TREE.STY. I cannot find it either in
TEX-ARCHIVE.LATEX or TEX-ARCHIVE.DOC.LATEX. Our system library doesn't hold
it either.
If you could either tell me where to find it or mail it to me it
would be useful.
Thanks for existing.
John Crookes
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK; Fri, 30 Mar 90 18:31 BST
Date: Fri, 30 MAR 90 18:30:30 BST
From: ARCHIVEGROUP@UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK
Subject: RE:
Originally-from:<SPQR@UK.AC.SOUTHAMPTON.ECS>
ARCHIVEGROUP@uk.ac.aston.kirk writes:
> > Can you help please, I tried to process the UKTEX.TEX set of files
> >with LaTeX but do not have TREE.STY. I cannot find it either in
> >TEX-ARCHIVE.LATEX or TEX-ARCHIVE.DOC.LATEX. Our system library doesn't hol
> I have to confess, I don't know what `the UKTEX.TEX set of files'
> is! Can you confirm (or deny) that TREE.STY is Anne
> Bruggeman-Klein's tree-drawing macro package ?
tree.sty is NOT Bruggeman-Klein, but another, simpler system
tree.sty should be [tex-archive.latex.contrib]trees.sty, a misspelling
appeared somewhere. my apologies
Sebastian Rahtz
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK; Sun, 1 Apr 90 4:53 BST
Date: Sun, 1 APR 90 04:52:51 BST
From: ARCHIVEGROUP@UK.AC.ASTON.VAX.KIRK
Subject: Drawing Feynman diagrams in TeX/METAFONT or Postscript
Originally-from:<NJR@UK.AC.EDINBURGH.CASTLE>
I am interested in producing Feynman diagrams in TeX or LaTeX documents.
I really need one of the following, therefore:
1. some METAFONT definitions together with, perhaps, some macros
to allow them to be used reasonably easily;
2. some kind of a Feynman diagram compiler which takes a specification
of some sort and produces Postscript as its output;
3. failing either of these, some raw Postscript procedures which
draw useful things.
If anyone has anything along these lines that they'd be willing
to share, I'd be most grateful as I don't have time to write
any of these at the moment.
*Please* mail me if you do, as I don't always manage to read these groups.
Thanks.
Nick Radcliffe <NRadcliffe@uk.ac.ed>
------------------------
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From: Pierre MacKay <mackay@edu.washington.cs.june>
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In-Reply-To: ABBOTTP%spock.vax.aston.ac.uk@NSFnet-Relay.AC.UK's message of Mon, 26 MAR 90 08:33:50 GMT <9003260735.AA17863@june.cs.washington.edu>
Subject: Washington tape
Don just announced TeX3, and we have just finished getting enough
sites into Web2C compilation to make it worth it. As soon as we verify
TeX 3 and Metafont 2, we will send one along.
Pierre
***************************************************************************
Editor - I asked Pierre for a new tape as mine is dated July 1989
***************************************************************************
------------------------
Via: UK.AC.SOUTHAMPTON.MATHEMATICS; Mon, 2 Apr 90 8:10 BST
Received: from manutius.ecs.soton.ac.uk by hilliard.ecs.soton.ac.uk; Mon, 2 Apr 90 08:11:12 BST
From: Sebastian Rahtz <spqr@uk.ac.soton.ecs>
Date: Mon, 2 Apr 90 08:09:19 gmt
Message-Id: <23037.9004020809@manutius.ecs.soton.ac.uk>
Subject: [for UKTEX please] web2c version of TeX 3.0 released
------- Start of forwarded message -------
Many people have asked when the work would be done to release the
`new' TeX for C compilation using Tim Morgan's `web2c' system, which
has become the standard way of compiling TeX under Unix. The work was
done before Christmas, but has been waiting for tests on a variety of
machines before general release. The official release of TeX 3.0 last
week coincides nicely with the release of the web2c work. A release
message from Karl Berry (the date of 1st April is a coincidence!) is
appended below, which notes that compressed tar archives of the web
sources and the web2c hierarchy are available at Aston. THIS IS A
SHORT-TERM MEASURE. After a few months, the archives will be
decomposed into their constituent parts and stored as plain files
only; for those who can only access the archive via the mail server,
the decomposed set is now in [tex-archive.tex.unixv3].
A complete new Unix release tape is not yet available, but tapes can
be written of parts of the archive. Please direct enquiries for tapes
to Peter Abbott.
Please test this release as widely as possible, and report bugs to
Karl Berry.
Sebastian Rahtz
- -------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 1 Apr 90 07:56:25 EDT
You can get the following files from ics.uci.edu [128.195.1.1], in the
subdirectory pub:
web2c-5.0a.tar.Z
web-5.0.tar.Z
They purport to make TeX 3.0, Metafont 2.0, and friends work on Unix
systems.
The files are also available to JANET sites with NIFTP from
uk.ac.aston.tex (username public, password public), as
[tex-archive]web2c-5_0a.tar_Z
[tex-archive]web-5_0a.tar_Z
They will be available shortly from
june.cs.washington.edu [128.95.1.4] and
labrea.stanford.edu [36.8.0.47]
and probably other places, too. Look for a site near you!
Hints:
(1) If you don't have tar and (un)compress, you have to get them.
(2) I strongly suggest you get the GNU C compiler and related software.
The number of bugs with gcc has been significantly smaller than that
with system C compilers.
(3) If you have to make changes to any files besides site.h and
Makefile, I want to know about them. Send me context diffs, and
ChangeLog entries if possible.
Although I ported the first ``new TeX'' (2.992), Tim Morgan is the
principal author of web2c. Things that are broken now but didn't use to
be are almost certainly my fault! (Or Knuth's :-).) The following
people helped me test the distribution (in no particular order): Pierre
Mackay, Sebastian Rahtz, Ken Yap, Paul Eggert, Laurence Yaffe, Rusty
Wright, Richard Roy, and Brian Suggs.
Send me mail if you encounter trouble (sigh).
karl@cs.umb.edu
karl@ai.mit.edu
...!harvard!umb!karl
------------------------
!!
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!! A VMS backup of the archive requires 2 (two ) 2400' tapes at 6250bpi.
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