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From: tdunbar@vtaix.cc.vt.edu (Thomas Dunbar)
Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.apps,comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: Recent TeX ports?
Date: 29 Nov 1993 04:04:30 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Lines: 47
Message-ID: <2dbsce$sf7@vtserf.cc.vt.edu>
References: <2cvjmn$fkt@universe.digex.net> <JKH.93Nov26001315@whisker.lotus.ie> <sens.193.754519659@FASECON.ECON.NYU.EDU>
NNTP-Posting-Host: vtaix.cc.vt.edu
Summary: latest TeX is 3.1415
Sunando Sen writes:
>The current version of TeX is _3.141_ and the current version of METAFONT is
>2.71. The source for both are in the packages web-5.851d and web2c-5.851d
Mr Sen is correct that web-5.851d has TeX v 3.141. However, Knuth's
tex.web for TeX 3.1415 has been out since june. the current TeX
binaries in the standard Linux TeX archives (ie texbin.tgz on the
SLS t1 disk and TeX.tz in the Milieu package-at tsx-11) contain
tex v 3.1415
tangle 4.4
mf v 2.71
my diffs against Berry's web2c-5.851d & web-5.851d can be found at
tsx-11.mit.edu in the dir pub/linux/packages/TeX/Milieu. besides the
above update, the following changes were made:
1) fixed a bug in the public web2c's openinout.c so that one can
use MakeTeXTFM...ie if the tfm file isnt found, tex will call
mf to make it just as xdvi, dvips, and dvilj will call a script
to invoke mf to make the pk bitmap.
2) changed default base dir (/usr/local) to /usr/TeX
3) modified the default mf prompt (see my milieu.tz text for more
info..this is only of interest to those programming in mf)
4) used fast-math flag which speeds mf up 5-10% if a coprocessor
is available (no harm if none)
i think that's all the changes but look at the diff to check.
btw, for those not familiar with TeX, Knuth's work on tex, mf, etc
has pretty much stopped. some regret this..others agree. at any rate
the changes in tex usage nowdays are in the various macro packages,
e.g. the forthcoming LaTeX macro package or in misc TeX related
programming, e.g., programming in METAFONT (my interest). none of
this has anything to do with Linux, other than that Linux is the
best system for such work (yes, pure prejudice on my part).
the tex binaries are not linked with the latest c or X libs: there is
not reason to, imho and while i link my own with the X 2.0 libs say, i
just do that because that's what i use now..eventually i'll update the
mf binary but there's no reason to now.
thomas (email: tdunbar@vtaix.cc.vt.edu
Mosaic: http://milieu.grads.vt.edu/
^^^^-this is greatly in need of
improvement/updating/additions)