[9fans] LaTeX: supplementary tips

[tlaronde@polynum.com]

Since it seems that LaTeX users are puzzled about how to do, some
supplementary tips:

0) You can retrieve from CTAN:

	a) The fonts. For TeX proper (what runs indeed when called as
	latex(1)), it needs the TFM files, not the glyphes by themselves.
	But dvi drivers will need afterwards the fonts by themselves. For
	LaTeX, there are the amsfonts (CTAN::fonts/amsfonts/amsfonts.zip)
	and the LaTeX fonts (CTAN::fonts/latex/). You can retrieve only the
	*.mf and then compile the fonts with METAFONT (look at
	kerTeX_T/conf/KERTEX_T.post-install for the way kerTeX compiles the
	Computer Modern asking for the creation of *.tfm). Alternatively, 
	the distribution has the TFM already created.
		But, for TeX, you will have to tell him where to look for TFM.
	This is done whether by adjusting the TEXFONTS env variable, or
	under Plan9 by bind'ing supplementary tfm/ subdirectories on
	/lib/kertex/fonts/tfm (by default, TEXFONTS=".:/lib/kertex/fonts/tfm").

	b) The base for LaTeX: CTAN::macros/latex/base.zip (there is also
	the doc.zip).

1) If the *.tfm for fonts LaTeX uses have been created or installed and
are found in the path (TEXFONTS), the procedure is explained in 
base::manifest.txt.

For all the include files, you need whether to adjust TEXINPUTS, or to
bind LaTeX base/ on /lib/kertex/tex/mac, or to put yourself in the LaTeX
base subdirectory (where the files are).

Start by "unpacking" the files:

echo "\input unpack.ins" | kertex/initex

It will tell you at the end that it has created: latex.ltx.

It creates too files with the .cfg suffix: you can configure some
things there too.

The following step (dumping the format from latex.ltx) is explained in 
the README.

The only caveats is that amsfonts, for example, are "organized"
(politically correct version of what I have in the mouth) à la TUG
hierarchy standard. Just adjust the paths, or bind(1) (Plan9 way) etc.

So I will repeat once more:

LaTeX is a set of macros. The procedure has been embedded, hidden,
submerged under Terabytes of "things" (to be politically correct), but
there is no magic there; just undue complexity added so that some can
advertise themselves as "wizzards". This is FUD: there is nothing
fondamentally difficult, nor any wizzardery in the process.

You can use LaTeX with kerTeX with the supplementary benefit that you
can be absolutely on top edge: kerTeX is all the latest versions of
METAFONT/TeX and auxiliary programs, and once you have mastered the
process, you can update as soon as you want since it is lightweight.

Some LaTeX user could indeed create a rc script file to hget(1) the
needed files and to launch the process.

There is something that should alert LaTeX users: LaTeX doesn't exist
without METAFONT/TeX, but you have been kept TeX illiterates. That has
been one of my motivation to clean the Augean Stables. It's amazing
how, in this period of general lies, "free" is used to enslave people.

-- 
        Thierry Laronde <tlaronde +AT+ polynum +dot+ com>
                      http://www.kergis.com/
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