From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"; format=flowed; delsp=yes To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@9fans.net> References: <20100427093639.GA12210@polynum.com> Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:45:14 +0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Alexander Sychev Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <20100427093639.GA12210@polynum.com> User-Agent: Opera Mail/10.10 (Linux) Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Subject: Re: [9fans] LaTeX: supplementary tips Topicbox-Message-UUID: 0f03be96-ead6-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 Hello! Thank you! I can't check TeX on Plan9 right now, but I'm going to do this= =20 in the nearest future... Can you please add these tips to the corresponding README on kergis.com? On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:36:39 +0400, tlaronde@polynum.com =20 wrote: > 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=3D".:/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 LaTe= X > 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) =C3=A0 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. > --=20 Best regards, santucco