Re: testing XeTeX with ConTeXt

Re: testing XeTeX with ConTeXt

[Adam Lindsay]

[cc'd to list, because it'll be a common problem.]

Charles Doherty said this at Mon, 29 Nov 2004 15:01:59 +0000:

>Dear Adam,
>
>Thank you for implementing XeTeX in ConTeXt. I have followed your 
>instructions following a fresh install from Gerben to ensure everything 
>was up-to-date but I can't seem to generate cont-en.xfmt
>I give the console read-out below. I hope it is of some use:
>
>TeXExec 5.2.3 - ConTeXt / PRAGMA ADE 1997-2004
>
>
>        TeX hash binary : mktexlsr
>                comment : hashing may take a while ...
>mktexlsr: Updating /usr/local/teTeX/share/texmf.local/ls-R...
>mktexlsr: Updating /usr/local/teTeX/share/texmf.gwtex/ls-R...
>mktexlsr: Updating /usr/local/teTeX/share/texmf.tetex/ls-R...
>mktexlsr: Updating /usr/local/teTeX/share/texmf/ls-R...
>mktexlsr: Updating /var/tmp/texfonts/ls-R...
>mktexlsr: Done.
>xetex: unrecognized option `-translate-file=natural.tcx'

hi Charles, good point. 

XeTeX currently doesn't accept or ignore the -translate-file option that
Hans has chosen as a default for normal ConTeXt operation. I haven't
figured out how to run different "profiles" or configurations within my
current installation, so I just edited the following line in /usr/local/
teTeX/share/texmf.local/context/config/texexec.ini [1] from:

for  tetex  set  TeXPassString  to -progname=context --default-translate-
file=cp8bit

 ...to...

for  tetex  set  TeXPassString  to -progname=context 

 ... I think that should be enough to set you on your way. I run ConTeXt
with both pdfetex and XeTeX under this configuration, and it seems to
work well enough (except for a minor warning).

I'll add this advice to the wiki, but Hans, Gerben, can you offer advice
on how to handle this configuration conflict longer term... we want
ConTeXt to work well out of the box, *and* to make it easy for mac users.
Yes, JK needs to update XeTeX to handle the -default-translate option
better, but there are other reasons for changing texexec.ini as well...

[1] or wherever your texexec is getting its configuration from. Look at
the output of `texexec --verbose` for a line like:
reading : /usr/local/teTeX/share/texmf.local/context/config/texexec.ini

-- 
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 Adam T. Lindsay, Computing Dept.     atl@comp.lancs.ac.uk
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 Lancaster, LA1 4WA, UK             Fax:+44(0)1524/510.492
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Re: Re: testing XeTeX with ConTeXt

[Hans Hagen]

Adam Lindsay wrote:

> I'll add this advice to the wiki, but Hans, Gerben, can you offer advice
> on how to handle this configuration conflict longer term... we want
> ConTeXt to work well out of the box, *and* to make it easy for mac users.
> Yes, JK needs to update XeTeX to handle the -default-translate option
> better, but there are other reasons for changing texexec.ini as well...

for proper unicode (and xml) support, tex needs to be 8 bit in/out, which is why 
the tcx swiotch is there; i'll probably rewrite most of texexec once i have its 
examplex companion redone (then that one will do the goodies like imposition)


Hans

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