Re: mplib

[Hans Hagen <pragma@wxs.nl>]

Hi,

In addition to previous mails about the mplib project we now have 
funding for the programming part of the mplib project  (budgetted 12KEURO)

- dante : 6K
- tug : 1.5K
- tug india : 1K
- ntg : 2K
- cstug : 1K
- gust: will fund a sub-project (metatype1 completion)

TUG indicated that next year there could be additional funding but it 
looks like .5K is enough then, which means that the project funcing is 
secured.

This project is especially nice because it permits us to have a tight 
luatex/mp pair. LuaTeX (opened up, configurable, tunable pdftex), 
TeXGyre (8 open type fonts, finaly with math etc), and MPLib (integrated 
graphical engine) help us boost tex into the  future and without funding 
the programming and font conversion effort, i fear it would have taken 
many more years.

It also means that some of you will have to do some pretty hefty testing 
of both machineries at the end of the year since context mkiv will be 
used as testbed.

It may be clear that projects like this put quite a financial burden on 
user groups (there is already substantial continuous funding of texgyre 
by the mentioned user groups) and luatex is also sponsored (by oriental 
tex project as well as tug). Projects like this put a dent in the 
financial reserves of lugs.

So ... if you're not yet a member of a local user group or tug ... 
consider joining since it's the user groups that keep the good work done 
...

Soon there will also be the option to support specific projects (tug 
project page).

Hans


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                                          Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
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