updating ConTeXt to latest on openbsd-current

updating ConTeXt to latest on openbsd-current

[frantisek holop]

hi there,

i am a (somewhat) long time pdflatex user and i am trying to convert to
ConTeXt.  openbsd comes with teTeX 3.0 pre-packaged, that is with a very
old ConTeXt.  the package has some openbsd specific stuff, but minimal,
and only for keeping cnf files between updates and a couple of paths are
different, but that is it.

i was (am) having font problems, so i thought an upgrade would not hurt.
the lovely guides on contextgarden.net got me started, and with minor
changes i have a fresh ConTeXt up and running, but i have some problems
still i am afraid.  i am very new to ConTeXt and to TeX in general,
i was always behind the "safe" curtains of macros (like memoir, etc).


as i followed the instructions from here:
http://wiki.contextgarden.net/TeTeX_3.0_installation
my question are related to this page....

i will break down my question into more mails, so it's not too long,
and so that people can answer to mails they know the answer to :)

the first one:

the first step to upgrade context is:

--\startquote---------------------------------------------------
Fix texmf.cnf

Now first you have to fix texmf.cnf as supplied with teTeX:

# vi /usr/local/teTeX/share/texmf/web2c/texmf.cnf 

You have to add an engine path to the TEXFORMATS line, so that it reads:

TEXFORMATS = .;$TEXMF/web2c/{$engine,}

--\stopquote----------------------------------------------------

i deliberately skipped this one, and the new context worked without it.
what does this precisely do?

when i first run the new context, a new line in the output immediately
caught my attention:

 TeXExec 5.4.3 - ConTeXt / PRAGMA ADE 1997-2005

 fixing texformat path : .:{!!/home/f/.texmf-config,!!/home/f/.texmf-var,/home/f
/texmf,!!/etc/texmf,!!/var/texmf,!!/usr/local/share/texmf,!!/usr/local/share/tex
mf-local,!!/usr/local/share/texmf-dist}/web2c/{$engine,}{pdfetex,}

so i thought, ok, here's the path issue.  so i added "{$engine,}" as intructed,
but it turned out that that this new line comes up anyway.  could anyone comment on it?


the next tip is to

--\startquote---------------------------------------------------

While at it, you probably want to set

shell_escape = t

if it isn't already. 

--\stopquote----------------------------------------------------

in the default openbsd package this line says:

shell_escape = f

what is the difference?  and what is it for anyway?
some external execution of the legends are true? :)

-f
-- 
i'm not old.  i'm chronologically gifted.

Re: updating ConTeXt to latest on openbsd-current

[Taco Hoekwater]

frantisek holop wrote:
> 
> the first step to upgrade context is:
> 
> --\startquote---------------------------------------------------
> Fix texmf.cnf
> --\stopquote----------------------------------------------------
> 
> i deliberately skipped this one, and the new context worked without it.
> what does this precisely do?

See the answer to #2, already posted

> but it turned out that that this new line comes up anyway.  could anyone comment on it?

That line from texexec comes from paranoia in texexec, I think it
is displayed always.

> the next tip is to
> 
> --\startquote---------------------------------------------------
> shell_escape = t
> --\stopquote----------------------------------------------------
> 
> in the default openbsd package this line says:
> 
> shell_escape = f
> 
> what is the difference?  and what is it for anyway?
> some external execution of the legends are true? :)

It allows tex to start programs on-the-fly. Most imprtantly metapost,
for the creation of graphics. It works fine without, but with the
'f' setting, usually an extra tex run is needed, loosing you valuable
time.

Cheers, Taco

Re: updating ConTeXt to latest on openbsd-current

[Thomas A. Schmitz]

On Mar 6, 2006, at 10:17 PM, frantisek holop wrote:

> hi there,
>
> i am a (somewhat) long time pdflatex user and i am trying to  
> convert to
> ConTeXt.

That's good, welcome to the ConTeXt community. I'm sure you'll like  
it around here...

I'll try and answer some of your questions:

>
> shell_escape = t
>
> if it isn't already.
>
> --\stopquote----------------------------------------------------
>
> in the default openbsd package this line says:
>
> shell_escape = f
>
> what is the difference?  and what is it for anyway?
> some external execution of the legends are true? :)
>

Among other things, ConTeXt has wonderful integration for an  
implementation of Metapost called Metafun. If you set shell escape to  
"t," ConTeXt will be able to compile Metafun code that is included in  
your documents. this is a security issue when you're on a system with  
many users; if you;re running it on your own personal computer, it is  
safe to set this to true.

> kpathsea: Running mktexmf ec-lmr12
> ! I can't find file `ec-lmr12'.
> <*> ...ljfour; mag:=1; nonstopmode; input ec-lmr12

This is the old Latin-Modern bug that is a recurring event on this  
list. Download the file cont-lmt.zip from the pragma website, unzip  
it in your texmf-tree, run texhash, and this should solve your  
problems on this front.

HTH, you'll certainly receive more answers.

Thomas