tml@santra.UUCP (Tor Lillqvist) (05/22/86)
In case anybody out there has one of these machines and a LaserJet+, and is interested in improving the quality of his text processing: I have implemented TeX (version 2.0) for the HP1000 A-Series (running RTE-A/VC+ Rev. 2440). The implemetation is quite complete, it handles command line arguments, asynchronous breaks, etc. It seems to work quite right, all the TeX source files I have tested have come out as expected. It passes the TRIP test without problems. I also wrote a DVI driver (called DVIplus) for the LaserJet+ printer (using the DVItype program as a staring point, of course). The DVIplus program prints the pages in reverse order, downloads only those characters actually used from each font, and transfers extra-large characters as raster graphics. I also have METAFONT version 1.0 up and running. (I haven't tried the TRAP test yet.) Running a set of CM fonts corresponding to the magnifications of the AM fonts distributed took 50 h real time on our A900 machine with 6 MB memory (during a weekend). The implementation was easier than I first feared. The Pascal/1000 compiler didn't really cause any major problems. The obscure file system forced some small changes in the binary file format (I added an integer at the beginning of the files containing the file size). I even managed to achieve a sort of preloading: Virtually all the global variables are in `Extended Memory' (EMA), and when INITEX has done its job, this area is dumped to a file. VIRTEX is started by a small bootup program which first reads this file into EMA. I sent the previous version (TeX 1.5, METAFONT 0.77, no CM sources) to Interex, the International Association of HP Users, but I haven't got any information from them whether they are willing to redistribute it. If you want the whole stuff from me, send me a 600 feet CS80 cartridge tape or a 2400 feet tape. Please send no money, but I can put it on your tape and mail it back. (Mail your tape as a `small packet' to minimize the customs formalities.) Tor Lillqvist Technical Research Centre of Finland UUCP: ...!mcvax!santra!tml BITNET: tml@fingate.bitnet ARPA: tml%fingate.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu Phone: +358 0 4566132 Telex: 122972 vttha sf Mail address: Technical Research Centre of Finland Lehtisaarentie 2 SF-00340 HELSINKI FINLAND