laser-lovers@uw-beaver (04/09/85)
From: mrose@UDel-Dewey.ARPA We have a Talaris 1200 running for a long while, and are installing an Imagen 12/300 tomorrow. Naturally, I'd like to run the same version of TeX for both printers (so the .dvi file wouldn't be specific to a particular device). My problem is that looking at the font distribution on the Imagen tape, the .tfm files appear to be different than the Talaris ones. Ugh. Question: is anyone out there running more than one brand of laser printer on site, and if so, what do you do in this circumstance? Thanks, /mtr
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (04/09/85)
From: David Fuchs <DRF@SU-SCORE.ARPA> Subject: Re: TFM files: Imagen v. Talaris To: MRose%NRTC@USC-ECL.ARPA.#Internet, laser-lovers@WASHINGTON.ARPA.#Internet In-Reply-To: Message from "mrose@UDel-Dewey.ARPA" of Mon 8 Apr 85 19:46:26-PST Many sites use more than one brand of printer with TeX with no problems like the one your mentioned. For instance, we're using printers from 8 different manufacturers in the CS Dept quite happily. The reason it all works is exactly because the .TFM files are independent of the device in question. If indeed Talaris is distributing files that it is calling "Computer Modern" that don't match those from Stanford, then I'd say they are defrauding their customers. This subject came up at last summer's TeX Users Group meeting when a disgruntled Talaris customer complained that their fonts didn't match. After an incredulous response from the president of TUG to the effect that he couldn't believe that anyone would be so stupid to do such a thing (my words), the representative from Talaris positivley denied that they were sending out bogus .TFM files. I thought that settled it and that everyone had saved face, but now it seems Talaris is up to their old tricks, and I for one am disgusted with them. Imagen, HP, IBM, QMS, DEC, Apple, Xerox, Autologic, Alphatype, etc., all have printers which allow for across-the-board TeX compatibility; I don't see why Talaris insists on screwing things up for the TeX community, and then denies doing it. What can be done? Well, I'd suggest that you trash the software from Talaris, get a standard VMS TeX from Stanford (or buy a supported version from Kellerman&Smith, or use the one that comes from Imagen) and also get the public-domain QMS driver code (or buy a supported version from Textset or K&S). To help keep this from happening in the future, the TeX Users Group will be including in each issue of their newsletter a list of software that is truely TeX compatible. After all, that was the whole idea in the first place. -david -------
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (04/09/85)
From: Marshall Rose <mrose%NRTC@USC-ECL.ARPA>
A couple of notes: 1) we're actually running our talaris on a
4.2BSD UNIX system (can you believe that), not VMS. 2) my
examination of the files has been limited (at the moment to
examining the sizes of corresponding files.
This sadly, owing to the fact that I couldn't bring the imagen
stuff on-line due to lack of disk space. We're installing another
eagle today, but I can't use it til the end the week. I guess it's
possible that files with different sizes can be semantically
identical, so I may have started a war by mistake.
Before awarding Talaris "the seal of bad TeXkeeping", let me get
both sets of .tfm files on-line and compare some TFM checksums. I
suppose that's the acid test.
Sorry if I started people putting on war paint prematurely.
/mtr
[[Editor's note: Public domain software to drive the QMS from Unix is
also available although since it hasn't been installed at very many
sites, we can't say how effective it is. The software is on the Unix
TeX distribution tape or may be obtained by ftping
<tex.xfer>qmstex.tar from Washington. If you are ftping to a Unix
site, use "type l 8" or "tenex" mode since this is a tar image file
stored on a Tops-20. If you install the software, drop me a note and
let me know how it goes---Furuta@Washington is the address. The
software was Simpson of TRW. --Rick]]