bobby@hot.caltech.edu (Bobby Bodenheimer) (04/08/90)
This article contains answers to some frequently asked questions on
comp.text.tex. Please don't ask these questions again, as they've been
answered many times before.
This article includes answers to:
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Z?
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it?
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
8) How do I get WEB for C or FORTRAN?
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
10) What is TUGboat?
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Z?
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Z?
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
If you are looking for the answer to, for instance, question 17, and wish
to skip everything else, you can search ahead for the regular expression
"^17)"
These are all legitimate questions, but they seem to appear too frequently
for long-time readers of the list.
Many of the answers below tell you that you can obtain something
through anonymous ftp. Remember that anonymous ftp is a privilege
and that the system administrators for these sites have made these
files available out of their own generosity. Therefore please restrict
your ftp'ing to non-prime hours at the various sites.
I would like to acknowledge Don Hosek, Ken Yap, Tomas Rokicki, and
Micah Beck, whose postings provided many of the answers. The format of
this document is based on that of the Frequently Asked Questions appearing
in comp.unix.wizards, and written by Steve Hayman. Any mistakes
are mine. Corrections, suggestions, and additions to bobby@hot.caltech.edu.
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
Three very nice DVI to PostScript conversion programs that run
under Unix are:
dvitps - part of the TeXPS package by Stephan Bectolsheim.
Available via anonymous ftp from arthur.cs.purdue.edu
(128.10.2.1) in ./pub/TeXPS.
dvi3ps - by Kevin Coombes. Available via anonymous ftp
from tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (128.146.8.60) in
./pub/dvi3ps.tar.Z
dvips - by Tomas Rokicki. This driver (in version 5.0 and later)
has the ability to deal with the virtual fonts of TeX 3.0.
Version 4.21 is for versions of TeX before 3.0 (or 2.995).
Available via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu
(36.8.0.47) in ./pub.
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
Perhaps the best way to do this is to use the psfig macros written
by Trevor Darrell. They are available via anonymous ftp from
whitechapel.media.mit.edu (18.85.0.124) in ./psfig or
linc.cis.upenn.edu (130.91.6.8) in the directory ./dist/psfig. You
will also need a dvi to PostScript conversion program that supports
the macros. The ones mentioned in question 1 do. The psfig macros
work best with Encapsulated PostScript Files (EPS). In particular, psfig
will need the file to have a BoundingBox (see Appendix C of the
_PostScript Language Reference Manual_). If you don't have an EPS
file, life can be difficult.
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Z?
This briefly lists some previewers which are available via anonymous
ftp:
dvipage - For SunView. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvipages.tar.Z.
xtex - For X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
expo.lcs.mit.edu (18.30.0.212) in ./contrib/SeeTeX-2.15.tar.Z.
dviapollo- for Apollo Domain. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviapollo.tar.Z.
dviis - For Integrated Systems. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviis.tar.Z.
dvidis - For VAXstation VWS. Available via anonymous ftp from
venus.ycc.yale.edu (130.132.1.5) in [.dvidis] (VMS machine).
xdvi - Also for X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
expo.lcs.mit.edu in ./contrib/xdvi.shar.Z and
./contrib/xdvi.patch7.Z
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
The PiCTeX manual is not free. It is available for $35 from the
TeX Users Group:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
The proceeds from this sale go to Michael Wichura, the author of PiCTeX,
and TUG.
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
VorTeX is a package of programs written at the University of California.
It includes several nice previewers and some Emacs modes for TeX and
BibTeX. It is not free, but is not expensive. Inquiries should be
directed to vortex@ucbarpa.berkely.edu or
Professor Michael A. Harrison
Att. Vortex Dist.
Computer Science Division
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it?
OzTeX is a public domain version of TeX for the Macintosh. It was
written by Andrew Trevorrow, and is available via anonymous ftp from
watmsg.waterloo.edu (129.97.129.9) in ./pub/oztex. The most recent
version is 1.2. Questions about it may be directed to
oztex@tank.uchicago.edu.
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
Fig is a menu driven tool similar to MacWrite that allows you to
draw objects on the screen of a Sun Workstation running SunView.
TransFig is a set of tools which translate the code fig produces
to other graphics languages including PostScript and the LaTeX
picture environment. Both are available via anonymous ftp from
svax.cs.cornell.edu (128.84.254.2) in ./pub/fig. Both Fig and
TransFig are also available from the Clarkson archive server at
sun.soe.clarkson.ede (see question 19). Both Fig and TransFig
are supported by Micah Beck.
XFig is essentially the same program except that it runs under
X Windows. It is available via anonymous ftp from expo.lcs.mit.edu
(18.30.0.22) in ./contrib/xfig-2.0.*.Z. Note that version 2.0 is
the most recent. It was written by Brian Smith.
For complete compatibility with TransFig, be sure to get at least
patchlevel 4 of XFig 2.0.
8) How do I get WEB for C or FORTRAN?
There is a version of WEB for C called CWEB written by Silvio Levy. It
is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu (128.112.128.1) in
the directory ./pub/cweb.
There is a version of WEB called Spidery WEB which supports many languages
including ADA, awk, and C. It was written by Norman Ramsey and, while
not in the public domain, is usable free for research purposes. It is
available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu in ./pub/spiderweb.tar.Z.
There is a versions of WEB call FWEB for Fortran, Ratfor, and C written
by John Krommes. It is available via anonymous ftp from ccc.nmfecc.gov
(128.55.128.30) in the directory tex$root:[distr.fweb] (note that this
is a VMS machine).
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
A package called MuTeX, written by Andrea Steinbach and Angelika Schofer,
aids in doing this. It is available via anonymous ftp from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in pub/TEX/mtex.tar.Z
10) What is TUGboat?
TUGboat is the newsletter of the TeX Users Group:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
Use the afm2tfm program distributed with dvips, available via anonymous
ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in ./pub. If you are using a
pre-VF version of TeX, get dvips4.21; if you are using a version of
TeX that understands virtual fonts, get dvips5.02 (or later).
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
One way is to change the value of \baselinestretch to 2 or 1.5 with
the command \renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{2}. A better way is to
the doublespace style file doublespace.sty in ./pub/latex-style from
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
A good way to do this is to use the alltt environment defined in
the style file alltt.sty available in ./pub/latex-style from
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Z?
If you can't figure out how to do something in LaTeX after you
have read the manual very carefully, asked your local LaTeX
guru, and thought about it, there is a LaTeX help service
available (more information is periodically posted about this
by Don Hosek). Send mail describing your problem to
latex-help@sumex-aim.stanford.edu. This is a volunteer service,
so please don't abuse it.
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
Before you ask for a LaTeX style file to do something, please check
the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu, either through
the archive server or via anonymous ftp (see question 19).
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
Making an index is not trivial. There are several indexing programs
which aid in doing this. Some are:
makeindex - for LaTeX under Unix. Available via anonymous ftp
from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23, VMS) in the directory
[.tex.utilities.makeindex]
idxtex - for LaTeX under VMS. Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu in the directory [.tex.utilities.idxtex].
texix - for TeX on CMS and MacIntosh machines. Available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu in the directory
[.tex.utilities.texix].
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
METAFONT, unlike TeX, requires some customization. Each output device
for which you will be generating fonts needs a mode associated with it.
Modes are defined using the mode_def convention described on page 94 of
_The METAFONTbook_. So first create a file, which we will call local.mf,
containing all the mode_defs you will be using. The file waits.mf
(in the standard distribution or available via anonymous ftp from
labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in ./lib) is a good starting point for
this. Listings of settings for various output devices are also published
periodically in TUGboat (see question 10). Now create a plain base
file using inimf, plain.mf, and local.mf:
% inimf
This is METAFONT....
**plain # you type plain
(output)
*input local # you type this
(output)
*dump # you type this
Beginning to dump on file plain....
(output)
%
This should create a base file named plain.base (or something close)
and should be moved to the directory which contains the base files on
your system.
Now we need to make sure that METAFONT loads this base when it starts
up. If METAFONT loads the plain base by default on your system, then
you're ready to go. Under Unix, we might, for instance define a
command mf which executes "virmf &plain," loading the plain base
file.
The usual way to create a font with plain METAFONT is to then start it
with the line
\mode=<mode name>; mag=<magnification>; input <font file name>
in response to the * prompt or on the METAFONT command line. If
<mode name> is unknown or omitted, then the mode defaults to proof
mode. If this has happened METAFONT will produce an output file
called <font file name>.2602gf. The <magnification> is a floating
point number or magstep (magsteps are defined in _The METAFONTbook_
and _The TeXbook_). If mag=<magnification> is omitted, then the
default is 1. For example, to generate cmr10 at 12pt for an epson
printer you would type
mf \mode=epson; mag=1.2; input cmr10
Note that under Unix the '\' and ';' characters must usually be escaped,
so that this would typically look something like
mf \\mode=epson\; mag=1.2\; input cmr10
If you don't have inimf or need a special mode that isn't in the
base, you can put its commands in a file (e.g., ln03.mf) and invoke
it on the fly with the \smode command. For example, to create
ln03.300gf for an LN03 printer, using the file
% This is ln03.mf as of 2/27/90
% mode_def courtesy of John Sauter
proofing:=0;
fontmaking:=1;
tracingtitles:=0;
pixels_per_inch:=300;
blacker:=0.65;
fillin:=-0.1;
o_correction:=.5;
(note the absence of the mode_def and enddef commands), we would type
mf \smode="ln03"; input cmr10
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Z?
Unix - The Unix TeX distribution is available for anonymous
ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in the directory
./tex/unix. It is large, so please be sure to observe proper
ftp etiquette when getting it. It is also available through
the University of Washington. Contact:
Director
Northwest Computer Support Group
University of Washington
Mail Stop DW-10
Seattle, WA 98195 (USA)
(206)543-6259
PC - A TeX package for the PC is available via anonymous
ftp from eedsp.gatech.edu (128.61.2.1) in ./pub/TeX.
TeX for the PC is also available through
Jon Radel
P. O. Box 2276
Reston, VA 22090
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to obtain information
on what's available.
Mac - see question 6 for a public domain version.
TOPS-20 - TeX was originally written on a DEC-20. A Distribution
that runs on TOPS-20 is available via anonymous ftp from
science.utah.edu (128.110.192.2) in aps:<tex> (this is a
TOPS-20 machine).
VAX/VMS - VMS executables are available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.exe]. Source is
available in [.tex.sources].
Atari - TeX is available for the Atari ST from dsrgsun.ces.cwru.edu
(129.22.16.2) in ./pub/atari/StTeX.
Amiga - Disk 1 of the Amiga CommonTeX distribution is available
via anonymous ftp from xanth.cs.odu.edu (128.82.4.1)
in ./pub/commontex.zoo. This file is in zoo format so you may
need to retrieve the file ./pub/zoo-2.00.arc to uncompress it.
The file copying.tex in the distribution contains information
on how to obtain the other disks.
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
The Clarkson archive server is a program that allows you to
retrieve files via electronic mail. So it provides a way of
getting many neat things if you don't have anonymous ftp. To
get the archive server to do something you should send a message
to archive-server@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (128.153.12.3). To get
started using it, send the archive server a one line message
"help" (case is unimportant). It will send you back a file
describing how to use it more fully.
In particular, the Clarkson archive contains, among other things,
a repository for LaTeX style files, AMSTeX macros and style
files, BiBTeX style files, PiCTeX source (not the manual, see
question 4), back issues of TeXhax and TeXMaG, files from
TUGboat, and source to TeX, LaTeX, WEB, and various utilities.
The archive is maintained by Michael DeCorte.
If anonymous ftp is available to you, you may get the files directly
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
If you have problems, contact archive-management@sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
Thesis styles are usually very specific to your University, so it's
usually not profitable to ask the whole newsgroup for one. If you
want to write your own, a good place to start is the ucthesis style
available in the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu
(see question 19).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is version number 1.2 last changed 4/3/90
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bobby Bodenheimer @hot.caltech.edu
// BITNET: bobby@caltech.bitnet |
// ARPA : bobby@csvax.caltech.edu | Woof!
// UUCP : {amdahl,ames!elroy}!cit-vax!bobby | bobby@hot.caltech.edu (Bobby Bodenheimer) (07/11/90)
This article contains answers to some frequently asked questions on
comp.text.tex. Please don't ask these questions again, as they've been
answered many times before.
This article includes answers to:
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it?
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
8) How do I get WEB for C or FORTRAN?
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous
ftp?
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
If you are looking for the answer to, for instance, question 17, and wish
to skip everything else, you can search ahead for the regular expression
"^17)"
These are all legitimate questions, but they seem to appear too
frequently for long-time readers of the list.
Many of the answers below tell you that you can obtain something
through anonymous ftp. Remember that anonymous ftp is a privilege
and that the system administrators for these sites have made these
files available out of their own generosity. Therefore please restrict
your ftp'ing to non-prime hours at the various sites.
I would like to acknowledge Don Hosek, Ken Yap, Tomas Rokicki, and
Micah Beck, whose postings provided many of the answers. Joe Weening,
Hal Perkins, Walter Carlip, Max Hailpern, Tad Guy, Raymond Chen, Henning
Schulzrinne, and Sebastian Rahtz provided additional material and
criticisms. The format of this document is based on that of the Frequently
Asked Questions appearing in comp.unix.wizards, and written by Steve
Hayman. Any mistakes are mine. Corrections, suggestions, and additions to
bobby@hot.caltech.edu.
This is version 1.6, last changed 7/10/90.
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
Four very nice DVI to PostScript conversion programs that run
under Unix are:
dvitps - part of the TeXPS package by Stephan Bectolsheim.
Available via anonymous ftp from arthur.cs.purdue.edu
(128.10.2.1) in ./pub/TeXPS.
dvi3ps - by Kevin Coombes. Available via anonymous ftp
from tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (128.146.8.60) in
./pub/dvi3ps.tar.Z
dvips - by Tomas Rokicki. This driver (in version 5.0 and later)
has the ability to deal with the virtual fonts of TeX 3.0.
Version 4.21 is for versions of TeX before 3.0 (or 2.995).
Available via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu
(36.8.0.47) in ./pub.
dvitops - by James Clark. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvitops.tar.Z
Of the above drivers, dvitops will compile under Unix, MSDOS, VMS,
and Primos, and dvips will probably port very easily. The first
two programs would be difficult to port to something other than
Unix.
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
Perhaps the best way to do this is to use the psfig macros written
by Trevor Darrell. They are available via anonymous ftp from
whitechapel.media.mit.edu (18.85.0.124) in ./psfig or
linc.cis.upenn.edu (130.91.6.8) in the directory ./dist/psfig. You
will also need a dvi to PostScript conversion program that supports
\specials. The ones mentioned in question 1 do, and the first two
drivers come with a version of psfig ready to use with them. The psfig
macros work best with Encapsulated PostScript Files (EPS). In
particular, psfig will need the file to have a BoundingBox (see
Appendix C of the _PostScript Language Reference Manual_). If you
don't have an EPS file, life can be difficult.
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
This briefly lists some previewers which are available via anonymous
ftp:
dvipage - For SunView. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvipages.tar.Z.
xtex - For X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
expo.lcs.mit.edu (18.30.0.212) in ./contrib/SeeTeX-2.15.tar.Z.
dviapollo- for Apollo Domain. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviapollo.tar.Z.
dviis - For Integrated Systems. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviis.tar.Z.
dvidis - For VAXstation VWS. Available via anonymous ftp from
venus.ycc.yale.edu (130.132.1.5) in [.dvidis] (VMS machine).
xdvi - Also for X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
expo.lcs.mit.edu in ./contrib/xdvi.shar.Z and
./contrib/xdvi.patch7.Z
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
The PiCTeX manual is not free. It is available for $35 from the
TeX Users Group:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
The proceeds from this sale go to Michael Wichura, the author of PiCTeX,
and TUG.
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
VorTeX is a package of programs written at the University of California.
It includes several nice previewers and some Emacs modes for TeX and
BibTeX. It is not free. Inquiries should be directed to
vortex@ucbarpa.berkely.edu or
Professor Michael A. Harrison
Att. Vortex Dist.
Computer Science Division
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it?
OzTeX is a public domain version of TeX for the Macintosh. It was
written by Andrew Trevorrow, and is available via anonymous ftp from
watmsg.waterloo.edu (129.97.129.9) in ./pub/oztex. The most recent
version is 1.2. It is also available from midway.uchicago.edu
(128.135.12.73) in ./pub/OzTeX, which contains other public
domain TeX-related software for the Mac as well. Questions about OzTeX
may be directed to oztex@midway.uchicago.edu.
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
Fig is a menu driven tool similar to MacDraw that allows you to
draw objects on the screen of a Sun Workstation running SunView.
TransFig is a set of tools which translate the code fig produces
to other graphics languages including PostScript and the LaTeX
picture environment. Both are available via anonymous ftp from
svax.cs.cornell.edu (128.84.254.2) in ./pub/fig. Both Fig and
TransFig are also available from the Clarkson archive server at
sun.soe.clarkson.ede (see question 19). Both Fig and TransFig
are supported by Micah Beck (beck@svax.cs.cornell.edu).
XFig is essentially the same program except that it runs under
X Windows. It is available via anonymous ftp from expo.lcs.mit.edu
(18.30.0.22) in ./contrib/xfig-2.0.*.Z. Note that version 2.0 is
the most recent. It was written by Brian Smith.
For complete compatibility with TransFig, be sure to get at least
patchlevel 4 of XFig 2.0.
8) How do I get WEB for C or FORTRAN?
There is a version of WEB for C called CWEB written by Silvio Levy. It
is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu (128.112.128.1) in
the directory ./pub/cweb.
There is a version of WEB called Spidery WEB which supports many
languages including ADA, awk, and C. It was written by Norman Ramsey
and, while not in the public domain, is usable free for research
purposes. It is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu in
./pub/spiderweb.tar.Z.
There is a versions of WEB call FWEB for Fortran, Ratfor, and C
written by John Krommes (krommes@ss01.pppl.gov). Version 1.12 will be
available soon via anonymous ftp from ss01.pppl.gov (192.55.106.110).
Look for the announcement in TeXhax.
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
A package called MuTeX, written by Andrea Steinbach and Angelika
Schofer, aids in doing this. It is available via anonymous ftp from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in pub/TEX/mtex.tar.Z
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
TUG is the TeX User's Group. TUGboat is their newsletter, which
publishes useful articles about TeX and METAFONT. Inquiries should
be directed to:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
Use the afm2tfm program distributed with dvips, available via
anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in ./pub. If
you are using a pre-VF version of TeX, get dvips4.21; if you are
using a version of TeX that understands virtual fonts, get
dvips5.02 (or later).
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
One way is to change the value of \baselinestretch to 2 or 1.5 with
the command \renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{2}. A better way is to
use the doublespace style file doublespace.sty in ./pub/latex-style
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
A good way to do this is to use the alltt environment defined in
the style file alltt.sty available in ./pub/latex-style from
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
If you can't figure out how to do something in LaTeX after you
have read the manual very carefully, asked your local LaTeX
guru, and thought about it, there is a LaTeX help service
available (more information is periodically posted about this
by Don Hosek). Please note that the way to accomplish something
in LaTeX is often by using an appropriate style file, so please
check this also (see question 15). If none of this works, send mail
describing your problem to latex-help@sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
Before you ask for a LaTeX style file to do something, please check
the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu, either through
the archive server or via anonymous ftp (see question 19).
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
Making an index is not trivial. There are several indexing programs
which aid in doing this. Some are:
makeindex - for LaTeX under Unix (but may run on other machines
without changes). Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23, VMS) in the directory
[.tex.utilities.makeindex]
idxtex - for LaTeX under VMS. Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu in the directory [.tex.utilities.idxtex].
texix - for TeX on CMS and MacIntosh machines. Available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu in the directory
[.tex.utilities.texix].
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
METAFONT allows you to create your own fonts, and ordinary TeX users
will never need to use it. METAFONT, unlike TeX, requires some
customization. Each output device for which you will be generating
fonts needs a mode associated with it. Modes are defined using the
mode_def convention described on page 94 of _The METAFONTbook_. So
first create a file, which we will call local.mf, containing all the
mode_defs you will be using. The file waits.mf (in the standard
distribution or available via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu
(36.8.0.47) in ./lib) is a good starting point for this. Listings of
settings for various output devices are also published periodically
in TUGboat (see question 10). Now create a plain base file using
inimf, plain.mf, and local.mf:
% inimf
This is METAFONT....
**plain # you type plain
(output)
*input local # you type this
(output)
*dump # you type this
Beginning to dump on file plain....
(output)
%
This should create a base file named plain.base (or something close)
and should be moved to the directory which contains the base files on
your system.
Now we need to make sure that METAFONT loads this base when it starts
up. If METAFONT loads the plain base by default on your system, then
you're ready to go. Under Unix, we might, for instance define a
command mf which executes "virmf &plain," loading the plain base
file.
The usual way to create a font with plain METAFONT is to then start
it with the line
\mode=<mode name>; mag=<magnification>; input <font file name>
in response to the * prompt or on the METAFONT command line. If
<mode name> is unknown or omitted, then the mode defaults to proof
mode. If this has happened METAFONT will produce an output file
called <font file name>.2602gf. The <magnification> is a floating
point number or magstep (magsteps are defined in _The METAFONTbook_
and _The TeXbook_). If mag=<magnification> is omitted, then the
default is 1. For example, to generate cmr10 at 12pt for an epson
printer you would type
mf \mode=epson; mag=1.2; input cmr10
Note that under Unix the '\' and ';' characters must usually be
escaped, so that this would typically look something like
mf \\mode=epson\; mag=1.2\; input cmr10
If you don't have inimf or need a special mode that isn't in the
base, you can put its commands in a file (e.g., ln03.mf) and invoke
it on the fly with the \smode command. For example, to create
ln03.300gf for an LN03 printer, using the file
% This is ln03.mf as of 2/27/90
% mode_def courtesy of John Sauter
proofing:=0;
fontmaking:=1;
tracingtitles:=0;
pixels_per_inch:=300;
blacker:=0.65;
fillin:=-0.1;
o_correction:=.5;
(note the absence of the mode_def and enddef commands), we would type
mf \smode="ln03"; input cmr10
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
Unix - The Unix TeX distribution is available for anonymous
ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in the directory
./tex/unix. It is large, so please be sure to observe proper
ftp etiquette when getting it. It is also available through
the University of Washington, for a small fee. Contact:
Director
Northwest Computer Support Group
University of Washington
Mail Stop DW-10
Seattle, WA 98195 (USA)
(206)543-6259
or send electronic mail to Elizabeth Tachikawa at
elizabet@max.acs.washington.edu. The fee charged for getting
the TeX distribution through the University of Washington helps
fund the further development of Unix TeX, so it's a good idea to
order it this way.
PC - A TeX package for the PC, including LaTeX, BibTeX, previewers,
and drivers is available via anonymous ftp from
eedsp.gatech.edu (128.61.2.1) in ./pub/TeX. The variety here is
sbtex version 30 by Wayne Sullivan. EmTeX, another TeX package
for the PC by Eberhard Mattes, is available via anonymous ftp from
terminator.cc.umich.edu (35.1.33.8) in ./msdos/text-mgmt/TeX/emtex
and from rusmv1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (129.69.1.12) (user:ftp,
password: guest) in ./soft/tex/emtex. This package includes LaTeX,
METAFONT, BibTex, etc., as well. All the documentation for emtex
is in German, although the Aston archive (see question 22) has
much of it in English. TeX for the PC is also available through
Jon Radel
P. O. Box 2276
Reston, VA 22090
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to obtain information
on what's available.
Mac - see question 6 for a public domain version.
TOPS-20 - TeX was originally written on a DEC-10 under WAITS, and so
was easily ported to TOPS-20. A Distribution that runs on TOPS-20
is available via anonymous ftp from science.utah.edu
(128.110.192.2) in aps:<tex> (this is a TOPS-20 machine).
VAX/VMS - VMS executables are available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.exe]. Source is
available in [.tex.sources]. Version 3.0 is available in
[.tex.sources.tex3_0]. Ymir has a mailserver for those without
ftp access. Send a message containing the line "help" to
mailserv@ymir.claremont.edu.
Atari - TeX is available for the Atari ST from dsrgsun.ces.cwru.edu
(129.22.16.2) in ./pub/atari/StTeX.
Amiga - Disk 1 of the Amiga CommonTeX distribution is available
via anonymous ftp from xanth.cs.odu.edu (128.82.8.1)
in ./pub/commontex.zoo. This file is in zoo format so you may
need to get zoo to uncompress it: The Unix zoo distribution is
in ./pub/zoo-2.01; the Amiga version is available as
./amiga/zoo-2.00.arc. The file copying.tex in the distribution
contains information on how to obtain the other disks.
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
The Clarkson archive server is a program that allows you to
retrieve files via electronic mail. So it provides a way of
getting many neat things if you don't have anonymous ftp. To
get the archive server to do something you should send a message
to archive-server@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (128.153.12.3). To get
started using it, send the archive server a one line message
"help" (case is unimportant). It will send you back a file
describing how to use it more fully.
In particular, the Clarkson archive contains, among other things,
a repository for LaTeX style files, AMSTeX macros and style
files, BiBTeX style files, PiCTeX source (not the manual, see
question 4), back issues of TeXhax and TeXMaG, files from
TUGboat, and source to TeX, LaTeX, WEB, and various utilities.
The archive is maintained by Michael DeCorte.
If anonymous ftp is available to you, you may get the files directly
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
If you have problems, contact archive-management@sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
Thesis styles are usually very specific to your University, so it's
usually not profitable to ask the whole newsgroup for one. If you
want to write your own, a good place to start is the ucthesis style
available in the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu
(see question 19).
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
These symbols are known as "blackboard bold" and are available in
the font "msym" (e.g., "msym10" for 10pt). There is a companion font
"msxm" as well. The fonts have a large number of mathematical symbols
to supplement the ones provided by TeX. A complete list of the symbols
can be found in the November 1985 issue of TUGboat (see question 10).
The fonts are available from the American Mathematical Society; also
TFM and PK files for the standard scalings are available from the
Clarkson archive server at sun.soe.clarkson in ./pub/tfm and
./pub/canon300 (see question 19). GF, PXL, and MF files are available
via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in the
directory ./tex/amsfonts. The file mssymb.tex in the same directory
loads the fonts for TeX users (Blackboard bold is the font \Bbb).
LaTeX users can access them using the amssymbols.sty style file
available from the archive server. The MF sources for these fonts
will soon be released by the AMS. Look for them somewhere on
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23).
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous ftp?
There are several mail servers available, i.e., programs that will
send you files via electronic mail. Some are:
- The mail server at Clarkson (see question 19), if you can send
mail to the United States.
- Also in the US, the mail server at ymir.claremont.edu has access
to all the tex-related material there. Send a message containing
the line "help" to MAILSERV@ymir.claremont.edu.
- In the United Kingdom, you can get TeX-related material from the
UK TeX archive at the University of Aston. (FTP access is also
available:
Site uk.ac.aston.tex
Username public
Password public
Top Level tex-archive
A known file is [tex-archive]000directory.list.) For electronic
mail access, send a message to texserver@uk.ac.aston.tex. The
message must contain the following three lines starting in column 1
(and omitting the ===> part):
===> ---
===> (your address from Aston - see below)
===> help
The server ignores anything preceding the line which commences with
the three hyphens, such as mail headers. It also ignores the
remainder of the line with the hyphens on it. For Internet users
the return address is of the form name%site@nsfnet-relay, while
for Bitnet and EARN it is name%site@earn-relay.
- There are LISTSERV facilities for TeX on LISTSERV@TAMVM1.BITNET
and LISTSERV@DHDURZ1.BITNET. Send a message containing the line
"help" to one of these addresses.
There is also the DECUS TeX collection, a collection of TeX material
for VMS, Unix, MS-DOS, and the Macintosh. It can be obtained from
the DECUS Library (reference number VS0058) in the US, or through
your DECUS office outside of the US. To contact the DECUS Library,
send mail or call:
The DECUS Program Library
219 Boston Post Road BP02
Marlboro, MA 01752-1850
(508)480-3418
or send electronic mail to the DECUS TeX Collection Editor, Ted
Nieland, at decus_tex@nieland.dayton.oh.us.
Another good source of information is NETWORK SOURCES OF TeX WARE by
Peter Flynn which appeared in TeXhax, volume 90, issues 45-47 (in
May 1990).
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
There are at least four problems with replacing the standard Computer
Modern fonts used in LaTeX:
1. The fonts are defined in a long set of macros in lfonts.tex
which are not easy to understand and change;
2. You must have a device driver capable of understanding the idea
of fonts built into the printer (all the drivers referred to in
question 1 have this capability).
3. The default layout of the Adobe fonts is NOT the same as that for
the CMR fonts, so you will not get the right characters (ligatures
being a good example).
4. The official names of the PostScript fonts are long and in both
upper and lower cases. While this presents no problems for Unix,
it can cause problems with files under DOS, VMS, etc.
The first problem can be solved by one of:
1. Going through lfonts.tex and changing references to CMR to some
new font, e.g., times.
2. Overloading the definitions of \bf, \rm, etc., with new font
families.
3. Using the font selection mechanism described in Tugboat 10.3,
p. 222 ff; a LaTeX interface to this will be part of version
2.10 of LaTeX.
The second problem is quickly disappearing since all recent DVI to
PostScript drivers have had adequate facilities. The third problem
can be solved by:
1. Changing TeX macros, etc., so that the Adobe font layouts are
expected.
2. Re-encoding the Adobe fonts in a PostScript prolog so that they
conform to TeX standards.
3. Using ``virtual fonts'' to perform the mapping between Adobe and
TeX layouts. Tomas Rokicki's dvips driver, version 5.02, (see
question 1) has examples ot this.
A definitive statement on short names for Adobe fonts is expected soon.
Meanwhile, there is not much agreement on how to compress
Garamond-LightItalic into 8 characters.
Bobby Bodenheimer @hot.caltech.edu
// BITNET: bobby@caltech.bitnet |
// ARPA : bobby@csvax.caltech.edu | Woof!
// UUCP : {amdahl,ames!elroy}!cit-vax!bobby | bobby@hot.caltech.edu (Bobby Bodenheimer) (08/03/90)
This article contains answers to some frequently asked questions on
comp.text.tex. Please don't ask these questions again, as they've been
answered many times before.
This is version 1.7 for August, last changed 8/2/90. The next posting will
probably be in the middle of September.
This article includes answers to:
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it?
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous
ftp?
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
24) Where can I get a Refer-to-BibTeX conversion program?
If you are looking for the answer to, for instance, question 17, and wish
to skip everything else, you can search ahead for the regular expression
"^17)"
These are all legitimate questions, but they seem to appear too
frequently for long-time readers of the list.
Many of the answers below tell you that you can obtain something
through anonymous ftp. Remember that anonymous ftp is a privilege
and that the system administrators for these sites have made these
files available out of their own generosity. Therefore please restrict
your ftp'ing to non-prime hours at the various sites.
I would like to acknowledge Don Hosek, Ken Yap, Tomas Rokicki, and
Micah Beck, whose postings provided many of the answers. Joe Weening,
Hal Perkins, Walter Carlip, Max Hailpern, Tad Guy, Raymond Chen, Henning
Schulzrinne, and Sebastian Rahtz provided additional material and
criticisms. The format of this document is based on that of the Frequently
Asked Questions appearing in comp.unix.wizards, and written by Steve
Hayman. Any mistakes are mine. Corrections, suggestions, and additions to
bobby@hot.caltech.edu.
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
Four very nice DVI to PostScript conversion programs that run
under Unix are:
dvitps - part of the TeXPS package by Stephan Bectolsheim.
Available via anonymous ftp from arthur.cs.purdue.edu
(128.10.2.1) in ./pub/TeXPS.
dvi3ps - by Kevin Coombes. Available via anonymous ftp
from tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (128.146.8.60) in
./pub/dvi3ps.tar.Z
dvips - by Tomas Rokicki. This driver (in version 5.0 and later)
has the ability to deal with the virtual fonts of TeX 3.0.
Version 4.21 is for versions of TeX before 3.0 (or 2.995).
Available via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu
(36.8.0.47) in ./pub.
dvitops - by James Clark. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvitops.tar.Z
Of the above drivers, dvitops will compile under Unix, MSDOS, VMS,
and Primos and dvips will probably port very easily (patches to
dvips 5.02 for MSDOS are available from labrea.stanford.edu in
./pub/dvips502pc.tar.Z). The first two programs would be difficult
to port to something other than Unix.
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
Perhaps the best way to do this is to use the psfig macros written
by Trevor Darrell. They are available via anonymous ftp from
whitechapel.media.mit.edu (18.85.0.124) in ./psfig or
linc.cis.upenn.edu (130.91.6.8) in the directory ./dist/psfig. You
will also need a dvi to PostScript conversion program that supports
\specials. The ones mentioned in question 1 do, and the first two
drivers come with a version of psfig ready to use with them. The psfig
macros work best with Encapsulated PostScript Files (EPS). In
particular, psfig will need the file to have a BoundingBox (see
Appendix C of the _PostScript Language Reference Manual_). If you
don't have an EPS file, life can be difficult.
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
This briefly lists some previewers which are available via anonymous
ftp:
dvipage - For SunView. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvipages.tar.Z.
xtex - For X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
foobar.colorado.edu (128.138.243.105) in
./pub/SeeTeX/SeeTeX/SeeTeX-2.16.x.tar.Z. A new installation
document, Install.{dvi,ps}.Z, is also provided in the same
directory.
dviapollo- for Apollo Domain. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviapollo.tar.Z.
dviis - For Integrated Systems. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviis.tar.Z.
dvidis - For VAXstation VWS. Available via anonymous ftp from
venus.ycc.yale.edu (130.132.1.5) in [.dvidis] (VMS machine).
xdvi - Also for X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
expo.lcs.mit.edu in ./contrib/xdvi.shar.Z and
./contrib/xdvi.patch7.Z
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
The PiCTeX manual is not free. It is available for $35 from the
TeX Users Group:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
The proceeds from this sale go to Michael Wichura, the author of PiCTeX,
and TUG.
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
VorTeX is a package of programs written at the University of California.
It includes several nice previewers and some Emacs modes for TeX and
BibTeX. It is not free. Inquiries should be directed to
vortex@ucbarpa.berkely.edu or
Professor Michael A. Harrison
Att. Vortex Dist.
Computer Science Division
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it?
OzTeX is a public domain version of TeX for the Macintosh. It was
written by Andrew Trevorrow, and is available via anonymous ftp from
watmsg.waterloo.edu (129.97.129.9) in ./pub/oztex. The most recent
version is 1.2. It is also available from midway.uchicago.edu
(128.135.12.73) in ./pub/OzTeX, which contains other public
domain TeX-related software for the Mac as well. Questions about OzTeX
may be directed to oztex@midway.uchicago.edu.
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
Fig is a menu driven tool similar to MacDraw that allows you to
draw objects on the screen of a Sun Workstation running SunView.
TransFig is a set of tools which translate the code fig produces
to other graphics languages including PostScript and the LaTeX
picture environment. Both are available via anonymous ftp from
svax.cs.cornell.edu (128.84.254.2) in ./pub/fig. Both Fig and
TransFig are also available from the Clarkson archive server at
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19). Both Fig and TransFig
are supported by Micah Beck (beck@svax.cs.cornell.edu).
XFig is essentially the same program except that it runs under
X Windows. It is available via anonymous ftp from expo.lcs.mit.edu
(18.30.0.22) in ./contrib/xfig-2.0.*.Z. Note that version 2.0 is
the most recent. It was written by Brian Smith.
For complete compatibility with TransFig, be sure to get at least
patchlevel 4 of XFig 2.0.
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
There is a version of WEB for C called CWEB written by Silvio Levy. It
is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu (128.112.128.1) in
the directory ./pub/cweb.
There is a version of WEB called Spidery WEB which supports many
languages including ADA, awk, and C. It was written by Norman Ramsey
and, while not in the public domain, is usable free for research
purposes. It is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu in
./pub/spiderweb.tar.Z.
There is a version of WEB call FWEB for Fortran, Ratfor, and C
written by John Krommes (krommes@ss01.pppl.gov). Version 1.12 will be
available soon via anonymous ftp from ss01.pppl.gov (192.55.106.110).
Look for the announcement in TeXhax.
SchemeWEB is a Unix filter that translates SchemeWEB into LaTeX source
or Scheme source. It was written by John Ramsdell and is available from
the Clarkson archive (see question 19) in ./submit/schemeweb.sh.
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
A package called MuTeX, written by Andrea Steinbach and Angelika
Schofer, aids in doing this. It is available via anonymous ftp from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in pub/TEX/mtex.tar.Z
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
TUG is the TeX User's Group. TUGboat is their newsletter, which
publishes useful articles about TeX and METAFONT. Inquiries should
be directed to:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
Use the afm2tfm program distributed with dvips, available via
anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in ./pub. If
you are using a pre-VF version of TeX, get dvips4.21; if you are
using a version of TeX that understands virtual fonts, get
dvips5.02 (or later).
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
One way is to change the value of \baselinestretch to 2 or 1.5 with
the command \renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{2}. A better way is to
use the doublespace style file doublespace.sty in ./pub/latex-style
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
A good way to do this is to use Rainer Schoepf's verbatim.sty
which provides the command \verbatiminput that takes a file
as an argument. This file is available from both the Aston archive
(see question 22) and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23). Several
files are needed. From ymir.claremont.edu, get the file
[tex.inputs.latex-mainz]verbatim.readme to find out what other
files you will need.
Another way to do this is to use the alltt environment defined in
the style file alltt.sty available in ./pub/latex-style from
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
If you can't figure out how to do something in LaTeX after you
have read the manual very carefully, asked your local LaTeX
guru, and thought about it, there is a LaTeX help service
available (more information is periodically posted about this
by Don Hosek). Please note that the way to accomplish something
in LaTeX is often by using an appropriate style file, so please
check this also (see question 15). If none of this works, send mail
describing your problem to latex-help@cs.stanford.edu. If you haven't
gotten a reply to your problem within about a week, send mail
to latex-help-coordinator@cs.stanford.edu.
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
Before you ask for a LaTeX style file to do something, please check
the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu, either through
the archive server or via anonymous ftp (see question 19).
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
Making an index is not trivial. There are several indexing programs
which aid in doing this. Some are:
makeindex - for LaTeX under Unix (but may run on other machines
without changes). Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23, VMS) in the directory
[.tex.utilities.makeindex]
idxtex - for LaTeX under VMS. Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu in the directory [.tex.utilities.idxtex].
texix - for TeX on CMS and MacIntosh machines. Available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu in the directory
[.tex.utilities.texix].
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
METAFONT allows you to create your own fonts, and ordinary TeX users
will never need to use it. METAFONT, unlike TeX, requires some
customization. Each output device for which you will be generating
fonts needs a mode associated with it. Modes are defined using the
mode_def convention described on page 94 of _The METAFONTbook_. So
first create a file, which we will call local.mf, containing all the
mode_defs you will be using. The file waits.mf (in the standard
distribution or available via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu
(36.8.0.47) in ./lib) is a good starting point for this. Listings of
settings for various output devices are also published periodically
in TUGboat (see question 10). Now create a plain base file using
inimf, plain.mf, and local.mf:
% inimf
This is METAFONT....
**plain # you type plain
(output)
*input local # you type this
(output)
*dump # you type this
Beginning to dump on file plain....
(output)
%
This should create a base file named plain.base (or something close)
and should be moved to the directory which contains the base files on
your system.
Now we need to make sure that METAFONT loads this base when it starts
up. If METAFONT loads the plain base by default on your system, then
you're ready to go. Under Unix, we might, for instance define a
command mf which executes "virmf &plain," loading the plain base
file.
The usual way to create a font with plain METAFONT is to then start
it with the line
\mode=<mode name>; mag=<magnification>; input <font file name>
in response to the * prompt or on the METAFONT command line. If
<mode name> is unknown or omitted, then the mode defaults to proof
mode. If this has happened METAFONT will produce an output file
called <font file name>.2602gf. The <magnification> is a floating
point number or magstep (magsteps are defined in _The METAFONTbook_
and _The TeXbook_). If mag=<magnification> is omitted, then the
default is 1. For example, to generate cmr10 at 12pt for an epson
printer you would type
mf \mode=epson; mag=1.2; input cmr10
Note that under Unix the '\' and ';' characters must usually be
escaped, so that this would typically look something like
mf \\mode=epson\; mag=1.2\; input cmr10
If you don't have inimf or need a special mode that isn't in the
base, you can put its commands in a file (e.g., ln03.mf) and invoke
it on the fly with the \smode command. For example, to create
ln03.300gf for an LN03 printer, using the file
% This is ln03.mf as of 2/27/90
% mode_def courtesy of John Sauter
proofing:=0;
fontmaking:=1;
tracingtitles:=0;
pixels_per_inch:=300;
blacker:=0.65;
fillin:=-0.1;
o_correction:=.5;
(note the absence of the mode_def and enddef commands), we would type
mf \smode="ln03"; input cmr10
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
Unix - The Unix TeX distribution is available for anonymous
ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in the directory
./tex/unix. It is large, so please be sure to observe proper
ftp etiquette when getting it. It is also available through
the University of Washington, for a small fee. Contact:
Director
Northwest Computer Support Group
University of Washington
Mail Stop DW-10
Seattle, WA 98195 (USA)
(206)543-6259
or send electronic mail to Elizabeth Tachikawa at
elizabet@max.acs.washington.edu. The fee charged for getting
the TeX distribution through the University of Washington helps
fund the further development of Unix TeX, so it's a good idea to
order it this way.
PC - A TeX package for the PC, including LaTeX, BibTeX, previewers,
and drivers is available via anonymous ftp from
eedsp.gatech.edu (128.61.2.1) in ./pub/TeX. The variety here is
sbtex version 30 by Wayne Sullivan. EmTeX, another TeX package
for the PC by Eberhard Mattes, is available via anonymous ftp from
terminator.cc.umich.edu (35.1.33.8) in ./msdos/text-mgmt/TeX/emtex
and from rusmv1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (129.69.1.12) (user:ftp,
password: guest) in ./soft/tex/emtex. This package includes LaTeX,
METAFONT, BibTex, etc., as well. All the documentation for emtex
is in German, although the Aston archive (see question 22) has
much of it in English. TeX for the PC is also available through
Jon Radel
P. O. Box 2276
Reston, VA 22090
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to obtain information
on what's available.
Mac - see question 6 for a public domain version.
TOPS-20 - TeX was originally written on a DEC-10 under WAITS, and so
was easily ported to TOPS-20. A Distribution that runs on TOPS-20
is available via anonymous ftp from science.utah.edu
(128.110.192.2) in aps:<tex> (this is a TOPS-20 machine).
VAX/VMS - VMS executables are available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.exe]. Source is
available in [.tex.sources]. Version 3.0 is available in
[.tex.sources.tex3_0]. Ymir has a mailserver for those without
ftp access. Send a message containing the line "help" to
mailserv@ymir.claremont.edu.
Atari - TeX is available for the Atari ST from dsrgsun.ces.cwru.edu
(129.22.16.2) in ./pub/atari/StTeX.
Amiga - Disk 1 of the Amiga CommonTeX distribution is available
via anonymous ftp from xanth.cs.odu.edu (128.82.8.1)
in ./pub/commontex.zoo. This file is in zoo format so you may
need to get zoo to uncompress it: The Unix zoo distribution is
in ./pub/zoo-2.01; the Amiga version is available as
./amiga/zoo-2.00.arc. The file copying.tex in the distribution
contains information on how to obtain the other disks.
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
The Clarkson archive server is a program that allows you to
retrieve files via electronic mail. So it provides a way of
getting many neat things if you don't have anonymous ftp. To
get the archive server to do something you should send a message
to archive-server@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (128.153.12.3). To get
started using it, send the archive server a one line message
"help" (case is unimportant). It will send you back a file
describing how to use it more fully.
In particular, the Clarkson archive contains, among other things,
a repository for LaTeX style files, AMSTeX macros and style
files, BiBTeX style files, PiCTeX source (not the manual, see
question 4), back issues of TeXhax and TeXMaG, files from
TUGboat, and source to TeX, LaTeX, WEB, and various utilities.
The archive is maintained by Michael DeCorte.
If anonymous ftp is available to you, you may get the files directly
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
If you have problems, contact archive-management@sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
Thesis styles are usually very specific to your University, so it's
usually not profitable to ask the whole newsgroup for one. If you
want to write your own, a good place to start is the ucthesis style
available in the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu
(see question 19).
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
These symbols are known as "blackboard bold" and are available in
the font "msym" (e.g., "msym10" for 10pt). There is a companion font
"msxm" as well. The fonts have a large number of mathematical symbols
to supplement the ones provided by TeX. A complete list of the symbols
can be found in the November 1985 issue of TUGboat (see question 10).
The fonts are available from the American Mathematical Society; also
TFM and PK files for the standard scalings are available from the
Clarkson archive server at sun.soe.clarkson in ./pub/tfm and
./pub/canon300 (see question 19). GF, PXL, and MF files are available
via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in the
directory ./tex/amsfonts. The file mssymb.tex in the same directory
loads the fonts for TeX users (Blackboard bold is the font \Bbb).
LaTeX users can access them using the amssymbols.sty style file
available from the archive server. The MF sources for these fonts
will soon be released by the AMS. Look for them somewhere on
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23).
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous ftp?
There are several mail servers available, i.e., programs that will
send you files via electronic mail. Some are:
- The mail server at Clarkson (see question 19), if you can send
mail to the United States.
- Also in the US, the mail server at ymir.claremont.edu has access
to all the tex-related material there. Send a message containing
the line "help" to MAILSERV@ymir.claremont.edu.
- In the United Kingdom, you can get TeX-related material from the
UK TeX archive at the University of Aston. (FTP access is also
available:
Site uk.ac.aston.tex
Username public
Password public
Top Level tex-archive
A known file is [tex-archive]000directory.list.) For electronic
mail access, send a message to texserver@uk.ac.aston.tex. The
first non-blank line of the message must contain a valid
TeXserver command (help, directory, files, whereis, search, or
path). The program will then mail you a response notifying you
that your request has been received. If you fail to get a response
from the TeXserver, you may need to use the path command to
help the program out. For Internet users the return address is
of the form name%site@nsfnet-relay, while for Bitnet and EARN
it is name%site@earn-relay. Note that old three hyphen format
is obsolete, but is still accepted by the program for backward
compatibility.
- There are LISTSERV facilities for TeX on LISTSERV@TAMVM1.BITNET
and LISTSERV@DHDURZ1.BITNET. Send a message containing the line
"help" to one of these addresses.
There is also the DECUS TeX collection, a collection of TeX material
for VMS, Unix, MS-DOS, and the Macintosh. It can be obtained from
the DECUS Library (reference number VS0058) in the US, or through
your DECUS office outside of the US. To contact the DECUS Library,
send mail or call:
The DECUS Program Library
219 Boston Post Road BP02
Marlboro, MA 01752-1850
(508)480-3418
or send electronic mail to the DECUS TeX Collection Editor, Ted
Nieland, at decus_tex@nieland.dayton.oh.us.
Another good source of information is NETWORK SOURCES OF TeX WARE by
Peter Flynn which appeared in TeXhax, volume 90, issues 45-47 (in
May 1990).
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
There are at least four problems with replacing the standard Computer
Modern fonts used in LaTeX:
1. The fonts are defined in a long set of macros in lfonts.tex
which are not easy to understand and change;
2. You must have a device driver capable of understanding the idea
of fonts built into the printer (all the drivers referred to in
question 1 have this capability).
3. The default layout of the Adobe fonts is NOT the same as that for
the CMR fonts, so you will not get the right characters (ligatures
being a good example).
4. The official names of the PostScript fonts are long and in both
upper and lower cases. While this presents no problems for Unix,
it can cause problems with files under DOS, VMS, etc.
The first problem can be solved by one of:
1. Going through lfonts.tex and changing references to CMR to some
new font, e.g., times.
2. Overloading the definitions of \bf, \rm, etc., with new font
families.
3. Using the font selection mechanism described in Tugboat 10.3,
p. 222 ff; a LaTeX interface to this will be part of version
2.10 of LaTeX.
The second problem is quickly disappearing since all recent DVI to
PostScript drivers have had adequate facilities. The third problem
can be solved by:
1. Changing TeX macros, etc., so that the Adobe font layouts are
expected.
2. Re-encoding the Adobe fonts in a PostScript prolog so that they
conform to TeX standards.
3. Using ``virtual fonts'' to perform the mapping between Adobe and
TeX layouts. Tomas Rokicki's dvips driver, version 5.02, (see
question 1) has examples ot this.
A definitive statement on short names for Adobe fonts is expected soon.
Meanwhile, there is not much agreement on how to compress
Garamond-LightItalic into 8 characters.
24) Where can I get a Refer-to-BibTeX conversion program?
Several programs which convert Unix Refer to BibTeX are available
via anonymous ftp from wheaties.ai.mit.edu (128.52.32.13) in
./refer-to-bibtex. This collection is maintained by Thomas
M. Breuel (tmb@ai.mit.edu).
Bobby Bodenheimer @hot.caltech.edu
// BITNET: bobby@caltech.bitnet |
// ARPA : bobby@csvax.caltech.edu | Woof!
// UUCP : {amdahl,ames!elroy}!cit-vax!bobby | anita@sun.udel.edu (Anita Marie Hoover) (08/03/90)
Perhaps an addition :
25) Why are my cross-reference labels for figures and/or tables
incorrect?
Remember the \label{key} must be part of the \caption argument
or appear after \caption.
e.g. \begin{table} \begin{figure}
\caption{Test Table} \caption{Test Figure\label{fig:test}}
\label{tab:test} \vspace*{4in}
\vspace*{4in} \end{figure}
\end{table}bobby@hot.caltech.edu (Bobby Bodenheimer) (10/06/90)
This article contains answers to some frequently asked questions on
comp.text.tex. Please don't ask these questions again, as they've been
answered many times before.
This is version 1.8 for October, last changed 10/5/90.
This article includes answers to:
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it?
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous
ftp?
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
If you are looking for the answer to, for instance, question 17, and wish
to skip everything else, you can search ahead for the regular expression
"^17)"
These are all legitimate questions, but they seem to appear too
frequently for long-time readers of the list.
Many of the answers below tell you that you can obtain something
through anonymous ftp. Remember that anonymous ftp is a privilege
and that the system administrators for these sites have made these
files available out of their own generosity. Therefore please restrict
your ftp'ing to non-prime hours at the various sites.
I would like to acknowledge Don Hosek, Ken Yap, Tomas Rokicki, and
Micah Beck, whose postings provided many of the answers. Joe Weening,
Hal Perkins, Walter Carlip, Max Hailpern, Tad Guy, Raymond Chen, Henning
Schulzrinne, Sebastian Rahtz, Mark James, Peter Galko, and Mike Ernst
provided additional material and criticisms. The format of this
document is based on that of the Frequently Asked Questions appearing in
comp.unix.wizards, and written by Steve Hayman. Any mistakes are mine.
Corrections, suggestions, and additions to bobby@hot.caltech.edu.
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
Four very nice DVI to PostScript conversion programs that run
under Unix are:
dvitps - part of the TeXPS package by Stephan Bectolsheim.
Available via anonymous ftp from arthur.cs.purdue.edu
(128.10.2.1) in ./pub/TeXPS.
dvi3ps - by Kevin Coombes. Available via anonymous ftp
from tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (128.146.8.60) in
./pub/dvi3ps.tar.Z
dvips - by Tomas Rokicki. This driver (in version 5.0 and later)
has the ability to deal with the virtual fonts of TeX 3.0.
Version 4.21 is for versions of TeX before 3.0 (or 2.995).
Available via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu
(36.8.0.47) in ./pub.
dvitops - by James Clark. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvitops.tar.Z
Of the above drivers, dvitops will compile under Unix, MSDOS, VMS,
and Primos and dvips will probably port very easily (patches to
dvips 5.02 for MSDOS are available from labrea.stanford.edu in
./pub/dvips502pc.tar.Z). The first two programs would be difficult
to port to something other than Unix.
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
Perhaps the best way to do this is to use the psfig macros written
by Trevor Darrell. They are available via anonymous ftp from
whitechapel.media.mit.edu (18.85.0.125) in ./psfig or
linc.cis.upenn.edu (130.91.6.8) in the directory ./dist/psfig. You
will also need a dvi to PostScript conversion program that supports
\specials. The ones mentioned in question 1 do, and the first two
drivers come with a version of psfig ready to use with them. The psfig
macros work best with Encapsulated PostScript Files (EPS). In
particular, psfig will need the file to have a BoundingBox (see
Appendix C of the _PostScript Language Reference Manual_). If you
don't have an EPS file, life can be difficult.
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
This briefly lists some previewers which are available via anonymous
ftp:
dvipage - For SunView. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvipages.tar.Z.
xtex - For X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
foobar.colorado.edu (128.138.243.105) in
./pub/SeeTeX/SeeTeX/SeeTeX-2.16.x.tar.Z. A new installation
document, Install.{dvi,ps}.Z, is also provided in the same
directory.
dviapollo- for Apollo Domain. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviapollo.tar.Z.
dviis - For Integrated Systems. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviis.tar.Z.
dvidis - For VAXstation VWS. Available via anonymous ftp from
venus.ycc.yale.edu (130.132.1.5) in [.dvidis] (VMS machine).
xdvi - Also for X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
expo.lcs.mit.edu in ./contrib/xdvi.shar.Z and
./contrib/xdvi.patch7.Z
dvitovdu - for Tektronix 4010 and other terminals under Unix.
Available via anonymous ftp from wsmr-simtel20.army.mil
(26.2.0.74) in the directory pd2:<unix-c.printers> as
dvi2vdu.tar-z (ftp in "tenex" mode).
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
The PiCTeX manual is not free. It is available for $35 from the
TeX Users Group:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
The proceeds from this sale go to Michael Wichura, the author of PiCTeX,
and TUG.
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
VorTeX is a package of programs written at the University of California.
It includes several nice previewers and some Emacs modes for TeX and
BibTeX. It is not free. Inquiries should be directed to
vortex@ucbarpa.berkely.edu or
Professor Michael A. Harrison
Att. Vortex Dist.
Computer Science Division
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it?
OzTeX is a public domain version of TeX for the Macintosh. It was
written by Andrew Trevorrow, and is available via anonymous ftp from
watmsg.waterloo.edu (129.97.129.9) in ./pub/oztex. The most recent
version is 1.2. It is also available from midway.uchicago.edu
(128.135.12.73) in ./pub/OzTeX, which contains other public
domain TeX-related software for the Mac as well. Questions about OzTeX
may be directed to oztex@midway.uchicago.edu.
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
Fig is a menu driven tool similar to MacDraw that allows you to
draw objects on the screen of a Sun Workstation running SunView.
TransFig is a set of tools which translate the code fig produces
to other graphics languages including PostScript and the LaTeX
picture environment. Both are available via anonymous ftp from
svax.cs.cornell.edu (128.84.254.2) in ./pub/fig. Both Fig and
TransFig are also available from the Clarkson archive server at
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19). Both Fig and TransFig
are supported by Micah Beck (beck@svax.cs.cornell.edu).
XFig is essentially the same program except that it runs under
X Windows. It is available via anonymous ftp from expo.lcs.mit.edu
(18.30.0.212) in ./contrib/xfig-2.0.*.Z. Note that version 2.0 is
the most recent. It was written by Brian Smith.
For complete compatibility with TransFig, be sure to get at least
patchlevel 4 of XFig 2.0.
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
There is a version of WEB for C called CWEB written by Silvio Levy. It
is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu (128.112.128.1) in
the directory ./pub/cweb.
There is a version of WEB called Spidery WEB which supports many
languages including ADA, awk, and C. It was written by Norman Ramsey
and, while not in the public domain, is usable free for research
purposes. It is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu in
./pub/spiderweb.tar.Z.
There is a version of WEB call FWEB for Fortran, Ratfor, and C
written by John Krommes (krommes@lyman.pppl.gov). Version 1.13 is
available via anonymous ftp from lyman.pppl.gov (192.55.106.129)
in ./pub/fweb.
SchemeWEB is a Unix filter that translates SchemeWEB into LaTeX source
or Scheme source. It was written by John Ramsdell and is available from
the Clarkson archive (see question 19) in ./submit/schemeweb.sh.
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
A package called MuTeX, written by Andrea Steinbach and Angelika
Schofer, aids in doing this. It is available via anonymous ftp from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in pub/TEX/mtex.tar.Z
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
TUG is the TeX User's Group. TUGboat is their newsletter, which
publishes useful articles about TeX and METAFONT. Inquiries should
be directed to:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
Use the afm2tfm program distributed with dvips, available via
anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in ./pub. If
you are using a pre-VF version of TeX, get dvips4.21; if you are
using a version of TeX that understands virtual fonts, get
dvips5.02 (or later).
For the Macintosh, there is a program called EdMetrics which does
the job (and more). It is available free from:
Blue Sky Research
534 Southwest Third Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97204 (USA)
800-622-8398 or 503-222-9571
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
One way is to change the value of \baselinestretch to 2 or 1.5 with
the command \renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{2}. A better way is to
use the doublespace style file doublespace.sty in ./pub/latex-style
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
A good way to do this is to use Rainer Schoepf's verbatim.sty
which provides the command \verbatiminput that takes a file
as an argument. This file is available from both the Aston archive
(see question 22) and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23). Several
files are needed. From ymir.claremont.edu, get the file
[tex.inputs.latex-mainz]verbatim.readme to find out what other
files you will need.
Another way to do this is to use the alltt environment defined in
the style file alltt.sty available in ./pub/latex-style from
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
If you can't figure out how to do something in LaTeX after you
have read the manual very carefully, asked your local LaTeX
guru, and thought about it, there is a LaTeX help service
available (more information is periodically posted about this
by Don Hosek). Please note that the way to accomplish something
in LaTeX is often by using an appropriate style file, so please
check this also (see question 15). If none of this works, send mail
describing your problem to latex-help@cs.stanford.edu. If you haven't
gotten a reply to your problem within about a week, send mail
to latex-help-coordinator@cs.stanford.edu.
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
Before you ask for a LaTeX style file to do something, please check
the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu, either through
the archive server or via anonymous ftp (see question 19).
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
Making an index is not trivial. There are several indexing programs
which aid in doing this. Some are:
makeindex - for LaTeX under Unix (but may run on other machines
without changes). Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23, VMS) in the directory
[.tex.utilities.makeindex]. A version for the Macintosh is
available from Johnny Tolliver at
tolliver%atf.mfenet@nmfecc.llnl.gov.
idxtex - for LaTeX under VMS. Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu in the directory [.tex.utilities.idxtex].
texix - for TeX on CMS and MacIntosh machines. Available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu in the directory
[.tex.utilities.texix].
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
METAFONT allows you to create your own fonts, and ordinary TeX users
will never need to use it. METAFONT, unlike TeX, requires some
customization. Each output device for which you will be generating
fonts needs a mode associated with it. Modes are defined using the
mode_def convention described on page 94 of _The METAFONTbook_. So
first create a file, which we will call local.mf, containing all the
mode_defs you will be using. The file waits.mf (in the standard
distribution or available via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu
(36.8.0.47) in ./lib) is a good starting point for this. Listings of
settings for various output devices are also published periodically
in TUGboat (see question 10). Now create a plain base file using
inimf, plain.mf, and local.mf:
% inimf
This is METAFONT....
**plain # you type plain
(output)
*input local # you type this
(output)
*dump # you type this
Beginning to dump on file plain....
(output)
%
This should create a base file named plain.base (or something close)
and should be moved to the directory which contains the base files on
your system.
Now we need to make sure that METAFONT loads this base when it starts
up. If METAFONT loads the plain base by default on your system, then
you're ready to go. Under Unix, we might, for instance define a
command mf which executes "virmf &plain," loading the plain base
file.
The usual way to create a font with plain METAFONT is to then start
it with the line
\mode=<mode name>; mag=<magnification>; input <font file name>
in response to the * prompt or on the METAFONT command line. If
<mode name> is unknown or omitted, then the mode defaults to proof
mode. If this has happened METAFONT will produce an output file
called <font file name>.2602gf. The <magnification> is a floating
point number or magstep (magsteps are defined in _The METAFONTbook_
and _The TeXbook_). If mag=<magnification> is omitted, then the
default is 1. For example, to generate cmr10 at 12pt for an epson
printer you would type
mf \mode=epson; mag=1.2; input cmr10
Note that under Unix the '\' and ';' characters must usually be
escaped, so that this would typically look something like
mf \\mode=epson\; mag=1.2\; input cmr10
If you don't have inimf or need a special mode that isn't in the
base, you can put its commands in a file (e.g., ln03.mf) and invoke
it on the fly with the \smode command. For example, to create
ln03.300gf for an LN03 printer, using the file
% This is ln03.mf as of 2/27/90
% mode_def courtesy of John Sauter
proofing:=0;
fontmaking:=1;
tracingtitles:=0;
pixels_per_inch:=300;
blacker:=0.65;
fillin:=-0.1;
o_correction:=.5;
(note the absence of the mode_def and enddef commands), we would type
mf \smode="ln03"; input cmr10
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
Unix - The Unix TeX distribution is available for anonymous
ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in the directory
./tex/unix. It is large, so please be sure to observe proper
ftp etiquette when getting it. It is also available through
the University of Washington, for a small fee. Contact:
Director
Northwest Computer Support Group
University of Washington
Mail Stop DW-10
Seattle, WA 98195 (USA)
(206)543-6259
or send electronic mail to Elizabeth Tachikawa at
elizabet@max.acs.washington.edu. The fee charged for getting
the TeX distribution through the University of Washington helps
fund the further development of Unix TeX, so it's a good idea to
order it this way.
PC - A TeX package for the PC, including LaTeX, BibTeX, previewers,
and drivers is available via anonymous ftp from
eedsp.gatech.edu (128.61.2.1) in ./pub/TeX. The variety here is
sbtex version 30 by Wayne Sullivan. EmTeX, another TeX package
for the PC by Eberhard Mattes, is available via anonymous ftp from
terminator.cc.umich.edu (141.211.164.8) in
./msdos/text-mgmt/TeX/emtex and from rusmv1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de
(129.69.1.12) (user:ftp, password: guest) in ./soft/tex/emtex.
This package includes LaTeX, METAFONT, BibTeX, etc., as well. All
the documentation for emtex is in German, although the Aston
archive (see question 22) has much of it in English. TeX for the
PC is also available through
Jon Radel
P. O. Box 2276
Reston, VA 22090
jonradel@phoenix.princeton.edu
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to obtain information
on what's available.
Mac - see question 6 for a public domain version.
TOPS-20 - TeX was originally written on a DEC-10 under WAITS, and so
was easily ported to TOPS-20. A Distribution that runs on TOPS-20
is available via anonymous ftp from science.utah.edu
(128.110.192.2) in aps:<tex> (this is a TOPS-20 machine).
VAX/VMS - VMS executables are available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.exe]. Source is
available in [.tex.sources]. Version 3.0 is available in
[.tex.sources.tex3_0]. Ymir has a mailserver for those without
ftp access. Send a message containing the line "help" to
mailserv@ymir.claremont.edu.
Atari - TeX is available for the Atari ST from dsrgsun.ces.cwru.edu
(129.22.16.2) in ./pub/atari/StTeX.
Amiga - Disk 1 of the Amiga CommonTeX distribution is available
via anonymous ftp from xanth.cs.odu.edu (128.82.8.1)
in ./pub/commontex.zoo. This file is in zoo format so you may
need to get zoo to uncompress it: The Unix zoo distribution is
in ./pub/zoo-2.01; the Amiga version is available as
./amiga/zoo-2.00.arc. The file copying.tex in the distribution
contains information on how to obtain the other disks.
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
The Clarkson archive server is a program that allows you to
retrieve files via electronic mail. So it provides a way of
getting many neat things if you don't have anonymous ftp. To
get the archive server to do something you should send a message
to archive-server@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (128.153.12.3). To get
started using it, send the archive server a one line message
"help" (case is unimportant). It will send you back a file
describing how to use it more fully.
In particular, the Clarkson archive contains, among other things,
a repository for LaTeX style files, AMSTeX macros and style
files, BibTeX style files, PiCTeX source (not the manual, see
question 4), back issues of TeXhax and TeXMaG, files from
TUGboat, and source to TeX, LaTeX, WEB, and various utilities.
The archive is maintained by Michael DeCorte.
If anonymous ftp is available to you, you may get the files directly
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
If you have problems, contact archive-management@sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
Thesis styles are usually very specific to your University, so it's
usually not profitable to ask the whole newsgroup for one. If you
want to write your own, a good place to start is the ucthesis style
available in the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu
(see question 19).
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
These symbols are known as "blackboard bold" and are available in
the recently released AMS fonts "msam" (e.g., "msam10" for 10pt)
and "msbm". They replace the older "msxm" and "msym." The fonts
have a large number of mathematical symbols to supplement the ones
provided by TeX. The fonts are available via anonymous ftp from
e-math.ams.com (130.44.1.100) in the directory ./ams/amsfonts.
Two files which load the fonts and define the symbols are provided,
and both work with either TeX or LaTeX. Additionally a replacement
for the old amssymbols.sty file using the new fonts was posted
by Tony Li on August 13, 1990, but does not seem to have made it
into the major style repositories. Questions or suggestions
regarding these fonts should be directed to
tech-support@math.ams.com.
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous ftp?
There are several mail servers available, i.e., programs that will
send you files via electronic mail. Some are:
- The mail server at Clarkson (see question 19), if you can send
mail to the United States.
- Also in the US, the mail server at ymir.claremont.edu has access
to all the tex-related material there. Send a message containing
the line "help" to MAILSERV@ymir.claremont.edu.
- In the United Kingdom, you can get TeX-related material from the
UK TeX archive at the University of Aston. (FTP access is also
available:
Site uk.ac.aston.tex
Username public
Password public
Top Level tex-archive
A known file is [tex-archive]000directory.list.) For electronic
mail access, send a message to texserver@uk.ac.aston.tex. The
first non-blank line of the message must contain a valid
TeXserver command (help, directory, files, whereis, search, or
path). The program will then mail you a response notifying you
that your request has been received. If you fail to get a response
from the TeXserver, you may need to use the path command to
help the program out. For Internet users the return address is
of the form name%site@nsfnet-relay, while for Bitnet and EARN
it is name%site@earn-relay. Note that old three hyphen format
is obsolete, but is still accepted by the program for backward
compatibility.
- There are LISTSERV facilities for TeX on LISTSERV@TAMVM1.BITNET
and LISTSERV@DHDURZ1.BITNET. Send a message containing the line
"help" to one of these addresses.
- For users on BITNET, access to anonymous ftp for some files can
be obtained indirectly by sending mail to BITFTP@PUCC.BITNET.
Send a message containing the line "help" to this address for
more information.
There is also the DECUS TeX collection, a collection of TeX material
for VMS, Unix, MS-DOS, and the Macintosh. It can be obtained from
the DECUS Library (reference number VS0058) in the US, or through
your DECUS office outside of the US. To contact the DECUS Library,
send mail or call:
The DECUS Program Library
219 Boston Post Road BP02
Marlboro, MA 01752-1850
(508)480-3418
or send electronic mail to the DECUS TeX Collection Editor, Ted
Nieland, at decus_tex@nieland.dayton.oh.us.
Another good source of information is NETWORK SOURCES OF TeX WARE by
Peter Flynn which appeared in TeXhax, volume 90, issues 45-47 (in
May 1990).
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
There are at least four problems with replacing the standard Computer
Modern fonts used in LaTeX:
1. The fonts are defined in a long set of macros in lfonts.tex
which are not easy to understand and change;
2. You must have a device driver capable of understanding the idea
of fonts built into the printer (all the drivers referred to in
question 1 have this capability).
3. The default layout of the Adobe fonts is NOT the same as that for
the CMR fonts, so you will not get the right characters (ligatures
being a good example).
4. The official names of the PostScript fonts are long and in both
upper and lower cases. While this presents no problems for Unix,
it can cause problems with files under DOS, VMS, etc.
The first problem can be solved by one of:
1. Going through lfonts.tex and changing references to CMR to some
new font, e.g., times.
2. Overloading the definitions of \bf, \rm, etc., with new font
families.
3. Using the font selection mechanism described in Tugboat 10.3,
p. 222 ff; a LaTeX interface to this will be part of version
2.10 of LaTeX.
The second problem is quickly disappearing since all recent DVI to
PostScript drivers have had adequate facilities. The third problem
can be solved by:
1. Changing TeX macros, etc., so that the Adobe font layouts are
expected.
2. Re-encoding the Adobe fonts in a PostScript prolog so that they
conform to TeX standards.
3. Using ``virtual fonts'' to perform the mapping between Adobe and
TeX layouts. Tomas Rokicki's dvips driver, version 5.02, (see
question 1) has examples ot this.
A definitive statement on short names for Adobe fonts is expected soon.
Meanwhile, there is not much agreement on how to compress
Garamond-LightItalic into 8 characters.
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
troff - TROFF-TO-LATEX.TAR-Z is available via anonymous ftp from
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory
pd2:<unix-c.textproc>. This program, written by Kamal Al-Yahya
at Stanford, assists in the translation of a troff document into
LaTeX format. It recognizes most -ms and -man macros, plus most
eqn and some tbl preprocessor commands. Anything fancier than that
needs to be done by hand. Two style files are provided. There
is also a man page (which converts very well to LaTeX :-).
The program is copyrighted but free.
scribe - Mark James has a copy of scribe2latex which he has been
unable to test but which he will let anyone interested have.
Send email to mark@bdblues.altair.fr. The program was written
by Van Jacobson of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
wordperfect - wp2latex.zip is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in the directory ./mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a PC program written in Turbo Pascal by R. C. Houtepen at
the Eindhoven University in the Netherlands. It converts
WordPerfect 5.0 documents to LaTeX. Pascal source is included.
Users find it "helpful" and "decent" in spite of some limitations.
It gets high marks for handling font changes. Limitations include
no indices, table of contents, margins or graphics. It also won't
handle the new features of WordPerfect 5.1, in particular the
equation formatter. The program is copyrighted but free.
Glenn Geers of the University of Sydney (glenn@extro.ucc.su.oz.au)
is translating wp2latex into C and adding some WordPerfect 5.1
features, in particular its equation handling. This is an ongoing
project; the current C code is available by anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in the directory
[anonymous.tex.ibm_pc.front_ends.wp2latex]. It was also posted to
alt.sources on 8 August 1990.
PC-Write - pcwritex.arc is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in directory mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a print driver for PC-Write that "prints" a PC-Write V2.71
document to a TeX-compatible disk file. It was written by Peter
Flynn at University College, Cork, Ireland. It is public domain.
runoff - Peter Vanroose, of the University of Leuven, Belgium, has
written a RUNOFF-to-TeX conversion program in VMS Pascal. It is
available from comp.text archives (they do exist, don't they? The
program was submitted in December 1987) or from the author
(peter@dit.lth.se) or from Mark James (mark@bdblues.altair.fr).
refer/Tib - There are a few programs for converting bibliographic data
between BibTeX and refer/Tib formats. They are available via
anonymous ftp from wheaties.ai.mit.edu (128.52.32.13) in the
directory ./refer-to-bibtex. In spite of the directory name,
it also contains a program (or rather a shell script) to convert
BibTeX to REFER as well. This collection is maintained by Thomas M.
Breuel (tmb@ai.mit.edu).
In addition, a group at Ohio State University is working on a common
document format based on SGML. In theory any format could be
translated to or from this one. Also, Framemaker supposedly has
"import filters" to aid in the translation from alien formats
(presumably including TeX) to Framemaker; perhaps other desktop
publishing programs have similar things.
Bobby Bodenheimer @hot.caltech.edu
// BITNET: bobby@caltech.bitnet |
// ARPA : bobby@csvax.caltech.edu | Woof!
// UUCP : {amdahl,ames!elroy}!cit-vax!bobby | bobby@hot.caltech.edu (Bobby Bodenheimer) (11/02/90)
This article contains answers to some frequently asked questions on
comp.text.tex. Please don't ask these questions again, as they've been
answered many times before.
This is version 1.9 for November, last changed 10/31/90.
This article includes answers to:
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it (TeX for the Mac)?
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous
ftp?
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
25) How do I get a file into the major style repositories?
If you are looking for the answer to, for instance, question 17, and wish
to skip everything else, you can search ahead for the regular expression
"^17)"
These are all legitimate questions, but they seem to appear too
frequently for long-time readers of the list.
Many of the answers below tell you that you can obtain something
through anonymous ftp. Remember that anonymous ftp is a privilege
and that the system administrators for these sites have made these
files available out of their own generosity. Therefore please restrict
your ftp'ing to non-prime hours at the various sites.
I would like to acknowledge Don Hosek, Ken Yap, Tomas Rokicki, and
Micah Beck, whose postings provided many of the answers. Joe Weening,
Hal Perkins, Walter Carlip, Max Hailpern, Tad Guy, Raymond Chen, Henning
Schulzrinne, Sebastian Rahtz, Mark James, Peter Galko, and Mike Ernst
provided additional material and criticisms. The format of this
document is based on that of the Frequently Asked Questions appearing in
comp.unix.wizards, and written by Steve Hayman. Any mistakes are mine.
Corrections, suggestions, and additions to bobby@hot.caltech.edu.
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
Four very nice DVI to PostScript conversion programs that run
under Unix are:
dvitps - part of the TeXPS package by Stephan Bectolsheim.
Available via anonymous ftp from arthur.cs.purdue.edu
(128.10.2.1) in ./pub/TeXPS.
dvi3ps - by Kevin Coombes. Available via anonymous ftp
from tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (128.146.8.60) in
./pub/dvi3ps.tar.Z
dvips - by Tomas Rokicki. This driver (in version 5.0 and later)
has the ability to deal with the virtual fonts. Version
4.21 is for versions of TeX before 3.0 (or 2.995). Available
via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47)
in ./pub.
dvitops - by James Clark. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvitops.tar.Z
and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.drivers.dvitops].
Of the above drivers, dvitops will compile under Unix, MSDOS, VMS,
and Primos and dvips will probably port very easily (patches to
dvips 5.02 for MSDOS are available from labrea.stanford.edu in
./pub/dvips502pc.tar.Z, and dvips is available for VMS through
the DECUS library (see question 22)). The first two programs would
be difficult to port to something other than Unix.
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
Perhaps the best way to do this is to use the psfig macros written
by Trevor Darrell. They are available via anonymous ftp from
whitechapel.media.mit.edu (18.85.0.125) in ./psfig or
linc.cis.upenn.edu (130.91.6.8) in the directory ./dist/psfig. You
will also need a dvi to PostScript conversion program that supports
\specials. The ones mentioned in question 1 do, and the first two
drivers come with a version of psfig ready to use with them. The psfig
macros work best with Encapsulated PostScript Files (EPS). In
particular, psfig will need the file to have a BoundingBox (see
Appendix C of the _PostScript Language Reference Manual_). If you
don't have an EPS file, life can be difficult. For people who don't
have ftp access or can't deal with tar files, the files are also
available from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.graphics.psfig].
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
This briefly lists some previewers which are available via anonymous
ftp:
dvipage - For SunView. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvipages.tar.Z.
xtex - For X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
foobar.colorado.edu (128.138.243.105) in
./pub/SeeTeX/SeeTeX/SeeTeX-2.16.x.tar.Z. A new installation
document, Install.{dvi,ps}.Z, is also provided in the same
directory.
dviapollo- for Apollo Domain. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviapollo.tar.Z.
dviis - For Integrated Systems. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviis.tar.Z.
dvidis - For VAXstation VWS. Available via anonymous ftp from
venus.ycc.yale.edu (130.132.1.5) in [.dvidis] (VMS machine).
xdvi - Also for X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
expo.lcs.mit.edu in ./contrib/xdvi.shar.Z.
dvitovdu - for Tektronix 4010 and other terminals under Unix.
Available via anonymous ftp from wsmr-simtel20.army.mil
(26.2.0.74) in the directory pd2:<unix-c.printers> as
dvi2vdu.tar-z (ftp in "tenex" mode). A C version is also
available from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.drivers.dvitovdu_c_1].
dvi2tty - A dvi to ASCII conversion program, for normal terminals.
Available from sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in
./pub/TEX/DVI/dvi2tty.shar. I could not get this program
to run on a Sun running SunOS 4.1.
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
The PiCTeX manual is not free. It is available for $35 from the
TeX Users Group:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
The proceeds from this sale go to Michael Wichura, the author of PiCTeX,
and TUG.
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
VorTeX is a package of programs written at the University of California.
It includes several nice previewers and some Emacs modes for TeX and
BibTeX. It is not free. Inquiries should be directed to
vortex@ucbarpa.berkely.edu or
Professor Michael A. Harrison
Att. Vortex Dist.
Computer Science Division
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it (TeX for the Mac)?
OzTeX is a public domain version of TeX for the Macintosh. A DVI
Previewer and PostScript driver are also included. It was
written by Andrew Trevorrow, and is available via anonymous ftp from
from midway.uchicago.edu (128.135.12.73) in ./pub/OzTeX, which
contains other public domain TeX-related software for the Mac as
well. Questions about OzTeX may be directed to
oztex@midway.uchicago.edu.
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
Fig is a menu driven tool similar to MacDraw that allows you to
draw objects on the screen of a Sun Workstation running SunView.
TransFig is a set of tools which translate the code fig produces
to other graphics languages including PostScript and the LaTeX
picture environment. Both are available via anonymous ftp from
svax.cs.cornell.edu (128.84.254.2) in ./pub/fig. Both Fig and
TransFig are also available from the Clarkson archive server at
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19). Both Fig and TransFig
are supported by Micah Beck (beck@svax.cs.cornell.edu).
XFig is essentially the same program except that it runs under
X Windows. It is available via anonymous ftp from expo.lcs.mit.edu
(18.30.0.212) in ./contrib/xfig-2.0.*.Z. Note that version 2.0 is
the most recent. It was written by Brian Smith.
For complete compatibility with TransFig, be sure to get at least
patchlevel 4 of XFig 2.0.
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
There is a version of WEB for C called CWEB written by Silvio Levy. It
is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu (128.112.128.1) in
the directory ./pub/cweb.
There is a version of WEB called Spidery WEB which supports many
languages including ADA, awk, and C. It was written by Norman Ramsey
and, while not in the public domain, is usable free for research
purposes. It is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu in
./pub/spiderweb.tar.Z.
There is a version of WEB call FWEB for Fortran, Ratfor, and C
written by John Krommes (krommes@lyman.pppl.gov). Version 1.13 is
available via anonymous ftp from lyman.pppl.gov (192.55.106.129)
in ./pub/fweb.
SchemeWEB is a Unix filter that translates SchemeWEB into LaTeX source
or Scheme source. It was written by John Ramsdell and is available from
the Clarkson archive (see question 19) in ./submit/schemeweb.sh.
All of the above are also available from ymir.claremont.edu
(134.173.4.23) in [anonymous.tex.utilities].
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
A package called MuTeX, written by Andrea Steinbach and Angelika
Schofer, aids in doing this. It is available via anonymous ftp from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in pub/TEX/mtex.tar.Z and from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [anonymous.tex.music.mtex].
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
TUG is the TeX User's Group. TUGboat is their newsletter, which
publishes useful articles about TeX and METAFONT. Inquiries should
be directed to:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
Use the afm2tfm program distributed with dvips, available via
anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in ./pub. If
you are using a pre-VF version of TeX, get dvips4.21; if you are
using a version of TeX that understands virtual fonts, get
dvips5.02 (or later).
For the Macintosh, there is a program called EdMetrics which does
the job (and more). It is available free from:
Blue Sky Research
534 Southwest Third Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97204 (USA)
800-622-8398 or 503-222-9571
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
One way is to change the value of \baselinestretch to 2 or 1.5 with
the command \renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{2}. A better way is to
use the doublespace style file doublespace.sty in ./pub/latex-style
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19), or, if you are using
the new font selection scheme, get the doublespace.sty from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-contrib].
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
A good way to do this is to use Rainer Schoepf's verbatim.sty
which provides the command \verbatiminput that takes a file
as an argument. This file is available from both the Aston archive
(see question 22) and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23). Several
files are needed. From ymir.claremont.edu, get the file
[tex.inputs.latex-mainz]verbatim.readme to find out what other
files you will need.
Another way to do this is to use the alltt environment defined in
the style file alltt.sty available in ./pub/latex-style from
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
If you can't figure out how to do something in LaTeX after you
have read the manual very carefully, asked your local LaTeX
guru, and thought about it, there is a LaTeX help service
available. Please note that the way to accomplish something
in LaTeX is often by using an appropriate style file, so please
check this also (see question 15). If none of this works, send mail
describing your problem to latex-help@cs.stanford.edu. If you haven't
gotten a reply to your problem within about a week, send mail
to latex-help-coordinator@cs.stanford.edu.
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
Before you ask for a LaTeX style file to do something, please check
the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu, either through
the archive server or via anonymous ftp (see question 19).
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
Making an index is not trivial. There are several indexing programs
which aid in doing this. Some are:
makeindex - for LaTeX under Unix (but does run under other OS's
without changes). Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23, VMS) in the directory
[.tex.utilities.makeindex]. A version for the Macintosh is
available from Johnny Tolliver at
tolliver%atf.mfenet@nmfecc.llnl.gov.
idxtex - for LaTeX under VMS. Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu in the directory [.tex.utilities.idxtex].
texix - for TeX on CMS and MacIntosh machines. Available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu in the directory
[.tex.utilities.texix].
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
METAFONT allows you to create your own fonts, and ordinary TeX users
will never need to use it. METAFONT, unlike TeX, requires some
customization. Each output device for which you will be generating
fonts needs a mode associated with it. Modes are defined using the
mode_def convention described on page 94 of _The METAFONTbook_. So
first create a file, which we will call local.mf, containing all the
mode_defs you will be using. The file waits.mf (in the standard
distribution or available via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu
(36.8.0.47) in ./lib) is a good starting point for this. Listings of
settings for various output devices are also published periodically
in TUGboat (see question 10). Now create a plain base file using
inimf, plain.mf, and local.mf:
% inimf
This is METAFONT....
**plain # you type plain
(output)
*input local # you type this
(output)
*dump # you type this
Beginning to dump on file plain....
(output)
%
This should create a base file named plain.base (or something close)
and should be moved to the directory which contains the base files on
your system.
Now we need to make sure that METAFONT loads this base when it starts
up. If METAFONT loads the plain base by default on your system, then
you're ready to go. Under Unix, we might, for instance define a
command mf which executes "virmf &plain," loading the plain base
file.
The usual way to create a font with plain METAFONT is to then start
it with the line
\mode=<mode name>; mag=<magnification>; input <font file name>
in response to the * prompt or on the METAFONT command line. If
<mode name> is unknown or omitted, then the mode defaults to proof
mode. If this has happened METAFONT will produce an output file
called <font file name>.2602gf. The <magnification> is a floating
point number or magstep (magsteps are defined in _The METAFONTbook_
and _The TeXbook_). If mag=<magnification> is omitted, then the
default is 1. For example, to generate cmr10 at 12pt for an epson
printer you would type
mf \mode=epson; mag=1.2; input cmr10
Note that under Unix the '\' and ';' characters must usually be
escaped, so that this would typically look something like
mf \\mode=epson\; mag=1.2\; input cmr10
If you don't have inimf or need a special mode that isn't in the
base, you can put its commands in a file (e.g., ln03.mf) and invoke
it on the fly with the \smode command. For example, to create
ln03.300gf for an LN03 printer, using the file
% This is ln03.mf as of 2/27/90
% mode_def courtesy of John Sauter
proofing:=0;
fontmaking:=1;
tracingtitles:=0;
pixels_per_inch:=300;
blacker:=0.65;
fillin:=-0.1;
o_correction:=.5;
(note the absence of the mode_def and enddef commands), we would type
mf \smode="ln03"; input cmr10
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
Unix - The Unix TeX distribution is available for anonymous
ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in the directory
./tex/unix. It is large, so please be sure to observe proper
ftp etiquette when getting it. It is also available through
the University of Washington, for a small fee. Contact:
Director
Northwest Computer Support Group
University of Washington
Mail Stop DW-10
Seattle, WA 98195 (USA)
(206)543-6259
or send electronic mail to Elizabeth Tachikawa at
elisabet@max.acs.washington.edu (note the "s"). The fee charged
for getting the TeX distribution through the University of
Washington helps fund the further development of Unix TeX, so
it's a good idea to order it this way. This distribution compiles
under Ultrix.
PC - A TeX package for the PC, including LaTeX, BibTeX, previewers,
and drivers is available via anonymous ftp from
eedsp.gatech.edu (128.61.2.1) in ./pub/TeX. The variety here is
sbtex version 30 by Wayne Sullivan. EmTeX, another TeX package
for the PC by Eberhard Mattes, is available via anonymous ftp from
terminator.cc.umich.edu (141.211.164.8) in
./msdos/text-mgmt/TeX/emtex and from rusmv1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de
(129.69.1.12) (user:ftp, password: guest) in ./soft/tex/emtex.
This package includes LaTeX, METAFONT, BibTeX, etc., as well.
Documentation is available in both German and English.
All Public Domain TeX software for the PC is also available
through
Jon Radel
P. O. Box 2276
Reston, VA 22090
jonradel@phoenix.princeton.edu
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to obtain information
on what's available.
Mac - see question 6 for a public domain version.
TOPS-20 - TeX was originally written on a DEC-10 under WAITS, and so
was easily ported to TOPS-20. A Distribution that runs on TOPS-20
is available via anonymous ftp from science.utah.edu
(128.110.192.2) in aps:<tex> (this is a TOPS-20 machine).
VAX/VMS - VMS executables are available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.exe]. Source is
available in [.tex.sources]. Version 3.1 is available in
[.tex.sources.tex3_1]. Ymir has a mailserver for those without
ftp access, although executables are not available through it.
Send a message containing the line "help" to
mailserv@ymir.claremont.edu. Standard tape distribution is
through DECUS or Maria Code.
Atari - TeX is available for the Atari ST from dsrgsun.ces.cwru.edu
(129.22.16.2) in ./pub/atari/StTeX.
Amiga - Disk 1 of the Amiga CommonTeX distribution is available
via anonymous ftp from xanth.cs.odu.edu (128.82.8.1)
in ./pub/commontex.zoo. This file is in zoo format so you may
need to get zoo to uncompress it: The Unix zoo distribution is
in ./pub/zoo-2.01; the Amiga version is available as
./amiga/zoo-2.00.arc. The file copying.tex in the distribution
contains information on how to obtain the other disks.
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
The Clarkson archive server is a program that allows you to
retrieve files via electronic mail. So it provides a way of
getting many neat things if you don't have anonymous ftp. To
get the archive server to do something you should send a message
to archive-server@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (128.153.12.3). To get
started using it, send the archive server a one line message
"help" (case is unimportant). It will send you back a file
describing how to use it more fully.
In particular, the Clarkson archive contains, among other things,
a repository for LaTeX style files, AMSTeX macros and style
files, BibTeX style files, PiCTeX source (not the manual, see
question 4), back issues of TeXhax and TeXMaG, files from
TUGboat, and source to TeX, LaTeX, WEB, and various utilities.
The archive is maintained by Michael DeCorte.
If anonymous ftp is available to you, you may get the files directly
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
If you have problems, contact archive-management@sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
Ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) is also a TeX repository with lots
of other stuff as well. It can be reached with anonymous ftp and
also has a mailing program for people without anonymous ftp. See
question 22 for more information.
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
Thesis styles are usually very specific to your University, so it's
usually not profitable to ask the whole newsgroup for one. If you
want to write your own, a good place to start is the ucthesis style
available in the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu
(see question 19).
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
These symbols are known as "blackboard bold" and are available in
the recently released AMS fonts "msam" (e.g., "msam10" for 10pt)
and "msbm". They replace the older "msxm" and "msym." The fonts
have a large number of mathematical symbols to supplement the ones
provided by TeX. The fonts are available via anonymous ftp from
e-math.ams.com (130.44.1.100) in the directory ./ams/amsfonts.
Two files which load the fonts and define the symbols are provided,
and both work with either TeX or LaTeX. Additionally a replacement
for the old amssymbols.sty file using the new fonts was posted
by Tony Li on August 13, 1990, but does not seem to have made it
into the major style repositories. Questions or suggestions
regarding these fonts should be directed to
tech-support@math.ams.com.
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous ftp?
There are several mail servers available, i.e., programs that will
send you files via electronic mail. Some are:
- The mail server at Clarkson (see question 19), if you can send
mail to the United States.
- Also in the US, the mail server at ymir.claremont.edu has access
to all the TeX-related material there. This site has a lot of the
PD TeX software, and even if it's not explicitly stated, much
of the software mentioned in this document is available there.
Unfortunately, executables are not available through the mail
server. Send a message containing the line "help" to
MAILSERV@ymir.claremont.edu.
- In the United Kingdom, you can get TeX-related material from the
UK TeX archive at the University of Aston. (FTP access is also
available:
Site uk.ac.aston.tex
Username public
Password public
Top Level tex-archive
A known file is [tex-archive]000directory.list.) For electronic
mail access, send a message to texserver@uk.ac.aston.tex. The
first non-blank line of the message must contain a valid
TeXserver command (help, directory, files, whereis, search, or
path). The program will then mail you a response notifying you
that your request has been received. If you fail to get a response
from the TeXserver, you may need to use the path command to
help the program out. For Internet users the return address is
of the form name%site@nsfnet-relay, while for Bitnet and EARN
it is name%site@earn-relay. Note that old three hyphen format
is obsolete, but is still accepted by the program for backward
compatibility.
- sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) also contains a substantial TeX
archive (ftp access is available). Send a messages containing
the line "help" to mail-server@cs.ruu.nl. This mail server
can send binary files in a variety of different formats.
- There are LISTSERV facilities for TeX on LISTSERV@TAMVM1.BITNET
and LISTSERV@DHDURZ1.BITNET. Send a message containing the line
"help" to one of these addresses.
- For users on BITNET, access to anonymous ftp for some files can
be obtained indirectly by sending mail to BITFTP@PUCC.BITNET.
Send a message containing the line "help" to this address for
more information.
There is also the DECUS TeX collection, a collection of TeX material
for VMS, Unix, MS-DOS, and the Macintosh. It can be obtained from
the DECUS Library (reference number VS0058) in the US, or through
your DECUS office outside of the US. To contact the DECUS Library,
send mail or call:
The DECUS Program Library
219 Boston Post Road BP02
Marlboro, MA 01752-1850
(508)480-3418
or send electronic mail to the DECUS TeX Collection Editor, Ted
Nieland, at decus_tex@nieland.dayton.oh.us.
Another good source of information is NETWORK SOURCES OF TeX WARE by
Peter Flynn which appeared in TeXhax, volume 90, issues 45-47 (in
May 1990).
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
There are at least four problems with replacing the standard Computer
Modern fonts used in LaTeX:
1. The fonts are defined in a long set of macros in lfonts.tex
which are not easy to understand and change;
2. You must have a device driver capable of understanding the idea
of fonts built into the printer (all the drivers referred to in
question 1 have this capability).
3. The default layout of the Adobe fonts is NOT the same as that for
the CMR fonts, so you will not get the right characters (ligatures
being a good example).
4. The official names of the PostScript fonts are long and in both
upper and lower cases. While this presents no problems for Unix,
it can cause problems with files under DOS, VMS, etc.
The first problem can be solved by one of:
1. Going through lfonts.tex and changing references to CMR to some
new font, e.g., times.
2. Overloading the definitions of \bf, \rm, etc., with new font
families.
3. Using the font selection mechanism described in Tugboat 10.3,
p. 222 ff; a LaTeX interface to this will be part of version
2.10 of LaTeX, and is currently available. From
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) get the file
[anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-mainz]fontsel.readme for further
information, or ./pub/TEX/latexstyle/fontsel.zoo from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5). See question 22 if you don't
have ftp access. Some preliminary style options are available
from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.inputs.local].
The second problem is quickly disappearing since all recent DVI to
PostScript drivers have had adequate facilities. The third problem
can be solved by:
1. Changing TeX macros, etc., so that the Adobe font layouts are
expected.
2. Re-encoding the Adobe fonts in a PostScript prolog so that they
conform to TeX standards.
3. Using ``virtual fonts'' to perform the mapping between Adobe and
TeX layouts. Tomas Rokicki's dvips driver, version 5.02, (see
question 1) has examples ot this.
A definitive statement on short names for Adobe fonts is expected soon.
Meanwhile, there is not much agreement on how to compress
Garamond-LightItalic into 8 characters.
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
troff - TROFF-TO-LATEX.TAR-Z is available via anonymous ftp from
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory
pd2:<unix-c.textproc>. This program, written by Kamal Al-Yahya
at Stanford, assists in the translation of a troff document into
LaTeX format. It recognizes most -ms and -man macros, plus most
eqn and some tbl preprocessor commands. Anything fancier than that
needs to be done by hand. Two style files are provided. There
is also a man page (which converts very well to LaTeX :-).
The program is copyrighted but free.
scribe - Mark James has a copy of scribe2latex which he has been
unable to test but which he will let anyone interested have.
Send email to mark@bdblues.altair.fr. The program was written
by Van Jacobson of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
wordperfect - wp2latex.zip is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in the directory ./mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a PC program written in Turbo Pascal by R. C. Houtepen at
the Eindhoven University in the Netherlands. It converts
WordPerfect 5.0 documents to LaTeX. Pascal source is included.
Users find it "helpful" and "decent" in spite of some limitations.
It gets high marks for handling font changes. Limitations include
no indices, table of contents, margins or graphics. It also won't
handle the new features of WordPerfect 5.1, in particular the
equation formatter. The program is copyrighted but free.
Glenn Geers of the University of Sydney (glenn@extro.ucc.su.oz.au)
is translating wp2latex into C and adding some WordPerfect 5.1
features, in particular its equation handling. This is an ongoing
project; the current C code is available by anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in the directory
[anonymous.tex.ibm_pc.front_ends.wp2latex]. It was also posted to
alt.sources on 8 August 1990.
PC-Write - pcwritex.arc is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in directory mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a print driver for PC-Write that "prints" a PC-Write V2.71
document to a TeX-compatible disk file. It was written by Peter
Flynn at University College, Cork, Ireland. It is public domain.
runoff - Peter Vanroose, of the University of Leuven, Belgium, has
written a RUNOFF-to-TeX conversion program in VMS Pascal. It is
available from comp.text archives (they do exist, don't they? The
program was submitted in December 1987) or from the author
(peter@dit.lth.se) or from Mark James (mark@bdblues.altair.fr).
refer/Tib - There are a few programs for converting bibliographic data
between BibTeX and refer/Tib formats. They are available via
anonymous ftp from wheaties.ai.mit.edu (128.52.32.13) in the
directory ./refer-to-bibtex. In spite of the directory name,
it also contains a program (or rather a shell script) to convert
BibTeX to REFER as well. This collection is maintained by Thomas M.
Breuel (tmb@ai.mit.edu).
In addition, a group at Ohio State University is working on a common
document format based on SGML. In theory any format could be
translated to or from this one. Also, Framemaker supposedly has
"import filters" to aid in the translation from alien formats
(presumably including TeX) to Framemaker; perhaps other desktop
publishing programs have similar things.
25) How do I get a file into the major style repositories?
Use anonymous ftp to fenris.claremont.edu (134.173.4.146) and transfer
the file into the directory ./pub/tex-incoming. Then send notification
to tex-group@hmcvax.claremont.edu. If the file is large, it's better
to send the note before transferring the file. From there it will
propagate to other inclusive archives.
Bobby Bodenheimer @hot.caltech.edu
// BITNET: bobby@caltech.bitnet |
// ARPA : bobby@csvax.caltech.edu | Woof!
// UUCP : {amdahl,ames!elroy}!cit-vax!bobby | bobby@hot.caltech.edu (Bobby Bodenheimer) (12/02/90)
This article contains answers to some frequently asked questions on
comp.text.tex. Please don't ask these questions again, as they've been
answered many times before.
This is version 1.10 for December, last changed 12/1/90.
This article includes answers to:
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it (TeX for the Mac)?
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous
ftp?
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
25) How do I get a file into the major style repositories?
If you are looking for the answer to, for instance, question 17, and wish
to skip everything else, you can search ahead for the regular expression
"^17)"
These are all legitimate questions, but they seem to appear too
frequently for long-time readers of the list.
Many of the answers below tell you that you can obtain something
through anonymous ftp. Remember that anonymous ftp is a privilege
and that the system administrators for these sites have made these
files available out of their own generosity. Therefore please restrict
your ftp'ing to non-prime hours at the various sites.
I would like to acknowledge Don Hosek, Ken Yap, Tomas Rokicki, and
Micah Beck, whose postings provided many of the answers. Joe Weening,
Hal Perkins, Walter Carlip, Max Hailpern, Tad Guy, Raymond Chen, Henning
Schulzrinne, Sebastian Rahtz, Mark James, Peter Galko, and Mike Ernst
provided additional material and criticisms. The format of this
document is based on that of the Frequently Asked Questions appearing in
comp.unix.wizards, and written by Steve Hayman. Any mistakes are mine.
Corrections, suggestions, and additions to bobby@hot.caltech.edu.
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
Four very nice DVI to PostScript conversion programs that run
under Unix are:
dvitps - part of the TeXPS package by Stephan Bectolsheim.
Available via anonymous ftp from arthur.cs.purdue.edu
(128.10.2.1) in ./pub/TeXPS.
dvi3ps - by Kevin Coombes. Available via anonymous ftp
from tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (128.146.8.60) in
./pub/dvi3ps.tar.Z
dvips - by Tomas Rokicki. This driver is very nice and
has the ability to deal with virtual fonts. Available
via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47)
in ./pub.
dvitops - by James Clark. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvitops.tar.Z
and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.drivers.dvitops].
Of the above drivers, dvitops will compile under Unix, MSDOS, VMS,
and Primos and dvips will probably port very easily (dvips is
available for VMS through the DECUS library (see question 22)).
The first two programs would be difficult to port to something
other than Unix.
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
Perhaps the best way to do this is to use the psfig macros written
by Trevor Darrell. They are available via anonymous ftp from
whitechapel.media.mit.edu (18.85.0.125) in ./psfig or
linc.cis.upenn.edu (130.91.6.8) in the directory ./dist/psfig. You
will also need a dvi to PostScript conversion program that supports
\specials. The ones mentioned in question 1 do, and the first two
drivers come with a version of psfig ready to use with them. The psfig
macros work best with Encapsulated PostScript Files (EPS). In
particular, psfig will need the file to have a BoundingBox (see
Appendix C of the _PostScript Language Reference Manual_). If you
don't have an EPS file, life can be difficult. For people who don't
have ftp access or can't deal with tar files, the files are also
available from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.graphics.psfig].
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
This briefly lists some previewers which are available via anonymous
ftp:
dvipage - For SunView. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvipages.tar.Z.
xtex - For X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
foobar.colorado.edu (128.138.243.105) in
./pub/SeeTeX/SeeTeX/SeeTeX-2.16.x.tar.Z. A new installation
document, Install.{dvi,ps}.Z, is also provided in the same
directory.
dviapollo- for Apollo Domain. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviapollo.tar.Z.
dviis - For Integrated Systems. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviis.tar.Z.
dvidis - For VAXstation VWS. Available via anonymous ftp from
venus.ycc.yale.edu (130.132.1.5) in [.dvidis] (VMS machine).
xdvi - Also for X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
expo.lcs.mit.edu in ./contrib/xdvi.shar.Z.
dvitovdu - for Tektronix 4010 and other terminals under Unix.
Available via anonymous ftp from wsmr-simtel20.army.mil
(26.2.0.74) in the directory pd2:<unix-c.printers> as
dvi2vdu.tar-z (ftp in "tenex" mode). A C version is also
available from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.drivers.dvitovdu_c_1].
dvi2tty - A dvi to ASCII conversion program, for normal terminals.
Available from sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in
./pub/TEX/DVI/dvi2tty.shar. I could not get this program
to run on a Sun running SunOS 4.1.
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
The PiCTeX manual is not free. It is available for $30 ($35 with the
disk) from the TeX Users Group:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
The proceeds from this sale go to Michael Wichura, the author of PiCTeX,
and TUG.
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
VorTeX is a package of programs written at the University of California.
It includes several nice previewers and some Emacs modes for TeX and
BibTeX. It is not free. Inquiries should be directed to
vortex@ucbarpa.berkeley.edu or
Professor Michael A. Harrison
Att. Vortex Dist.
Computer Science Division
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it (TeX for the Mac)?
OzTeX is a public domain version of TeX for the Macintosh. A DVI
Previewer and PostScript driver are also included. It should run on
any Macintosh Plus, SE, II, or newer model, but will not work on a
128K or 512K Mac. It was written by Andrew Trevorrow, and is available
via anonymous ftp from from midway.uchicago.edu (128.135.12.73) in
./pub/OzTeX, which contains other public domain TeX-related software
for the Mac as well. Questions about OzTeX may be directed to
oztex@midway.uchicago.edu.
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
Fig is a menu driven tool similar to MacDraw that allows you to
draw objects on the screen of a Sun Workstation running SunView.
TransFig is a set of tools which translate the code fig produces
to other graphics languages including PostScript and the LaTeX
picture environment. Both are available via anonymous ftp from
svax.cs.cornell.edu (128.84.254.2) in ./pub/fig. Both Fig and
TransFig are also available from the Clarkson archive server at
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19). Both Fig and TransFig
are supported by Micah Beck (beck@svax.cs.cornell.edu).
XFig is essentially the same program except that it runs under
X Windows. It is available via anonymous ftp from expo.lcs.mit.edu
(18.30.0.212) in ./contrib/xfig-2.0.*.Z. Note that version 2.0 is
the most recent. It was written by Brian Smith.
For complete compatibility with TransFig, be sure to get at least
patchlevel 4 of XFig 2.0.
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
There is a version of WEB for C called CWEB written by Silvio Levy. It
is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu (128.112.128.1) in
the directory ./pub/cweb.
There is a version of WEB called Spidery WEB which supports many
languages including ADA, awk, and C. It was written by Norman Ramsey
and, while not in the public domain, is usable free for research
purposes. It is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu in
./pub/spiderweb.tar.Z.
There is a version of WEB called FWEB for Fortran, Ratfor, and C
written by John Krommes (krommes@lyman.pppl.gov). Version 1.13 is
available via anonymous ftp from lyman.pppl.gov (192.55.106.129)
in ./pub/fweb.
SchemeWEB is a Unix filter that translates SchemeWEB into LaTeX source
or Scheme source. It was written by John Ramsdell and is available from
the Clarkson archive (see question 19) in ./submit/schemeweb.sh.
All of the above are also available from ymir.claremont.edu
(134.173.4.23) in [anonymous.tex.utilities].
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
A package called MuTeX, written by Andrea Steinbach and Angelika
Schofer, aids in doing this. It is available via anonymous ftp from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in pub/TEX/mtex.tar.Z and from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [anonymous.tex.music.mtex].
This package allows you to typeset single-staff music and lyrics.
A more powerful package which allows the typesetting of orchestral
and polyphonic music is MusicTeX, written by Daniel Taupin. It is
also available from ymir.claremont.edu in
[anonymous.tex.music.musictex].
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
TUG is the TeX User's Group. TUGboat is their newsletter, which
publishes useful articles about TeX and METAFONT. Inquiries should
be directed to:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
Use the afm2tfm program distributed with dvips, available via
anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in ./pub.
For the Macintosh, there is a program called EdMetrics which does
the job (and more). It is available free from:
Blue Sky Research
534 Southwest Third Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97204 (USA)
800-622-8398 or 503-222-9571
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
One way is to change the value of \baselinestretch to 2 or 1.5 with
the command \renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{2}. A better way is to
use the doublespace style file doublespace.sty in ./pub/latex-style
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19), or, if you are using
the new font selection scheme, get the doublespace.sty from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-contrib].
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
A good way to do this is to use Rainer Schoepf's verbatim.sty,
which provides the command \verbatiminput that takes a file
as an argument. This file is available from both the Aston archive
(see question 22) and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23). Several
files are needed. From ymir.claremont.edu, get the file
[tex.inputs.latex-mainz]verbatim.readme to find out what other
files you will need.
Another way to do this is to use the alltt environment defined in
the style file alltt.sty available in ./pub/latex-style from
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
If you can't figure out how to do something in LaTeX after you
have read the manual very carefully, asked your local LaTeX
guru, and thought about it, there is a LaTeX help service
available. Please note that the way to accomplish something
in LaTeX is often by using an appropriate style file, so please
check this also (see question 15). If none of this works, send mail
describing your problem to latex-help@cs.stanford.edu. If you haven't
gotten a reply to your problem within about a week, send mail
to latex-help-coordinator@cs.stanford.edu.
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
Before you ask for a LaTeX style file to do something, please check
the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu, either through
the archive server or via anonymous ftp (see question 19).
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
Making an index is not trivial. There are several indexing programs
which aid in doing this. Some are:
makeindex - for LaTeX under Unix (but runs under other OS's
without changes). Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23, VMS) in the directory
[.tex.utilities.makeindex]. A version for the Macintosh is
available from Johnny Tolliver at
tolliver%atf.mfenet@nmfecc.llnl.gov.
idxtex - for LaTeX under VMS. Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu in the directory [.tex.utilities.idxtex].
texix - for TeX on CMS and Macintosh machines. Available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu in the directory
[.tex.utilities.texix].
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
METAFONT allows you to create your own fonts, and ordinary TeX users
will never need to use it. METAFONT, unlike TeX, requires some
customization. Each output device for which you will be generating
fonts needs a mode associated with it. Modes are defined using the
mode_def convention described on page 94 of _The METAFONTbook_. So
first create a file, which we will call local.mf, containing all the
mode_defs you will be using. The file waits.mf (in the standard
distribution or available via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu
(36.8.0.47) in ./lib) is a good starting point for this. Listings of
settings for various output devices are also published periodically
in TUGboat (see question 10). Now create a plain base file using
inimf, plain.mf, and local.mf:
% inimf
This is METAFONT....
**plain # you type plain
(output)
*input local # you type this
(output)
*dump # you type this
Beginning to dump on file plain....
(output)
%
This should create a base file named plain.base (or something close)
and should be moved to the directory which contains the base files on
your system.
Now we need to make sure that METAFONT loads this base when it starts
up. If METAFONT loads the plain base by default on your system, then
you're ready to go. Under Unix, we might, for instance define a
command mf which executes "virmf &plain," loading the plain base
file.
The usual way to create a font with plain METAFONT is to then start
it with the line
\mode=<mode name>; mag=<magnification>; input <font file name>
in response to the * prompt or on the METAFONT command line. If
<mode name> is unknown or omitted, then the mode defaults to proof
mode. If this has happened METAFONT will produce an output file
called <font file name>.2602gf. The <magnification> is a floating
point number or magstep (magsteps are defined in _The METAFONTbook_
and _The TeXbook_). If mag=<magnification> is omitted, then the
default is 1. For example, to generate cmr10 at 12pt for an epson
printer you would type
mf \mode=epson; mag=1.2; input cmr10
Note that under Unix the '\' and ';' characters must usually be
escaped, so that this would typically look something like
mf \\mode=epson\; mag=1.2\; input cmr10
If you don't have inimf or need a special mode that isn't in the
base, you can put its commands in a file (e.g., ln03.mf) and invoke
it on the fly with the \smode command. For example, to create
ln03.300gf for an LN03 printer, using the file
% This is ln03.mf as of 2/27/90
% mode_def courtesy of John Sauter
proofing:=0;
fontmaking:=1;
tracingtitles:=0;
pixels_per_inch:=300;
blacker:=0.65;
fillin:=-0.1;
o_correction:=.5;
(note the absence of the mode_def and enddef commands), we would type
mf \smode="ln03"; input cmr10
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
Unix - The Unix TeX distribution is available for anonymous
ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in the directory
./tex/unix. It is large, so please be sure to observe proper
ftp etiquette when getting it. It is also available through
the University of Washington, for a small fee. Contact:
Director
Northwest Computing Support Center
Thomson Hall, Mail Stop DR-10
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195 (USA)
(206)543-6259
or send electronic mail to Elizabeth Tachikawa at
elisabet@max.u.washington.edu (note the "s"). The fee charged
for getting the TeX distribution through the University of
Washington helps fund the further development of Unix TeX, so
it's a good idea to order it this way. This distribution compiles
under Ultrix.
PC - A TeX package for the PC, including LaTeX, BibTeX, previewers,
and drivers is available via anonymous ftp from
eedsp.gatech.edu (128.61.2.1) in ./pub/TeX. The variety here is
sbtex version 30 by Wayne Sullivan. EmTeX, another TeX package
for the PC by Eberhard Mattes, is available via anonymous ftp from
terminator.cc.umich.edu (141.211.164.8) in
./msdos/text-mgmt/TeX/emtex and from rusmv1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de
(129.69.1.12) (user:ftp, password: guest) in ./soft/tex/emtex.
This package includes LaTeX, METAFONT, BibTeX, etc., as well.
Documentation is available in both German and English.
All Public Domain TeX software for the PC is also available
through
Jon Radel
P. O. Box 2276
Reston, VA 22090
jonradel@phoenix.princeton.edu
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to obtain information
on what's available.
Mac - see question 6 for a public domain version.
TOPS-20 - TeX was originally written on a DEC-10 under WAITS, and so
was easily ported to TOPS-20. A Distribution that runs on TOPS-20
is available via anonymous ftp from science.utah.edu
(128.110.192.2) in aps:<tex> (this is a TOPS-20 machine).
VAX/VMS - VMS executables are available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.exe]. Source is
available in [.tex.sources]. Version 3.1 is available in
[.tex.sources.tex3_1]. Ymir has a mailserver for those without
ftp access, although executables are not available through it.
Send a message containing the line "help" to
mailserv@ymir.claremont.edu. Standard tape distribution is
through DECUS or Maria Code.
Atari - TeX is available for the Atari ST from dsrgsun.ces.cwru.edu
(129.22.16.2) in ./pub/atari/StTeX.
Amiga - Disk 1 of the Amiga CommonTeX distribution is available
via anonymous ftp from abcfd20.larc.nasa.gov (128.155.23.64)
in ./amiga/commontex.lzh. The file copying.tex in the
distribution contains information on how to obtain the other
disks. Also, experimental versions of TeX 3.0 and METAFONT 2.0
are available in ./incoming/amiga/TEX. These files are in zoo
format so you may need to get zoo to uncompress it: the Amiga
version is in ./amiga/archivers/zoo-2.01.pak.
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
The Clarkson archive server is a program that allows you to
retrieve files via electronic mail. So it provides a way of
getting many neat things if you don't have anonymous ftp. To
get the archive server to do something you should send a message
to archive-server@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (128.153.12.3). To get
started using it, send the archive server a one line message
"help" (case is unimportant). It will send you back a file
describing how to use it more fully.
In particular, the Clarkson archive contains, among other things,
a repository for LaTeX style files, AMSTeX macros and style
files, BibTeX style files, PiCTeX source (not the manual, see
question 4), back issues of TeXhax and TeXMaG, files from
TUGboat, and source to TeX, LaTeX, WEB, and various utilities.
The archive is maintained by Michael DeCorte.
If anonymous ftp is available to you, you may get the files directly
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
If you have problems, contact archive-management@sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
Ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) is also a TeX repository with lots
of other stuff as well. It can be reached with anonymous ftp and
also has a mailing program for people without anonymous ftp. See
question 22 for more information.
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
Thesis styles are usually very specific to your University, so it's
usually not profitable to ask the whole newsgroup for one. If you
want to write your own, a good place to start is the ucthesis style
available in the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu
(see question 19).
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
These symbols are known as "blackboard bold" and are available in
the recently released AMS fonts "msam" (e.g., "msam10" for 10pt)
and "msbm". They replace the older "msxm" and "msym." The fonts
have a large number of mathematical symbols to supplement the ones
provided by TeX. The fonts are available via anonymous ftp from
e-math.ams.com (130.44.1.100) in the directory ./ams/amsfonts.
Two files which load the fonts and define the symbols are provided,
and both work with either TeX or LaTeX. Additionally a replacement
for the old amssymbols.sty file using the new fonts was posted
by Tony Li on August 13, 1990, but does not seem to have made it
into the major style repositories. Questions or suggestions
regarding these fonts should be directed to
tech-support@math.ams.com.
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous ftp?
There are several mail servers available, i.e., programs that will
send you files via electronic mail. Some are:
- The mail server at Clarkson (see question 19), if you can send
mail to the United States.
- Also in the US, the mail server at ymir.claremont.edu has access
to all the TeX-related material there. This site has a lot of the
PD TeX software, and even if it's not explicitly stated, much
of the software mentioned in this document is available there.
Unfortunately, executables are not available through the mail
server. Send a message containing the line "help" to
MAILSERV@ymir.claremont.edu.
- In the United Kingdom, you can get TeX-related material from the
UK TeX archive at the University of Aston. (FTP access is also
available for people on JANET:
Site uk.ac.aston.tex
Username public
Password public
Top Level tex-archive
A known file is [tex-archive]000directory.list.) For electronic
mail access, send a message to texserver@uk.ac.aston.tex. The
first non-blank line of the message must contain a valid
TeXserver command (help, directory, files, whereis, search, or
path). The program will then mail you a response notifying you
that your request has been received. If you fail to get a response
from the TeXserver, you may need to use the path command to
help the program out. For Internet users the return address is
of the form name%site@nsfnet-relay, while for Bitnet and EARN
it is name%site@earn-relay (i.e., include a line that says
"path name%site@nsfnet-relay along with a line containing "help").
Note that the old three hyphen format is obsolete, but still
accepted by the program for backward compatibility.
- sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) also contains a substantial TeX
archive (ftp access is available). Send a messages containing
the line "help" to mail-server@cs.ruu.nl. This mail server
can send binary files in a variety of different formats.
- There are LISTSERV facilities for TeX at LISTSERV@DHDURZ1.BITNET.
Send a message containing the line "help" to this address.
- For users on BITNET, access to anonymous ftp for some files can
be obtained indirectly by sending mail to BITFTP@PUCC.BITNET.
Send a message containing the line "help" to this address for
more information.
There is also the DECUS TeX collection, a collection of TeX material
for VMS, Unix, MS-DOS, and the Macintosh. It can be obtained from
the DECUS Library (reference number VS0058) in the US, or through
your DECUS office outside of the US. To contact the DECUS Library,
send mail or call:
The DECUS Program Library
219 Boston Post Road BP02
Marlboro, MA 01752-1850
(508)480-3418
or send electronic mail to the DECUS TeX Collection Editor, Ted
Nieland, at decus_tex@nieland.dayton.oh.us.
Another good source of information is NETWORK SOURCES OF TeX WARE by
Peter Flynn which appeared in TeXhax, volume 90, issues 45-47 (in
May 1990).
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
There are at least four problems with replacing the standard Computer
Modern fonts used in LaTeX:
1. The fonts are defined in a long set of macros in lfonts.tex
which are not easy to understand and change;
2. You must have a device driver capable of understanding the idea
of fonts built into the printer (all the drivers referred to in
question 1 have this capability).
3. The default layout of the Adobe fonts is NOT the same as that for
the CMR fonts, so you will not get the right characters (ligatures
being a good example).
4. The official names of the PostScript fonts are long and in both
upper and lower cases. While this presents no problems for Unix,
it can cause problems with files under DOS, VMS, etc.
The first problem can be solved by one of:
1. Going through lfonts.tex and changing references to CMR to some
new font, e.g., times.
2. Overloading the definitions of \bf, \rm, etc., with new font
families.
3. Using the font selection mechanism described in TUGboat 10.3,
p. 222 ff; a LaTeX interface to this will be part of version
2.10 of LaTeX, and is currently available. From
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) get the file
[anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-mainz]fontsel.readme for further
information, or ./pub/TEX/latexstyle/fontsel.zoo from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5). See question 22 if you don't
have ftp access. Some preliminary style options are available
from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.inputs.local].
The second problem is quickly disappearing since all recent DVI to
PostScript drivers have had adequate facilities. The third problem
can be solved by:
1. Changing TeX macros, etc., so that the Adobe font layouts are
expected.
2. Re-encoding the Adobe fonts in a PostScript prolog so that they
conform to TeX standards.
3. Using ``virtual fonts'' to perform the mapping between Adobe and
TeX layouts. Tomas Rokicki's dvips driver, version 5.02, (see
question 1) has examples of this.
A definitive statement on short names for Adobe fonts is expected soon.
Meanwhile, there is not much agreement on how to compress
Garamond-LightItalic into 8 characters.
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
troff - TROFF-TO-LATEX.TAR-Z is available via anonymous ftp from
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory
pd2:<unix-c.textproc>. This program, written by Kamal Al-Yahya
at Stanford, assists in the translation of a troff document into
LaTeX format. It recognizes most -ms and -man macros, plus most
eqn and some tbl preprocessor commands. Anything fancier than that
needs to be done by hand. Two style files are provided. There
is also a man page (which converts very well to LaTeX :-).
The program is copyrighted but free.
scribe - Mark James has a copy of scribe2latex which he has been
unable to test but which he will let anyone interested have.
Send email to mark@bdblues.altair.fr. The program was written
by Van Jacobson of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
wordperfect - wp2latex.zip is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in the directory ./mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a PC program written in Turbo Pascal by R. C. Houtepen at
the Eindhoven University in the Netherlands. It converts
WordPerfect 5.0 documents to LaTeX. Pascal source is included.
Users find it "helpful" and "decent" in spite of some limitations.
It gets high marks for handling font changes. Limitations include
no indices, table of contents, margins or graphics. It also won't
handle the new features of WordPerfect 5.1, in particular the
equation formatter. The program is copyrighted but free.
Glenn Geers of the University of Sydney (glenn@extro.ucc.su.oz.au)
is translating wp2latex into C and adding some WordPerfect 5.1
features, in particular its equation handling. This is an ongoing
project; the current C code is available by anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in the directory
[anonymous.tex.ibm_pc.front_ends.wp2latex]. It was also posted to
alt.sources on 8 August 1990.
PC-Write - pcwritex.arc is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in directory mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a print driver for PC-Write that "prints" a PC-Write V2.71
document to a TeX-compatible disk file. It was written by Peter
Flynn at University College, Cork, Ireland. It is public domain.
runoff - Peter Vanroose, of the University of Leuven, Belgium, has
written a RUNOFF-to-TeX conversion program in VMS Pascal. It is
available from comp.text archives (they do exist, don't they? The
program was submitted in December 1987) or from the author
(peter@dit.lth.se) or from Mark James (mark@bdblues.altair.fr).
refer/Tib - There are a few programs for converting bibliographic data
between BibTeX and refer/Tib formats. They are available via
anonymous ftp from wheaties.ai.mit.edu (128.52.32.13) in the
directory ./refer-to-bibtex. In spite of the directory name,
it also contains a program (or rather a shell script) to convert
BibTeX to REFER as well. This collection is maintained by Thomas M.
Breuel (tmb@ai.mit.edu).
In addition, a group at Ohio State University is working on a common
document format based on SGML. In theory any format could be
translated to or from this one. Also, Framemaker supposedly has
"import filters" to aid in the translation from alien formats
(presumably including TeX) to Framemaker; perhaps other desktop
publishing programs have similar things.
25) How do I get a file into the major style repositories?
Use anonymous ftp to fenris.claremont.edu (134.173.4.146) and transfer
the file into the directory ./pub/tex-incoming. Then send notification
to tex-group@hmcvax.claremont.edu. If the file is large, it's better
to send the note before transferring the file. From there it will
propagate to other inclusive archives.
Bobby Bodenheimer @hot.caltech.edu
// ARPA : bobby@hot.caltech.edu |
// BITNET: bobby@caltech.bitnet | Woof!
// UUCP : {amdahl,ames!elroy}!cit-vax!bobby | bobby@hot.caltech.edu (Bobby Bodenheimer) (01/08/91)
This article contains answers to some frequently asked questions on
comp.text.tex. Please don't ask these questions again, as they've been
answered many times before.
This is version 1.11 for January, last changed 1/7/91.
This article includes answers to:
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it (TeX for the Mac)?
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous
ftp?
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
25) How do I get a file into the major style repositories?
If you are looking for the answer to, for instance, question 17, and wish
to skip everything else, you can search ahead for the regular expression
"^17)"
These are all legitimate questions, but they seem to appear too
frequently for long-time readers of the list.
Many of the answers below tell you that you can obtain something
through anonymous ftp. Remember that anonymous ftp is a privilege
and that the system administrators for these sites have made these
files available out of their own generosity. Therefore please restrict
your ftp'ing to non-prime hours at the various sites.
I would like to acknowledge Don Hosek, Ken Yap, Tomas Rokicki, and
Micah Beck, whose postings provided many of the answers. Joe Weening,
Hal Perkins, Walter Carlip, Max Hailpern, Tad Guy, Raymond Chen, Henning
Schulzrinne, Sebastian Rahtz, Mark James, Peter Galko, and Mike Ernst
provided additional material and criticisms. The format of this
document is based on that of the Frequently Asked Questions appearing in
comp.unix.wizards, and written by Steve Hayman. Any mistakes are mine.
Corrections, suggestions, and additions to bobby@hot.caltech.edu.
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
Four very nice DVI to PostScript conversion programs that run
under Unix are:
dvitps - part of the TeXPS package by Stephan Bectolsheim.
Available via anonymous ftp from arthur.cs.purdue.edu
(128.10.2.1) in ./pub/TeXPS.
dvi3ps - by Kevin Coombes. Available via anonymous ftp
from tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (128.146.8.60) in
./pub/dvi3ps.tar.Z
dvips - by Tomas Rokicki. This driver is very nice and
has the ability to deal with virtual fonts. Available
via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47)
in ./pub. Dvips ports easily to other operating systems.
It is available for VMS via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.drivers.dvips_new]
and also through the DECUS library (see question 22). A
precompiled version for MSDOS is available from
monu1.cc.monash.edu.au (130.194.1.101) in
./pub/msdos/dvips/dvips54.zip. If you wish to use postscript
fonts, get dvipslib.zip as well.
dvitops - by James Clark. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvitops.tar.Z
and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.drivers.dvitops]. Dvitops will compile under
Unix, MSDOC, VMS, and Primos.
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
Perhaps the best way to do this is to use the psfig macros written
by Trevor Darrell. They are available via anonymous ftp from
whitechapel.media.mit.edu (18.85.0.125) in ./psfig or
linc.cis.upenn.edu (130.91.6.8) in the directory ./dist/psfig. You
will also need a dvi to PostScript conversion program that supports
\specials. The ones mentioned in question 1 do, and the first two
drivers come with a version of psfig ready to use with them. The psfig
macros work best with Encapsulated PostScript Files (EPS). In
particular, psfig will need the file to have a BoundingBox (see
Appendix C of the _PostScript Language Reference Manual_). If you
don't have an EPS file, life can be difficult. For people who don't
have ftp access or can't deal with tar files, the files are also
available from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.graphics.psfig].
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
This briefly lists some previewers which are available via anonymous
ftp:
dvipage - For SunView. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvipages.tar.Z.
xtex - For X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
foobar.colorado.edu (128.138.243.105) in
./pub/SeeTeX/SeeTeX/SeeTeX-2.16.x.tar.Z. A new installation
document, Install.{dvi,ps}.Z, is also provided in the same
directory.
dviapollo- for Apollo Domain. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviapollo.tar.Z.
dviis - For Integrated Systems. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviis.tar.Z.
dvidis - For VAXstation VWS. Available via anonymous ftp from
venus.ycc.yale.edu (130.132.1.5) in [.dvidis] (VMS machine).
xdvi - Also for X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
expo.lcs.mit.edu in ./contrib/xdvi.shar.Z.
dvitovdu - for Tektronix 4010 and other terminals under Unix.
Available via anonymous ftp from wsmr-simtel20.army.mil
(26.2.0.74) in the directory pd2:<unix-c.printers> as
dvi2vdu.tar-z (ftp in "tenex" mode). A C version is also
available from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.drivers.dvitovdu_c_1].
dvi2tty - A dvi to ASCII conversion program, for normal terminals.
Available from sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in
./pub/TEX/DVI/dvi2tty.shar. I could not get this program
to run on a Sun running SunOS 4.1.
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
The PiCTeX manual is not free. It is available for $30 ($35 with the
disk) from the TeX Users Group:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
The proceeds from this sale go to Michael Wichura, the author of PiCTeX,
and TUG.
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
VorTeX is a package of programs written at the University of California.
It includes several nice previewers and some Emacs modes for TeX and
BibTeX. It is not free. Inquiries should be directed to
vortex@ucbarpa.berkeley.edu or
Professor Michael A. Harrison
Att. Vortex Dist.
Computer Science Division
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it (TeX for the Mac)?
OzTeX is a public domain version of TeX for the Macintosh. A DVI
Previewer and PostScript driver are also included. It should run on
any Macintosh Plus, SE, II, or newer model, but will not work on a
128K or 512K Mac. It was written by Andrew Trevorrow, and is available
via anonymous ftp from from midway.uchicago.edu (128.135.12.73) in
./pub/OzTeX, which contains other public domain TeX-related software
for the Mac as well. Questions about OzTeX may be directed to
oztex@midway.uchicago.edu.
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
Fig is a menu driven tool similar to MacDraw that allows you to
draw objects on the screen of a Sun Workstation running SunView.
TransFig is a set of tools which translate the code fig produces
to other graphics languages including PostScript and the LaTeX
picture environment. Both are available via anonymous ftp from
svax.cs.cornell.edu (128.84.254.2) in ./pub/fig. Both Fig and
TransFig are also available from the Clarkson archive server at
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19). Both Fig and TransFig
are supported by Micah Beck (beck@svax.cs.cornell.edu).
XFig is essentially the same program except that it runs under
X Windows. It is available via anonymous ftp from expo.lcs.mit.edu
(18.30.0.212) in ./contrib/xfig-2.0.*.Z. Note that version 2.0 is
the most recent. It was written by Brian Smith.
For complete compatibility with TransFig, be sure to get at least
patchlevel 4 of XFig 2.0.
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
There is a version of WEB for C called CWEB written by Silvio Levy. It
is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu (128.112.128.1) in
the directory ./pub/cweb.
There is a version of WEB called Spidery WEB which supports many
languages including ADA, awk, and C. It was written by Norman Ramsey
and, while not in the public domain, is usable free for research
purposes. It is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu in
./pub/spiderweb.tar.Z.
There is a version of WEB called FWEB for Fortran, Ratfor, and C
written by John Krommes (krommes@lyman.pppl.gov). Version 1.13 is
available via anonymous ftp from lyman.pppl.gov (192.55.106.129)
in ./pub/fweb.
SchemeWEB is a Unix filter that translates SchemeWEB into LaTeX source
or Scheme source. It was written by John Ramsdell and is available from
the Clarkson archive (see question 19) in ./submit/schemeweb.sh.
All of the above are also available from ymir.claremont.edu
(134.173.4.23) in [anonymous.tex.utilities].
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
A package called MuTeX, written by Andrea Steinbach and Angelika
Schofer, aids in doing this. It is available via anonymous ftp from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in pub/TEX/mtex.tar.Z and from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [anonymous.tex.music.mtex].
This package allows you to typeset single-staff music and lyrics.
A more powerful package which allows the typesetting of orchestral
and polyphonic music is MusicTeX, written by Daniel Taupin. It is
also available from ymir.claremont.edu in
[anonymous.tex.music.musictex].
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
TUG is the TeX User's Group. TUGboat is their newsletter, which
publishes useful articles about TeX and METAFONT. Inquiries should
be directed to:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
Use the afm2tfm program distributed with dvips, available via
anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in ./pub.
For the Macintosh, there is a program called EdMetrics which does
the job (and more). It is available free from:
Blue Sky Research
534 Southwest Third Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97204 (USA)
800-622-8398 or 503-222-9571
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
One way is to change the value of \baselinestretch to 2 or 1.5 with
the command \renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{2}. A better way is to
use the doublespace style file doublespace.sty in ./pub/latex-style
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19), or, if you are using
the new font selection scheme, get the doublespace.sty from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-contrib].
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
A good way to do this is to use Rainer Schoepf's verbatim.sty,
which provides the command \verbatiminput that takes a file
as an argument. This file is available from both the Aston archive
(see question 22) and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23). Several
files are needed. From ymir.claremont.edu, get the file
[tex.inputs.latex-mainz]verbatim.readme to find out what other
files you will need.
Another way to do this is to use the alltt environment defined in
the style file alltt.sty available in ./pub/tex/latex-style from
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
If you can't figure out how to do something in LaTeX after you
have read the manual very carefully, asked your local LaTeX
guru, and thought about it, there is a LaTeX help service
available. Please note that the way to accomplish something
in LaTeX is often by using an appropriate style file, so please
check this also (see question 15). If none of this works, send mail
describing your problem to latex-help@cs.stanford.edu. If you haven't
gotten a reply to your problem within about a week, send mail
to latex-help-coordinator@cs.stanford.edu.
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
Before you ask for a LaTeX style file to do something, please check
the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu, either through
the archive server or via anonymous ftp (see question 19).
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
Making an index is not trivial. There are several indexing programs
which aid in doing this. Some are:
makeindex - for LaTeX under Unix (but runs under other OS's
without changes). Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23, VMS) in the directory
[.tex.utilities.makeindex]. A version for the Macintosh is
available from Johnny Tolliver at
tolliver%atf.mfenet@nmfecc.llnl.gov.
idxtex - for LaTeX under VMS. Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu in the directory [.tex.utilities.idxtex].
texix - for TeX on CMS and Macintosh machines. Available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu in the directory
[.tex.utilities.texix].
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
METAFONT allows you to create your own fonts, and ordinary TeX users
will never need to use it. METAFONT, unlike TeX, requires some
customization. Each output device for which you will be generating
fonts needs a mode associated with it. Modes are defined using the
mode_def convention described on page 94 of _The METAFONTbook_. So
first create a file, which we will call local.mf, containing all the
mode_defs you will be using. The file waits.mf (in the standard
distribution or available via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu
(36.8.0.47) in ./lib) is a good starting point for this. Listings of
settings for various output devices are also published periodically
in TUGboat (see question 10). Now create a plain base file using
inimf, plain.mf, and local.mf:
% inimf
This is METAFONT....
**plain # you type plain
(output)
*input local # you type this
(output)
*dump # you type this
Beginning to dump on file plain....
(output)
%
This should create a base file named plain.base (or something close)
and should be moved to the directory which contains the base files on
your system.
Now we need to make sure that METAFONT loads this base when it starts
up. If METAFONT loads the plain base by default on your system, then
you're ready to go. Under Unix, we might, for instance define a
command mf which executes "virmf &plain," loading the plain base
file.
The usual way to create a font with plain METAFONT is to then start
it with the line
\mode=<mode name>; mag=<magnification>; input <font file name>
in response to the * prompt or on the METAFONT command line. If
<mode name> is unknown or omitted, then the mode defaults to proof
mode. If this has happened METAFONT will produce an output file
called <font file name>.2602gf. The <magnification> is a floating
point number or magstep (magsteps are defined in _The METAFONTbook_
and _The TeXbook_). If mag=<magnification> is omitted, then the
default is 1. For example, to generate cmr10 at 12pt for an epson
printer you would type
mf \mode=epson; mag=1.2; input cmr10
Note that under Unix the '\' and ';' characters must usually be
escaped, so that this would typically look something like
mf \\mode=epson\; mag=1.2\; input cmr10
If you don't have inimf or need a special mode that isn't in the
base, you can put its commands in a file (e.g., ln03.mf) and invoke
it on the fly with the \smode command. For example, to create
ln03.300gf for an LN03 printer, using the file
% This is ln03.mf as of 2/27/90
% mode_def courtesy of John Sauter
proofing:=0;
fontmaking:=1;
tracingtitles:=0;
pixels_per_inch:=300;
blacker:=0.65;
fillin:=-0.1;
o_correction:=.5;
(note the absence of the mode_def and enddef commands), we would type
mf \smode="ln03"; input cmr10
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
Unix - The Unix TeX distribution is available for anonymous
ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in the directory
./tex/unix. It is large, so please be sure to observe proper
ftp etiquette when getting it. It is also available through
the University of Washington, for a small fee. Contact:
Director
Northwest Computing Support Center
Thomson Hall, Mail Stop DR-10
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195 (USA)
(206)543-6259
or send electronic mail to Elizabeth Tachikawa at
elisabet@max.u.washington.edu (note the "s"). The fee charged
for getting the TeX distribution through the University of
Washington helps fund the further development of Unix TeX, so
it's a good idea to order it this way. This distribution compiles
under Ultrix.
PC - A TeX package for the PC, including LaTeX, BibTeX, previewers,
and drivers is available via anonymous ftp from
vax.eedsp.gatech.edu (130.207.226.2) in ./pub/TeX. The variety here
is sbtex version 30 by Wayne Sullivan. EmTeX, another TeX package
for the PC by Eberhard Mattes, is available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.ibm_pc.emtex] and from
rusmv1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (129.69.1.12)
(user:ftp, password: guest) in ./soft/tex/emtex. This package
includes LaTeX, METAFONT, BibTeX, etc., as well. Documentation is
available in both German and English.
All Public Domain TeX software for the PC is also available
through
Jon Radel
P. O. Box 2276
Reston, VA 22090
jonradel@phoenix.princeton.edu
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to obtain information
on what's available.
Mac - see question 6 for a public domain version.
TOPS-20 - TeX was originally written on a DEC-10 under WAITS, and so
was easily ported to TOPS-20. A Distribution that runs on TOPS-20
is available via anonymous ftp from science.utah.edu
(128.110.192.2) in aps:<tex> (this is a TOPS-20 machine).
VAX/VMS - VMS executables are available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.exe]. Source is
available in [.tex.sources]. Version 3.1 is available in
[.tex.sources.tex3_1]. Ymir has a mailserver for those without
ftp access, although executables are not available through it.
Send a message containing the line "help" to
mailserv@ymir.claremont.edu. Standard tape distribution is
through DECUS or Maria Code.
Atari - TeX is available for the Atari ST from dsrgsun.ces.cwru.edu
(129.22.16.2) in ./pub/atari/StTeX and from atari.archive.umich.edu
(141.211.164.8) in ./atari/tex. If anonymous ftp is not available
to you, send a message containing the line "help" to
atari@atari.archive.umich.edu. The mail server can uuencode
binary files.
Amiga - Disk 1 of the Amiga CommonTeX distribution is available
via anonymous ftp from ab20.larc.nasa.gov (128.155.23.64)
in ./amiga/commontex.lzh. The file copying.tex in the
distribution contains information on how to obtain the other
disks. Also, experimental versions of TeX 3.1 and METAFONT 2.7
are available in ./incoming/amiga/TEX.
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
The Clarkson archive server is a program that allows you to
retrieve files via electronic mail. So it provides a way of
getting many neat things if you don't have anonymous ftp. To
get the archive server to do something you should send a message
to archive-server@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (128.153.12.3). To get
started using it, send the archive server a one line message
"help" (case is unimportant). It will send you back a file
describing how to use it more fully.
In particular, the Clarkson archive contains, among other things,
a repository for LaTeX style files, AMSTeX macros and style
files, BibTeX style files, PiCTeX source (not the manual, see
question 4), back issues of TeXhax and TeXMaG, files from
TUGboat, and source to TeX, LaTeX, WEB, and various utilities.
The archive is maintained by Michael DeCorte.
If anonymous ftp is available to you, you may get the files directly
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
If you have problems, contact archive-management@sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
Ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) is also a TeX repository with lots
of other stuff as well. It can be reached with anonymous ftp and
also has a mailing program for people without anonymous ftp. See
question 22 for more information.
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
Thesis styles are usually very specific to your University, so it's
usually not profitable to ask the whole newsgroup for one. If you
want to write your own, a good place to start is the ucthesis style
available in the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu
(see question 19).
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
These symbols are known as "blackboard bold" and are available in
the recently released AMS fonts "msam" (e.g., "msam10" for 10pt)
and "msbm". They replace the older "msxm" and "msym." The fonts
have a large number of mathematical symbols to supplement the ones
provided by TeX. The fonts are available via anonymous ftp from
e-math.ams.com (130.44.1.100) in the directory ./ams/amsfonts.
Two files which load the fonts and define the symbols are provided,
and both work with either TeX or LaTeX. Additionally a replacement
for the old amssymbols.sty file using the new fonts was posted
by Tony Li on August 13, 1990, but does not seem to have made it
into the major style repositories. Questions or suggestions
regarding these fonts should be directed to
tech-support@math.ams.com.
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous ftp?
There are several mail servers available, i.e., programs that will
send you files via electronic mail. Some are:
- The mail server at Clarkson (see question 19), if you can send
mail to the United States.
- Also in the US, the mail server at ymir.claremont.edu has access
to all the TeX-related material there. This site has a lot of the
PD TeX software, and even if it's not explicitly stated, much
of the software mentioned in this document is available there.
Unfortunately, executables are not available through the mail
server. Send a message containing the line "help" to
MAILSERV@ymir.claremont.edu.
- In the United Kingdom, you can get TeX-related material from the
UK TeX archive at the University of Aston. (FTP access is also
available for people on JANET:
Site uk.ac.aston.tex
Username public
Password public
Top Level tex-archive
A known file is [tex-archive]000directory.list.) For electronic
mail access, send a message to texserver@uk.ac.aston.tex. The
first non-blank line of the message must contain a valid
TeXserver command (help, directory, files, whereis, search, or
path). The program will then mail you a response notifying you
that your request has been received. If you fail to get a response
from the TeXserver, you may need to use the path command to
help the program out. For Internet users the return address is
of the form name%site@nsfnet-relay, while for Bitnet and EARN
it is name%site@earn-relay (i.e., include a line that says
"path name%site@nsfnet-relay along with a line containing "help").
Note that the old three hyphen format is obsolete, but still
accepted by the program for backward compatibility.
- sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) also contains a substantial TeX
archive (ftp access is available). Send a messages containing
the line "help" to mail-server@cs.ruu.nl. This mail server
can send binary files in a variety of different formats.
- There are LISTSERV facilities for TeX at LISTSERV@DHDURZ1.BITNET.
Send a message containing the line "help" to this address.
- For users on BITNET, access to anonymous ftp for some files can
be obtained indirectly by sending mail to BITFTP@PUCC.BITNET.
Send a message containing the line "help" to this address for
more information.
There is also the DECUS TeX collection, a collection of TeX material
for VMS, Unix, MS-DOS, and the Macintosh. It can be obtained from
the DECUS Library (reference number VS0058) in the US, or through
your DECUS office outside of the US. To contact the DECUS Library,
send mail or call:
The DECUS Program Library
219 Boston Post Road BP02
Marlboro, MA 01752-1850
(508)480-3418
or send electronic mail to the DECUS TeX Collection Editor, Ted
Nieland, at decus_tex@nieland.dayton.oh.us.
Another good source of information is NETWORK SOURCES OF TeX WARE by
Peter Flynn which appeared in TeXhax, volume 90, issues 45-47 (in
May 1990).
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
There are at least four problems with replacing the standard Computer
Modern fonts used in LaTeX:
1. The fonts are defined in a long set of macros in lfonts.tex
which are not easy to understand and change;
2. You must have a device driver capable of understanding the idea
of fonts built into the printer (all the drivers referred to in
question 1 have this capability).
3. The default layout of the Adobe fonts is NOT the same as that for
the CMR fonts, so you will not get the right characters (ligatures
being a good example).
4. The official names of the PostScript fonts are long and in both
upper and lower cases. While this presents no problems for Unix,
it can cause problems with files under DOS, VMS, etc.
The first problem can be solved by one of:
1. Going through lfonts.tex and changing references to CMR to some
new font, e.g., times.
2. Overloading the definitions of \bf, \rm, etc., with new font
families.
3. Using the font selection mechanism described in TUGboat 10.3,
p. 222 ff; a LaTeX interface to this will be part of version
2.10 of LaTeX, and is currently available. From
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) get the file
[anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-mainz]fontsel.readme for further
information, or ./pub/TEX/latexstyle/fontsel.zoo from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5). See question 22 if you don't
have ftp access. Some preliminary style options are available
from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.inputs.local].
The second problem is quickly disappearing since all recent DVI to
PostScript drivers have had adequate facilities. The third problem
can be solved by:
1. Changing TeX macros, etc., so that the Adobe font layouts are
expected.
2. Re-encoding the Adobe fonts in a PostScript prolog so that they
conform to TeX standards.
3. Using ``virtual fonts'' to perform the mapping between Adobe and
TeX layouts. Tomas Rokicki's dvips driver, version 5.02, (see
question 1) has examples of this.
A definitive statement on short names for Adobe fonts is expected soon.
Meanwhile, there is not much agreement on how to compress
Garamond-LightItalic into 8 characters.
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
troff - TROFF-TO-LATEX.TAR-Z is available via anonymous ftp from
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory
pd2:<unix-c.textproc>. This program, written by Kamal Al-Yahya
at Stanford, assists in the translation of a troff document into
LaTeX format. It recognizes most -ms and -man macros, plus most
eqn and some tbl preprocessor commands. Anything fancier than that
needs to be done by hand. Two style files are provided. There
is also a man page (which converts very well to LaTeX :-).
The program is copyrighted but free.
scribe - Mark James has a copy of scribe2latex which he has been
unable to test but which he will let anyone interested have.
Send email to mark@bdblues.altair.fr. The program was written
by Van Jacobson of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
wordperfect - wp2latex.zip is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in the directory ./mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a PC program written in Turbo Pascal by R. C. Houtepen at
the Eindhoven University in the Netherlands. It converts
WordPerfect 5.0 documents to LaTeX. Pascal source is included.
Users find it "helpful" and "decent" in spite of some limitations.
It gets high marks for handling font changes. Limitations include
no indices, table of contents, margins or graphics. It also won't
handle the new features of WordPerfect 5.1, in particular the
equation formatter. The program is copyrighted but free.
Glenn Geers of the University of Sydney (glenn@extro.ucc.su.oz.au)
is translating wp2latex into C and adding some WordPerfect 5.1
features, in particular its equation handling. This is an ongoing
project; the current C code is available by anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in the directory
[anonymous.tex.ibm_pc.front_ends.wp2latex]. It was also posted to
alt.sources on 8 August 1990.
PC-Write - pcwritex.arc is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in directory mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a print driver for PC-Write that "prints" a PC-Write V2.71
document to a TeX-compatible disk file. It was written by Peter
Flynn at University College, Cork, Ireland. It is public domain.
runoff - Peter Vanroose, of the University of Leuven, Belgium, has
written a RUNOFF-to-TeX conversion program in VMS Pascal. It is
available from comp.text archives (they do exist, don't they? The
program was submitted in December 1987) or from the author
(peter@dit.lth.se) or from Mark James (mark@bdblues.altair.fr).
refer/Tib - There are a few programs for converting bibliographic data
between BibTeX and refer/Tib formats. They are available via
anonymous ftp from wheaties.ai.mit.edu (128.52.32.13) in the
directory ./refer-to-bibtex. In spite of the directory name,
it also contains a program (or rather a shell script) to convert
BibTeX to REFER as well. This collection is maintained by Thomas M.
Breuel (tmb@ai.mit.edu).
In addition, a group at Ohio State University is working on a common
document format based on SGML. In theory any format could be
translated to or from this one. Also, Framemaker supposedly has
"import filters" to aid in the translation from alien formats
(presumably including TeX) to Framemaker; perhaps other desktop
publishing programs have similar things.
25) How do I get a file into the major style repositories?
Use anonymous ftp to fenris.claremont.edu (134.173.4.146) and transfer
the file into the directory ./pub/tex-incoming. Then send notification
to tex-group@hmcvax.claremont.edu. If the file is large, it's better
to send the note before transferring the file. From there it will
propagate to other inclusive archives.
Bobby Bodenheimer @hot.caltech.edu
// ARPA : bobby@hot.caltech.edu |
// BITNET: bobby@caltech.bitnet | Woof!
// UUCP : {amdahl,ames!elroy}!cit-vax!bobby | bobby@hot.caltech.edu (Bobby Bodenheimer) (02/05/91)
This article contains answers to some frequently asked questions on
comp.text.tex. Please don't ask these questions again, as they've been
answered many times before.
This is version 1.12 for January, last changed 2/4/91.
This article includes answers to:
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it (TeX for the Mac)?
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous
ftp?
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
25) How do I get a file into the major style repositories?
26) Where can I get font Y?
If you are looking for the answer to, for instance, question 17, and wish
to skip everything else, you can search ahead for the regular expression
"^17)"
These are all legitimate questions, but they seem to appear too
frequently for long-time readers of the list.
Many of the answers below tell you that you can obtain something
through anonymous ftp. Remember that anonymous ftp is a privilege
and that the system administrators for these sites have made these
files available out of their own generosity. Therefore please restrict
your ftp'ing to non-prime hours at the various sites.
I would like to acknowledge Don Hosek, Ken Yap, Tomas Rokicki, and
Micah Beck, whose postings provided many of the answers. Joe Weening,
Hal Perkins, Walter Carlip, Max Hailpern, Tad Guy, Raymond Chen, Henning
Schulzrinne, Sebastian Rahtz, Mark James, Peter Galko, and Mike Ernst
provided additional material and criticisms. The format of this
document is based on that of the Frequently Asked Questions appearing in
comp.unix.wizards, and written by Steve Hayman. Any mistakes are mine.
Corrections, suggestions, and additions to bobby@hot.caltech.edu.
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
Four very nice DVI to PostScript conversion programs that run
under Unix are:
dvitps - part of the TeXPS package by Stephan Bectolsheim.
Available via anonymous ftp from arthur.cs.purdue.edu
(128.10.2.1) in ./pub/TeXPS.
dvi3ps - by Kevin Coombes. Available via anonymous ftp
from tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (128.146.8.60) in
./pub/dvi3ps.tar.Z
dvips - by Tomas Rokicki. This driver is very nice and
has the ability to deal with virtual fonts. Available
via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47)
in ./pub. Dvips ports easily to other operating systems.
It is available for VMS via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.drivers.dvips_new]
and also through the DECUS library (see question 22). A
precompiled version for MSDOS is available from
monu1.cc.monash.edu.au (130.194.1.101) in ./pub/dvips54.zip
or from shape.mps.ohio-state.edu (128.146.7.200) in
./pub/msdos/dvips/dvips54.zip. If you wish to use postscript
fonts, get dvipslib.zip as well.
dvitops - by James Clark. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvitops.tar.Z
and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.drivers.dvitops]. Dvitops will compile under
Unix, MSDOC, VMS, and Primos.
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
Perhaps the best way to do this is to use the psfig macros written
by Trevor Darrell. They are available via anonymous ftp from
whitechapel.media.mit.edu (18.85.0.125) in ./psfig or
linc.cis.upenn.edu (130.91.6.8) in the directory ./dist/psfig. You
will also need a dvi to PostScript conversion program that supports
\specials. The ones mentioned in question 1 do, and the first two
drivers come with a version of psfig ready to use with them. The psfig
macros work best with Encapsulated PostScript Files (EPS). In
particular, psfig will need the file to have a BoundingBox (see
Appendix C of the _PostScript Language Reference Manual_). If you
don't have an EPS file, life can be difficult. For people who don't
have ftp access or can't deal with tar files, the files are also
available from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.graphics.psfig].
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
This briefly lists some previewers which are available via anonymous
ftp:
dvipage - For SunView. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvipages.tar.Z.
xtex - For X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
foobar.colorado.edu (128.138.243.105) in
./pub/SeeTeX/SeeTeX/SeeTeX-2.16.x.tar.Z. A new installation
document, Install.{dvi,ps}.Z, is also provided in the same
directory.
dviapollo- for Apollo Domain. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviapollo.tar.Z.
dviis - For Integrated Systems. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviis.tar.Z.
dvidis - For VAXstation VWS. Available via anonymous ftp from
venus.ycc.yale.edu (130.132.1.5) in [.dvidis] (VMS machine).
xdvi - Also for X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
expo.lcs.mit.edu in ./contrib/xdvi.shar.Z.
dvitovdu - for Tektronix 4010 and other terminals under Unix.
Available via anonymous ftp from wsmr-simtel20.army.mil
(26.2.0.74) in the directory pd2:<unix-c.printers> as
dvi2vdu.tar-z (ftp in "tenex" mode). A C version is also
available from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.drivers.dvitovdu_c_1].
dvi2tty - A dvi to ASCII conversion program, for normal terminals.
Available from sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in
./pub/TEX/DVI/dvi2tty.shar. I could not get this program
to run on a Sun running SunOS 4.1.
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
The PiCTeX manual is not free. It is available for $30 ($35 with the
disk) from the TeX Users Group:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
The proceeds from this sale go to Michael Wichura, the author of PiCTeX,
and TUG.
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
VorTeX is a package of programs written at the University of California.
It includes several nice previewers and some Emacs modes for TeX and
BibTeX. It is not free. Inquiries should be directed to
vortex@ucbarpa.berkeley.edu or
Professor Michael A. Harrison
Att. Vortex Dist.
Computer Science Division
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it (TeX for the Mac)?
OzTeX is a public domain version of TeX for the Macintosh. A DVI
Previewer and PostScript driver are also included. It should run on
any Macintosh Plus, SE, II, or newer model, but will not work on a
128K or 512K Mac. It was written by Andrew Trevorrow, and is available
via anonymous ftp from from midway.uchicago.edu (128.135.12.73) in
./pub/OzTeX, which contains other public domain TeX-related software
for the Mac as well. Questions about OzTeX may be directed to
oztex@midway.uchicago.edu.
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
Fig is a menu driven tool similar to MacDraw that allows you to
draw objects on the screen of a Sun Workstation running SunView.
TransFig is a set of tools which translate the code fig produces
to other graphics languages including PostScript and the LaTeX
picture environment. Both are available via anonymous ftp from
svax.cs.cornell.edu (128.84.254.2) in ./pub/fig. Both Fig and
TransFig are also available from the Clarkson archive server at
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19). Both Fig and TransFig
are supported by Micah Beck (beck@svax.cs.cornell.edu).
XFig is essentially the same program except that it runs under
X Windows. It is available via anonymous ftp from expo.lcs.mit.edu
(18.30.0.212) in ./contrib/xfig-2.0.*.Z. Note that version 2.0 is
the most recent. It was written by Brian Smith.
For complete compatibility with TransFig, be sure to get at least
patchlevel 4 of XFig 2.0.
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
There is a version of WEB for C called CWEB written by Silvio Levy. It
is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu (128.112.128.1) in
the directory ./pub/cweb.
There is a version of WEB called Spidery WEB which supports many
languages including ADA, awk, and C. It was written by Norman Ramsey
and, while not in the public domain, is usable free for research
purposes. It is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu in
./pub/spiderweb.tar.Z.
There is a version of WEB called FWEB for Fortran, Ratfor, and C
written by John Krommes (krommes@lyman.pppl.gov). Version 1.13 is
available via anonymous ftp from lyman.pppl.gov (192.55.106.129)
in ./pub/fweb.
SchemeWEB is a Unix filter that translates SchemeWEB into LaTeX source
or Scheme source. It was written by John Ramsdell and is available from
the Clarkson archive (see question 19) in ./submit/schemeweb.sh.
All of the above are also available from ymir.claremont.edu
(134.173.4.23) in [anonymous.tex.utilities].
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
A package called MuTeX, written by Andrea Steinbach and Angelika
Schofer, aids in doing this. It is available via anonymous ftp from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in pub/TEX/mtex.tar.Z and from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [anonymous.tex.music.mtex].
This package allows you to typeset single-staff music and lyrics.
A more powerful package which allows the typesetting of orchestral
and polyphonic music is MusicTeX, written by Daniel Taupin. It is
also available from ymir.claremont.edu in
[anonymous.tex.music.musictex].
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
TUG is the TeX User's Group. TUGboat is their newsletter, which
publishes useful articles about TeX and METAFONT. Inquiries should
be directed to:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
Use the afm2tfm program distributed with dvips, available via
anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in ./pub.
For the Macintosh, there is a program called EdMetrics which does
the job (and more). It is available free from:
Blue Sky Research
534 Southwest Third Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97204 (USA)
800-622-8398 or 503-222-9571
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
One way is to change the value of \baselinestretch to 2 or 1.5 with
the command \renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{2}. A better way is to
use the doublespace style file doublespace.sty in ./pub/latex-style
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19), or, if you are using
the new font selection scheme, get the doublespace.sty from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-contrib].
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
A good way to do this is to use Rainer Schoepf's verbatim.sty,
which provides the command \verbatiminput that takes a file
as an argument. This file is available from both the Aston archive
(see question 22) and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23). Several
files are needed. From ymir.claremont.edu, get the file
[tex.inputs.latex-mainz]verbatim.readme to find out what other
files you will need.
Another way to do this is to use the alltt environment defined in
the style file alltt.sty available in ./pub/tex/latex-style from
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
If you can't figure out how to do something in LaTeX after you
have read the manual very carefully, asked your local LaTeX
guru, and thought about it, there is a LaTeX help service
available. Please note that the way to accomplish something
in LaTeX is often by using an appropriate style file, so please
check this also (see question 15). If none of this works, send mail
describing your problem to latex-help@cs.stanford.edu. If you haven't
gotten a reply to your problem within about a week, send mail
to latex-help-coordinator@cs.stanford.edu.
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
Before you ask for a LaTeX style file to do something, please check
the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu, either through
the archive server or via anonymous ftp (see question 19).
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
Making an index is not trivial. There are several indexing programs
which aid in doing this. Some are:
makeindex - for LaTeX under Unix (but runs under other OS's
without changes). Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23, VMS) in the directory
[.tex.utilities.makeindex]. A version for the Macintosh is
available from Johnny Tolliver at
tolliver%atf.mfenet@nmfecc.llnl.gov.
idxtex - for LaTeX under VMS. Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu in the directory [.tex.utilities.idxtex].
texix - for TeX on CMS and Macintosh machines. Available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu in the directory
[.tex.utilities.texix].
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
METAFONT allows you to create your own fonts, and ordinary TeX users
will never need to use it. METAFONT, unlike TeX, requires some
customization. Each output device for which you will be generating
fonts needs a mode associated with it. Modes are defined using the
mode_def convention described on page 94 of _The METAFONTbook_. So
first create a file, which we will call local.mf, containing all the
mode_defs you will be using. The file waits.mf (in the standard
distribution or available via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu
(36.8.0.47) in ./lib) is a good starting point for this. Listings of
settings for various output devices are also published periodically
in TUGboat (see question 10). Now create a plain base file using
inimf, plain.mf, and local.mf:
% inimf
This is METAFONT....
**plain # you type plain
(output)
*input local # you type this
(output)
*dump # you type this
Beginning to dump on file plain....
(output)
%
This should create a base file named plain.base (or something close)
and should be moved to the directory which contains the base files on
your system.
Now we need to make sure that METAFONT loads this base when it starts
up. If METAFONT loads the plain base by default on your system, then
you're ready to go. Under Unix, we might, for instance define a
command mf which executes "virmf &plain," loading the plain base
file.
The usual way to create a font with plain METAFONT is to then start
it with the line
\mode=<mode name>; mag=<magnification>; input <font file name>
in response to the * prompt or on the METAFONT command line. If
<mode name> is unknown or omitted, then the mode defaults to proof
mode. If this has happened METAFONT will produce an output file
called <font file name>.2602gf. The <magnification> is a floating
point number or magstep (magsteps are defined in _The METAFONTbook_
and _The TeXbook_). If mag=<magnification> is omitted, then the
default is 1. For example, to generate cmr10 at 12pt for an epson
printer you would type
mf \mode=epson; mag=1.2; input cmr10
Note that under Unix the '\' and ';' characters must usually be
escaped, so that this would typically look something like
mf \\mode=epson\; mag=1.2\; input cmr10
If you don't have inimf or need a special mode that isn't in the
base, you can put its commands in a file (e.g., ln03.mf) and invoke
it on the fly with the \smode command. For example, to create
ln03.300gf for an LN03 printer, using the file
% This is ln03.mf as of 2/27/90
% mode_def courtesy of John Sauter
proofing:=0;
fontmaking:=1;
tracingtitles:=0;
pixels_per_inch:=300;
blacker:=0.65;
fillin:=-0.1;
o_correction:=.5;
(note the absence of the mode_def and enddef commands), we would type
mf \smode="ln03"; input cmr10
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
Unix - The Unix TeX distribution is available for anonymous
ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in the directory
./tex/unix. It is large, so please be sure to observe proper
ftp etiquette when getting it. It is also available through
the University of Washington, for a small fee. Contact:
Director
Northwest Computing Support Center
Thomson Hall, Mail Stop DR-10
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195 (USA)
(206)543-6259
or send electronic mail to Elizabeth Tachikawa at
elisabet@max.u.washington.edu (note the "s"). The fee charged
for getting the TeX distribution through the University of
Washington helps fund the further development of Unix TeX, so
it's a good idea to order it this way. This distribution compiles
under Ultrix.
PC - A TeX package for the PC, including LaTeX, BibTeX, previewers,
and drivers is available via anonymous ftp from
vax.eedsp.gatech.edu (130.207.226.2) in ./pub/TeX. The variety here
is sbtex version 30 by Wayne Sullivan. EmTeX, another TeX package
for the PC by Eberhard Mattes, is available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.ibm_pc.emtex] and from
rusmv1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (129.69.1.12)
(user:ftp, password: guest) in ./soft/tex/emtex. This package
includes LaTeX, METAFONT, BibTeX, etc., as well. Documentation is
available in both German and English.
All Public Domain TeX software for the PC is also available
through
Jon Radel
P. O. Box 2276
Reston, VA 22090
jonradel@phoenix.princeton.edu
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope with 10 sheets of paper
or $2.00 to obtain information on what's available.
Mac - see question 6 for a public domain version.
TOPS-20 - TeX was originally written on a DEC-10 under WAITS, and so
was easily ported to TOPS-20. A Distribution that runs on TOPS-20
is available via anonymous ftp from science.utah.edu
(128.110.192.2) in aps:<tex> (this is a TOPS-20 machine).
VAX/VMS - VMS executables are available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.exe]. Source is
available in [.tex.sources]. Version 3.1 is available in
[.tex.sources.tex3_1]. Ymir has a mailserver for those without
ftp access, although executables are not available through it.
Send a message containing the line "help" to
mailserv@ymir.claremont.edu. Standard tape distribution is
through DECUS or Maria Code.
Atari - TeX is available for the Atari ST from dsrgsun.ces.cwru.edu
(129.22.16.2) in ./pub/atari/StTeX and from atari.archive.umich.edu
(141.211.164.8) in ./atari/tex. If anonymous ftp is not available
to you, send a message containing the line "help" to
atari@atari.archive.umich.edu. The mail server can uuencode
binary files.
Amiga - Disk 1 of the Amiga CommonTeX distribution is available
via anonymous ftp from ab20.larc.nasa.gov (128.155.23.64)
in ./amiga/commontex.lzh. The file copying.tex in the
distribution contains information on how to obtain the other
disks. Also, experimental versions of TeX 3.1 and METAFONT 2.7
are available in ./incoming/amiga/TEX.
Tandy 6000 - First get web2c-5.8a and web-5.8a from ics.uci.edu
(128.195.1.1) in ./TeX and then apply the diffs available
and plains.ndsu.nodak.edu (134.129.111.64) in
./pub/tandy/programing and build. This builds TeX 3.1 and
METAFONT 2.7.
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
The Clarkson archive server is a program that allows you to
retrieve files via electronic mail. So it provides a way of
getting many neat things if you don't have anonymous ftp. To
get the archive server to do something you should send a message
to archive-server@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (128.153.12.3). To get
started using it, send the archive server a one line message
"help" (case is unimportant). It will send you back a file
describing how to use it more fully.
In particular, the Clarkson archive contains, among other things,
a repository for LaTeX style files, AMSTeX macros and style
files, BibTeX style files, PiCTeX source (not the manual, see
question 4), back issues of TeXhax and TeXMaG, files from
TUGboat, and source to TeX, LaTeX, WEB, and various utilities.
The archive is maintained by Michael DeCorte.
If anonymous ftp is available to you, you may get the files directly
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
If you have problems, contact archive-management@sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
Ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) is also a TeX repository with lots
of other stuff as well. It can be reached with anonymous ftp and
also has a mailing program for people without anonymous ftp. See
question 22 for more information.
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
Thesis styles are usually very specific to your University, so it's
usually not profitable to ask the whole newsgroup for one. If you
want to write your own, a good place to start is the ucthesis style
available in the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu
(see question 19).
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
These symbols are known as "blackboard bold" and are available in
the recently released AMS fonts "msam" (e.g., "msam10" for 10pt)
and "msbm". They replace the older "msxm" and "msym." The fonts
have a large number of mathematical symbols to supplement the ones
provided by TeX. The fonts are available via anonymous ftp from
e-math.ams.com (130.44.1.100) in the directory ./ams/amsfonts.
Two files which load the fonts and define the symbols are provided,
and both work with either TeX or LaTeX. Additionally a replacement
for the old amssymbols.sty file using the new fonts was posted
by Tony Li on August 13, 1990, but does not seem to have made it
into the major style repositories. Questions or suggestions
regarding these fonts should be directed to
tech-support@math.ams.com.
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous ftp?
There are several mail servers available, i.e., programs that will
send you files via electronic mail. Some are:
- The mail server at Clarkson (see question 19), if you can send
mail to the United States.
- Also in the US, the mail server at ymir.claremont.edu has access
to all the TeX-related material there. This site has a lot of the
PD TeX software, and even if it's not explicitly stated, much
of the software mentioned in this document is available there.
Unfortunately, executables are not available through the mail
server. Send a message containing the line "help" to
MAILSERV@ymir.claremont.edu.
- In the United Kingdom, you can get TeX-related material from the
UK TeX archive at the University of Aston. (FTP access is also
available for people on JANET:
Site uk.ac.tex
Username public
Password public
Top Level tex-archive
A known file is [tex-archive]000directory.list.) For electronic
mail access, send a message to texserver@uk.ac.tex. The
first non-blank line of the message must contain a valid
TeXserver command (help, directory, files, whereis, search, or
path). The program will then mail you a response notifying you
that your request has been received. If you fail to get a response
from the TeXserver, you may need to use the path command to
help the program out. For Internet users the return address is
of the form name%site@nsfnet-relay, while for Bitnet and EARN
it is name%site@earn-relay (i.e., include a line that says
"path name%site@nsfnet-relay along with a line containing "help").
Note that the old three hyphen format is obsolete, but still
accepted by the program for backward compatibility.
- sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) also contains a substantial TeX
archive (ftp access is available). Send a messages containing
the line "help" to mail-server@cs.ruu.nl. This mail server
can send binary files in a variety of different formats.
- There are LISTSERV facilities for TeX at LISTSERV@DHDURZ1.BITNET.
Send a message containing the line "help" to this address.
- For users on BITNET, access to anonymous ftp for some files can
be obtained indirectly by sending mail to BITFTP@PUCC.BITNET.
Send a message containing the line "help" to this address for
more information.
There is also the DECUS TeX collection, a collection of TeX material
for VMS, Unix, MS-DOS, and the Macintosh. It can be obtained from
the DECUS Library (reference number VS0058) in the US, or through
your DECUS office outside of the US. To contact the DECUS Library,
send mail or call:
The DECUS Program Library
219 Boston Post Road BP02
Marlboro, MA 01752-1850
(508)480-3418
or send electronic mail to the DECUS TeX Collection Editor, Ted
Nieland, at decus_tex@nieland.dayton.oh.us.
Another good source of information is NETWORK SOURCES OF TeX WARE by
Peter Flynn which appeared in TeXhax, volume 90, issues 45-47 (in
May 1990).
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
There are at least four problems with replacing the standard Computer
Modern fonts used in LaTeX:
1. The fonts are defined in a long set of macros in lfonts.tex
which are not easy to understand and change;
2. You must have a device driver capable of understanding the idea
of fonts built into the printer (all the drivers referred to in
question 1 have this capability).
3. The default layout of the Adobe fonts is NOT the same as that for
the CMR fonts, so you will not get the right characters (ligatures
being a good example).
4. The official names of the PostScript fonts are long and in both
upper and lower cases. While this presents no problems for Unix,
it can cause problems with files under DOS, VMS, etc.
The first problem can be solved by one of:
1. Going through lfonts.tex and changing references to CMR to some
new font, e.g., times.
2. Overloading the definitions of \bf, \rm, etc., with new font
families.
3. Using the font selection mechanism described in TUGboat 10.3,
p. 222 ff; a LaTeX interface to this will be part of version
2.10 of LaTeX, and is currently available. From
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) get the file
[anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-mainz]fontsel.readme for further
information, or ./pub/TEX/latexstyle/fontsel.zoo from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5). See question 22 if you don't
have ftp access. Some preliminary style options are available
from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.inputs.local].
The second problem is quickly disappearing since all recent DVI to
PostScript drivers have had adequate facilities. The third problem
can be solved by:
1. Changing TeX macros, etc., so that the Adobe font layouts are
expected.
2. Re-encoding the Adobe fonts in a PostScript prolog so that they
conform to TeX standards.
3. Using ``virtual fonts'' to perform the mapping between Adobe and
TeX layouts. Tomas Rokicki's dvips driver, version 5.02, (see
question 1) has examples of this.
A definitive statement on short names for Adobe fonts is expected soon.
Meanwhile, there is not much agreement on how to compress
Garamond-LightItalic into 8 characters.
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
troff - TROFF-TO-LATEX.TAR-Z is available via anonymous ftp from
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory
pd2:<unix-c.textproc>. This program, written by Kamal Al-Yahya
at Stanford, assists in the translation of a troff document into
LaTeX format. It recognizes most -ms and -man macros, plus most
eqn and some tbl preprocessor commands. Anything fancier than that
needs to be done by hand. Two style files are provided. There
is also a man page (which converts very well to LaTeX :-).
The program is copyrighted but free.
scribe - Mark James has a copy of scribe2latex which he has been
unable to test but which he will let anyone interested have.
Send email to mark@bdblues.altair.fr. The program was written
by Van Jacobson of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
wordperfect - wp2latex.zip is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in the directory ./mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a PC program written in Turbo Pascal by R. C. Houtepen at
the Eindhoven University in the Netherlands. It converts
WordPerfect 5.0 documents to LaTeX. Pascal source is included.
Users find it "helpful" and "decent" in spite of some limitations.
It gets high marks for handling font changes. Limitations include
no indices, table of contents, margins or graphics. It also won't
handle the new features of WordPerfect 5.1, in particular the
equation formatter. The program is copyrighted but free.
Glenn Geers of the University of Sydney (glenn@qed.physics.su.oz.au)
is translating wp2latex into C and adding some WordPerfect 5.1
features, in particular its equation handling. This is an ongoing
project; the most recent version can be retrieved via anonymous ftp
from suphys.physics.su.oz.au (129.78.129.1) in ./wp2latex. It is
also available by anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu
(134.173.4.23) in the directory
[anonymous.tex.ibm_pc.front_ends.wp2latex]. It was posted to
alt.sources on 8 August 1990.
PC-Write - pcwritex.arc is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in directory mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a print driver for PC-Write that "prints" a PC-Write V2.71
document to a TeX-compatible disk file. It was written by Peter
Flynn at University College, Cork, Ireland. It is public domain.
runoff - Peter Vanroose, of the University of Leuven, Belgium, has
written a RUNOFF-to-TeX conversion program in VMS Pascal. It is
available from comp.text archives (they do exist, don't they? The
program was submitted in December 1987) or from the author
(peter@dit.lth.se) or from Mark James (mark@bdblues.altair.fr).
refer/Tib - There are a few programs for converting bibliographic data
between BibTeX and refer/Tib formats. They are available via
anonymous ftp from wheaties.ai.mit.edu (128.52.32.13) in the
directory ./refer-to-bibtex. In spite of the directory name,
it also contains a program (or rather a shell script) to convert
BibTeX to REFER as well. This collection is maintained by Thomas M.
Breuel (tmb@ai.mit.edu).
In addition, a group at Ohio State University is working on a common
document format based on SGML. In theory any format could be
translated to or from this one. Also, Framemaker supposedly has
"import filters" to aid in the translation from alien formats
(presumably including TeX) to Framemaker; perhaps other desktop
publishing programs have similar things.
25) How do I get a file into the major style repositories?
Use anonymous ftp to fenris.claremont.edu (134.173.4.146) and transfer
the file into the directory ./pub/tex-incoming. Then send notification
to tex-group@hmcvax.claremont.edu. If the file is large, it's better
to send the note before transferring the file. From there it will
propagate to other inclusive archives.
26) Where can I get font Y?
A comprehensive list of METAFONT fonts is posted to Comp.fonts
about once every six weeks by Lee Quin (lee@sq.sq.com). It contains
both commercial fonts and fonts available via anonymous ftp. Most
of the fonts available via anonymous ftp are available from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23). Also, the file wujastyk.txh
on ymir.claremont.edu in [anonymous.tex.mf] is a copy of
Dominik Wujastyk's font article, and contains information on
METAFONT fonts as well.
Bobby Bodenheimer @hot.caltech.edu
// ARPA : bobby@hot.caltech.edu |
// BITNET: bobby@caltech.bitnet | Woof!
// UUCP : {amdahl,ames!elroy}!cit-vax!bobby | tomliew@itsgw.rpi.edu (Thomas Liew) (02/09/91)
In article <1991Feb4.200520.14494@nntp-server.caltech.edu> bobby@hot.caltech.edu (Bobby Bodenheimer) writes: >This article contains answers to some frequently asked questions on >comp.text.tex. Please don't ask these questions again, as they've been >answered many times before. > [ goodies removed ] >18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q? > PC - A TeX package for the PC, including LaTeX, BibTeX, previewers, > and drivers is available via anonymous ftp from > vax.eedsp.gatech.edu (130.207.226.2) in ./pub/TeX. The variety here > is sbtex version 30 by Wayne Sullivan. EmTeX, another TeX package > for the PC by Eberhard Mattes, is available via anonymous ftp from > ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.ibm_pc.emtex] and from > rusmv1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (129.69.1.12) > (user:ftp, password: guest) in ./soft/tex/emtex. This package > includes LaTeX, METAFONT, BibTeX, etc., as well. Documentation is > available in both German and English. > >Bobby Bodenheimer @hot.caltech.edu >// ARPA : bobby@hot.caltech.edu | >// BITNET: bobby@caltech.bitnet | Woof! >// UUCP : {amdahl,ames!elroy}!cit-vax!bobby | I just ftp'ed the Stuttgart site for EmTeX. Looks like there are some changes going on. I cd'ed into /soft/tex/ but could not find the emtex directory. Latter I found it in /soft/texold (if I remembered correctly, but that "old" phrase I am certain.) Perhaps an update is eminent ?. Is the one at ymir the latest ? Am I right to say that the Stuttgart site should have the latest? -- Thomas Liew Internet : tomliew@itsgw.rpi.edu Physics Dept. RPI Bitnet : fhv1@rpitsmts Troy, NY12180 *******************************************************************
bobby@hot.caltech.edu (Bobby Bodenheimer) (03/02/91)
This article contains answers to some frequently asked questions on
comp.text.tex. Please don't ask these questions again, as they've been
answered many times before.
This is version 1.13 for March, last changed 3/1/91.
This article includes answers to:
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it (TeX for the Mac)?
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous
ftp?
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
25) How do I get a file into the major style repositories?
26) Where can I get font Y?
27) Where can I get a dvi driver for the HP LaserJet?
If you are looking for the answer to, for instance, question 17, and wish
to skip everything else, you can search ahead for the regular expression
"^17)"
These are all legitimate questions, but they seem to appear too
frequently for long-time readers of the list.
Many of the answers below tell you that you can obtain something
through anonymous ftp. Remember that anonymous ftp is a privilege
and that the system administrators for these sites have made these
files available out of their own generosity. Therefore please restrict
your ftp'ing to non-prime hours at the various sites. Also note that
Raymond Chen (raymond@math.berkeley.edu) posts a monthly document
"Supplementary TeX Information" to this newsgroup which contains other
information and software relevant to TeX users but beyond the scope of
this article. A LaTeX version of this article is available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.documentation] and from the other inclusive archives.
The most recent version should be available no later than a week
from the date of this posting.
I would like to acknowledge Don Hosek, Ken Yap, Tomas Rokicki, and
Micah Beck, whose postings provided many of the answers. Joe Weening,
Hal Perkins, Walter Carlip, Max Hailpern, Tad Guy, Raymond Chen, Henning
Schulzrinne, Sebastian Rahtz, Mark James, Peter Galko, and Mike Ernst
provided additional material and criticisms. The format of this
document is based on that of the Frequently Asked Questions appearing in
comp.unix.wizards, and written by Steve Hayman. Any mistakes are mine.
Corrections, suggestions, and additions to bobby@hot.caltech.edu.
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
Four very nice DVI to PostScript conversion programs that run
under Unix are:
dvitps - part of the TeXPS package by Stephan Bectolsheim.
Available via anonymous ftp from arthur.cs.purdue.edu
(128.10.2.1) in ./pub/TeXPS.
dvi3ps - by Kevin Coombes. Available via anonymous ftp
from tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (128.146.8.60) in
./pub/dvi3ps.tar.Z
dvips - by Tomas Rokicki. This driver is very nice and
has the ability to deal with virtual fonts. Available
via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47)
in ./pub. Dvips ports easily to other operating systems.
It is available for VMS via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.drivers.dvips_new]
and also through the DECUS library (see question 22). A
precompiled version for MSDOS is available from
monu1.cc.monash.edu.au (130.194.1.101) in ./pub/dvips54.zip
or from shape.mps.ohio-state.edu (128.146.7.200) in
./pub/msdos/dvips/dvips54.zip. If you wish to use postscript
fonts, get dvipslib.zip as well.
dvitops - by James Clark. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvitops.tar.Z
and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.drivers.dvitops]. Dvitops will compile under
Unix, MSDOS, VMS, and Primos.
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
Perhaps the best way to do this is to use the psfig macros written
by Trevor Darrell. They are available via anonymous ftp from
whitechapel.media.mit.edu (18.85.0.125) in ./psfig or
linc.cis.upenn.edu (130.91.6.8) in the directory ./dist/psfig. You
will also need a dvi to PostScript conversion program that supports
\specials. The ones mentioned in question 1 do, and the first two
drivers come with a version of psfig ready to use with them. The psfig
macros work best with Encapsulated PostScript Files (EPS). In
particular, psfig will need the file to have a BoundingBox (see
Appendix C of the _PostScript Language Reference Manual_). If you
don't have an EPS file, life can be difficult. For people who don't
have ftp access or can't deal with tar files, the files are also
available from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.graphics.psfig].
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
This briefly lists some previewers which are available via anonymous
ftp:
dvipage - For SunView. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvipages.tar.Z.
xtex - For X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
foobar.colorado.edu (128.138.243.105) in
./pub/SeeTeX/SeeTeX/SeeTeX-2.17.x.tar.Z.
dviapollo- for Apollo Domain. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviapollo.tar.Z.
dviis - For Integrated Systems. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviis.tar.Z.
dvidis - For VAXstation VWS. Available via anonymous ftp from
venus.ycc.yale.edu (130.132.1.5) in [.dvidis] (VMS machine).
xdvi - Also for X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
expo.lcs.mit.edu in ./contrib/xdvi.shar.Z.
dvitovdu - for Tektronix 4010 and other terminals under Unix.
Available via anonymous ftp from wsmr-simtel20.army.mil
(26.2.0.74) in the directory pd2:<unix-c.printers> as
dvi2vdu.tar-z (ftp in "tenex" mode). A C version is also
available from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.drivers.dvitovdu_c_1].
dvi2tty - A dvi to ASCII conversion program, for normal terminals.
Available from sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in
./pub/TEX/DVI/dvi2tty.shar. I could not get this program
to run on a Sun running SunOS 4.1.
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
The PiCTeX manual is not free. It is available for $30 ($35 with the
disk) from the TeX Users Group:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
The proceeds from this sale go to Michael Wichura, the author of PiCTeX,
and TUG.
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
VorTeX is a package of programs written at the University of California.
It includes several nice previewers and some Emacs modes for TeX and
BibTeX. It is not free. Inquiries should be directed to
vortex@ucbarpa.berkeley.edu or
Professor Michael A. Harrison
Att. Vortex Dist.
Computer Science Division
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it (TeX for the Mac)?
OzTeX is a public domain version of TeX for the Macintosh. A DVI
Previewer and PostScript driver are also included. It should run on
any Macintosh Plus, SE, II, or newer model, but will not work on a
128K or 512K Mac. It was written by Andrew Trevorrow, and is available
via anonymous ftp from from midway.uchicago.edu (128.135.12.73) in
./pub/OzTeX, which contains other public domain TeX-related software
for the Mac as well. Questions about OzTeX may be directed to
oztex@midway.uchicago.edu.
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
Fig is a menu driven tool similar to MacDraw that allows you to
draw objects on the screen of a Sun Workstation running SunView.
TransFig is a set of tools which translate the code fig produces
to other graphics languages including PostScript and the LaTeX
picture environment. Both are available via anonymous ftp from
svax.cs.cornell.edu (128.84.254.2) in ./pub/fig. Both Fig and
TransFig are also available from the Clarkson archive server at
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19). Both Fig and TransFig
are supported by Micah Beck (beck@svax.cs.cornell.edu).
XFig is essentially the same program except that it runs under
X Windows. It is available via anonymous ftp from expo.lcs.mit.edu
(18.30.0.212) in ./contrib/xfig-2.0.*.Z. Note that version 2.0 is
the most recent. It was written by Brian Smith.
For complete compatibility with TransFig, be sure to get at least
patchlevel 4 of XFig 2.0.
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
There is a version of WEB for C called CWEB written by Silvio Levy. It
is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu (128.112.128.1) in
the directory ./pub/cweb.
There is a version of WEB called Spidery WEB which supports many
languages including ADA, awk, and C. It was written by Norman Ramsey
and, while not in the public domain, is usable free for research
purposes. It is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu in
./pub/spiderweb.tar.Z.
There is a version of WEB called FWEB for Fortran, Ratfor, and C
written by John Krommes (krommes@lyman.pppl.gov). Version 1.13 is
available via anonymous ftp from lyman.pppl.gov (192.55.106.129)
in ./pub/fweb.
SchemeWEB is a Unix filter that translates SchemeWEB into LaTeX source
or Scheme source. It was written by John Ramsdell and is available from
the Clarkson archive (see question 19) in ./submit/schemeweb.sh.
All of the above are also available from ymir.claremont.edu
(134.173.4.23) in [anonymous.tex.utilities].
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
A package called MuTeX, written by Andrea Steinbach and Angelika
Schofer, aids in doing this. It is available via anonymous ftp from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in pub/TEX/mtex.tar.Z and from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [anonymous.tex.music.mtex].
This package allows you to typeset single-staff music and lyrics.
A more powerful package which allows the typesetting of orchestral
and polyphonic music is MusicTeX, written by Daniel Taupin. It is
also available from ymir.claremont.edu in
[anonymous.tex.music.musictex].
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
TUG is the TeX User's Group. TUGboat is their newsletter, which
publishes useful articles about TeX and METAFONT. Inquiries should
be directed to:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
Use the afm2tfm program distributed with dvips, available via
anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in ./pub.
For the Macintosh, there is a program called EdMetrics which does
the job (and more). It is available free from:
Blue Sky Research
534 Southwest Third Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97204 (USA)
800-622-8398 or 503-222-9571
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
One way is to change the value of \baselinestretch to 2 or 1.5 with
the command \renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{2}. A better way is to
use the doublespace style file doublespace.sty in ./pub/tex/latex-style
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19), or, if you are using
the new font selection scheme, get the doublespace.sty from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-contrib].
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
A good way to do this is to use Rainer Schoepf's verbatim.sty,
which provides the command \verbatiminput that takes a file
as an argument. This file is available from both the Aston archive
(see question 22) and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23). Several
files are needed. From ymir.claremont.edu, get the file
[tex.inputs.latex-mainz]verbatim.readme to find out what other
files you will need.
Another way to do this is to use the alltt environment defined in
the style file alltt.sty available in ./pub/tex/latex-style from
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
If you can't figure out how to do something in LaTeX after you
have read the manual very carefully, asked your local LaTeX
guru, and thought about it, there is a LaTeX help service
available. Please note that the way to accomplish something
in LaTeX is often by using an appropriate style file, so please
check this also (see question 15). If none of this works, send mail
describing your problem to latex-help@cs.stanford.edu. If you haven't
gotten a reply to your problem within about a week, send mail
to latex-help-coordinator@cs.stanford.edu.
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
Before you ask for a LaTeX style file to do something, please check
the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu, either through
the archive server or via anonymous ftp (see question 19). It should
be noted that the basic LaTeX style files are available from
labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47), and that the Clarkson archive
contains only supplementary style files.
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
Making an index is not trivial. There are several indexing programs
which aid in doing this. Some are:
makeindex - for LaTeX under Unix (but runs under other OS's
without changes). Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23, VMS) in the directory
[.tex.utilities.makeindex]. A version for the Macintosh is
available from Johnny Tolliver at
tolliver%atf.mfenet@nmfecc.llnl.gov.
idxtex - for LaTeX under VMS. Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu in the directory [.tex.utilities.idxtex].
texix - for TeX on CMS and Macintosh machines. Available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu in the directory
[.tex.utilities.texix].
indexor - for LaTeX under Unix, VMS, and DOS. Available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu in [.tex.utilities.indexor].
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
METAFONT allows you to create your own fonts, and ordinary TeX users
will never need to use it. METAFONT, unlike TeX, requires some
customization. Each output device for which you will be generating
fonts needs a mode associated with it. Modes are defined using the
mode_def convention described on page 94 of _The METAFONTbook_. So
first create a file, which we will call local.mf, containing all the
mode_defs you will be using. The file waits.mf (in the standard
distribution or available via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu
(36.8.0.47) in ./lib) is a good starting point for this. Listings of
settings for various output devices are also published periodically
in TUGboat (see question 10). Now create a plain base file using
inimf, plain.mf, and local.mf:
% inimf
This is METAFONT....
**plain # you type plain
(output)
*input local # you type this
(output)
*dump # you type this
Beginning to dump on file plain....
(output)
%
This should create a base file named plain.base (or something close)
and should be moved to the directory which contains the base files on
your system.
Now we need to make sure that METAFONT loads this base when it starts
up. If METAFONT loads the plain base by default on your system, then
you're ready to go. Under Unix, we might, for instance define a
command mf which executes "virmf &plain," loading the plain base
file.
The usual way to create a font with plain METAFONT is to then start
it with the line
\mode=<mode name>; mag=<magnification>; input <font file name>
in response to the * prompt or on the METAFONT command line. If
<mode name> is unknown or omitted, then the mode defaults to proof
mode. If this has happened METAFONT will produce an output file
called <font file name>.2602gf. The <magnification> is a floating
point number or magstep (magsteps are defined in _The METAFONTbook_
and _The TeXbook_). If mag=<magnification> is omitted, then the
default is 1. For example, to generate cmr10 at 12pt for an epson
printer you would type
mf \mode=epson; mag=1.2; input cmr10
Note that under Unix the '\' and ';' characters must usually be
escaped, so that this would typically look something like
mf \\mode=epson\; mag=1.2\; input cmr10
If you don't have inimf or need a special mode that isn't in the
base, you can put its commands in a file (e.g., ln03.mf) and invoke
it on the fly with the \smode command. For example, to create
ln03.300gf for an LN03 printer, using the file
% This is ln03.mf as of 2/27/90
% mode_def courtesy of John Sauter
proofing:=0;
fontmaking:=1;
tracingtitles:=0;
pixels_per_inch:=300;
blacker:=0.65;
fillin:=-0.1;
o_correction:=.5;
(note the absence of the mode_def and enddef commands), we would type
mf \smode="ln03"; input cmr10
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
Unix - The Unix TeX distribution is available for anonymous
ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in the directory
./tex/unix. It is large, so please be sure to observe proper
ftp etiquette when getting it. It is also available through
the University of Washington, for a small fee. Contact:
Director
Northwest Computing Support Center
Thomson Hall, Mail Stop DR-10
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195 (USA)
(206)543-6259
or send electronic mail to Elizabeth Tachikawa at
elisabet@max.u.washington.edu (note the "s"). The fee charged
for getting the TeX distribution through the University of
Washington helps fund the further development of Unix TeX, so
it's a good idea to order it this way. This distribution compiles
under Ultrix. Executables for the 386/ix are available via
anonymous ftp from tik.vtt.fi (130.188.52.2) in
./pub/tex/bin-386ix and from math.berkeley.edu (128.32.183.94)
in ./pub/tex386ix.tar.Z.
PC - A TeX package for the PC, including LaTeX, BibTeX, previewers,
and drivers is available via anonymous ftp from
vax.eedsp.gatech.edu (130.207.226.2) in ./pub/TeX. The variety here
is sbtex version 30 by Wayne Sullivan. EmTeX, another TeX package
for the PC by Eberhard Mattes, is available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.ibm_pc.emtex] and from
rusmv1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (129.69.1.12) in ./soft/texold/emtex
(although this may be an older version than the one at ymir). This
package includes LaTeX, METAFONT, BibTeX, etc., as well.
Documentation is available in both German and English.
All Public Domain TeX software for the PC is also available
through
Jon Radel
P. O. Box 2276
Reston, VA 22090
jonradel@phoenix.princeton.edu
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope with 10 sheets of paper
or $2.00 to obtain information on what's available.
Mac - see question 6 for a public domain version.
TOPS-20 - TeX was originally written on a DEC-10 under WAITS, and so
was easily ported to TOPS-20. A Distribution that runs on TOPS-20
is available via anonymous ftp from science.utah.edu
(128.110.198.2) in ./pub/tex/pub/web.
VAX/VMS - VMS executables are available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.exe]. Source is
available in [.tex.sources]. Version 3.1 is available in
[.tex.sources.tex3_1]. Ymir has a mailserver for those without
ftp access, although executables are not available through it.
Send a message containing the line "help" to
mailserv@ymir.claremont.edu. Standard tape distribution is
through DECUS or Maria Code.
Atari - TeX is available for the Atari ST from dsrgsun.ces.cwru.edu
(129.22.16.2) in ./pub/atari/StTeX and from atari.archive.umich.edu
(141.211.164.8) in ./atari/tex. If anonymous ftp is not available
to you, send a message containing the line "help" to
atari@atari.archive.umich.edu. The mail server can uuencode
binary files. Another version can be obtained via anonymous
ftp from ifi.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de (129.69.211.1) in
./pub/atari.st/tex.
Amiga - Disk 1 of the Amiga CommonTeX distribution is available
via anonymous ftp from ab20.larc.nasa.gov (128.155.23.64)
in ./amiga/commontex.lzh. The file copying.tex in the
distribution contains information on how to obtain the other
disks. Also, experimental versions of TeX 3.1 and METAFONT 2.7
are available in ./incoming/amiga/TEX.
Tandy 6000 - First get web2c-5.8a and web-5.8a from ics.uci.edu
(128.195.1.1) in ./TeX and then apply the diffs available
and plains.ndsu.nodak.edu (134.129.111.64) in
./pub/tandy/programing and build. This builds TeX 3.1 and
METAFONT 2.7.
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
The Clarkson archive server is a program that allows you to
retrieve files via electronic mail. So it provides a way of
getting many neat things if you don't have anonymous ftp. To
get the archive server to do something you should send a message
to archive-server@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (128.153.12.3). To get
started using it, send the archive server a one line message
"help" (case is unimportant). It will send you back a file
describing how to use it more fully.
In particular, the Clarkson archive contains, among other things,
a repository for LaTeX style files, AMSTeX macros and style
files, BibTeX style files, PiCTeX source (not the manual, see
question 4), back issues of TeXhax and TeXMaG, files from
TUGboat, and source to TeX, LaTeX, WEB, and various utilities.
The archive is maintained by Michael DeCorte.
If anonymous ftp is available to you, you may get the files directly
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
If you have problems, contact archive-management@sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
Ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) is also a TeX repository with lots
of other stuff as well. It can be reached with anonymous ftp and
also has a mailing program for people without anonymous ftp. See
question 22 for more information.
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
Thesis styles are usually very specific to your University, so it's
usually not profitable to ask the whole newsgroup for one. If you
want to write your own, a good place to start is the ucthesis style
available in the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu
(see question 19).
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
These symbols are known as "blackboard bold" and are available in
the recently released AMS fonts "msam" (e.g., "msam10" for 10pt)
and "msbm". They replace the older "msxm" and "msym." The fonts
have a large number of mathematical symbols to supplement the ones
provided by TeX. The fonts are available via anonymous ftp from
e-math.ams.com (130.44.1.100) in the directory ./ams/amsfonts.
Two files which load the fonts and define the symbols are provided,
and both work with either TeX or LaTeX. Additionally a replacement
for the old amssymbols.sty file using the new fonts was posted
by Tony Li on August 13, 1990, but does not seem to have made it
into the major style repositories. Questions or suggestions
regarding these fonts should be directed to
tech-support@math.ams.com.
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous ftp?
There are several mail servers available, i.e., programs that will
send you files via electronic mail. Some are:
- The mail server at Clarkson (see question 19), if you can send
mail to the United States.
- Also in the US, the mail server at ymir.claremont.edu has access
to all the TeX-related material there. This site has a lot of the
PD TeX software, and even if it's not explicitly stated, much
of the software mentioned in this document is available there.
Unfortunately, executables are not available through the mail
server. Send a message containing the line "help" to
MAILSERV@ymir.claremont.edu.
- In the United Kingdom, you can get TeX-related material from the
UK TeX archive at the University of Aston. (FTP access is also
available for people on JANET:
Site uk.ac.tex
Username public
Password public
Top Level tex-archive
A known file is [tex-archive]000directory.list.) For electronic
mail access, send a message to texserver@uk.ac.tex. The
first non-blank line of the message must contain a valid
TeXserver command (help, directory, files, whereis, search, or
path). The program will then mail you a response notifying you
that your request has been received. If you fail to get a response
from the TeXserver, you may need to use the path command to
help the program out. For Internet users the return address is
of the form name%site@nsfnet-relay, while for Bitnet and EARN
it is name%site@earn-relay (i.e., include a line that says
"path name%site@nsfnet-relay along with a line containing "help").
Note that the old three hyphen format is obsolete, but still
accepted by the program for backward compatibility.
- sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) also contains a substantial TeX
archive (ftp access is available). Send a messages containing
the line "help" to mail-server@cs.ruu.nl. This mail server
can send binary files in a variety of different formats.
- There are LISTSERV facilities for TeX at LISTSERV@DHDURZ1.BITNET.
Send a message containing the line "help" to this address.
- For users on BITNET, access to anonymous ftp for some files can
be obtained indirectly by sending mail to BITFTP@PUCC.BITNET.
Send a message containing the line "help" to this address for
more information.
There is also the DECUS TeX collection, a collection of TeX material
for VMS, Unix, MS-DOS, and the Macintosh. It can be obtained from
the DECUS Library (reference number VS0058) in the US, or through
your DECUS office outside of the US. To contact the DECUS Library,
send mail or call:
The DECUS Program Library
219 Boston Post Road BP02
Marlboro, MA 01752-1850
(508)480-3418
or send electronic mail to the DECUS TeX Collection Editor, Ted
Nieland, at decus_tex@nieland.dayton.oh.us.
Another good source of information is NETWORK SOURCES OF TeX WARE by
Peter Flynn which appeared in TeXhax, volume 90, issues 45-47 (in
May 1990).
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
There are at least four problems with replacing the standard Computer
Modern fonts used in LaTeX:
1. The fonts are defined in a long set of macros in lfonts.tex
which are not easy to understand and change;
2. You must have a device driver capable of understanding the idea
of fonts built into the printer (all the drivers referred to in
question 1 have this capability).
3. The default layout of the Adobe fonts is NOT the same as that for
the CMR fonts, so you will not get the right characters (ligatures
being a good example).
4. The official names of the PostScript fonts are long and in both
upper and lower cases. While this presents no problems for Unix,
it can cause problems with files under DOS, VMS, etc.
The first problem can be solved by one of:
1. Going through lfonts.tex and changing references to CMR to some
new font, e.g., times.
2. Overloading the definitions of \bf, \rm, etc., with new font
families.
3. Using the font selection mechanism described in TUGboat 10.3,
p. 222 ff; a LaTeX interface to this will be part of version
2.10 of LaTeX, and is currently available. From
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) get the file
[anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-mainz]fontsel.readme for further
information, or ./pub/TEX/latexstyle/fontsel.zoo from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5). See question 22 if you don't
have ftp access. Some preliminary style options are available
from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.inputs.local].
The second problem is quickly disappearing since all recent DVI to
PostScript drivers have had adequate facilities. The third problem
can be solved by:
1. Changing TeX macros, etc., so that the Adobe font layouts are
expected.
2. Re-encoding the Adobe fonts in a PostScript prolog so that they
conform to TeX standards.
3. Using ``virtual fonts'' to perform the mapping between Adobe and
TeX layouts. Tomas Rokicki's dvips driver (see question 1) has
examples of this.
A definitive statement on short names for Adobe fonts is expected soon.
Meanwhile, there is not much agreement on how to compress
Garamond-LightItalic into 8 characters.
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
troff - TROFF-TO-LATEX.TAR-Z is available via anonymous ftp from
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory
pd2:<unix-c.textproc>. This program, written by Kamal Al-Yahya
at Stanford, assists in the translation of a troff document into
LaTeX format. It recognizes most -ms and -man macros, plus most
eqn and some tbl preprocessor commands. Anything fancier than that
needs to be done by hand. Two style files are provided. There
is also a man page (which converts very well to LaTeX :-).
The program is copyrighted but free. The DECUS TeX distribution
(see question 22) also contains a program which converts troff to
TeX.
scribe - Mark James has a copy of scribe2latex which he has been
unable to test but which he will let anyone interested have.
Send email to mark@bdblues.altair.fr. The program was written
by Van Jacobson of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
wordperfect - wp2latex.zip is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in the directory ./mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a PC program written in Turbo Pascal by R. C. Houtepen at
the Eindhoven University in the Netherlands. It converts
WordPerfect 5.0 documents to LaTeX. Pascal source is included.
Users find it "helpful" and "decent" in spite of some limitations.
It gets high marks for handling font changes. Limitations include
no indices, table of contents, margins or graphics. It also won't
handle the new features of WordPerfect 5.1, in particular the
equation formatter. The program is copyrighted but free.
Glenn Geers of the University of Sydney (glenn@qed.physics.su.oz.au)
is translating wp2latex into C and adding some WordPerfect 5.1
features, in particular its equation handling. This is an ongoing
project; the most recent version can be retrieved via anonymous ftp
from suphys.physics.su.oz.au (129.78.129.1) in ./wp2latex. It is
also available by anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu
(134.173.4.23) in the directory
[anonymous.tex.ibm_pc.front_ends.wp2latex]. It was posted to
alt.sources on 8 August 1990.
PC-Write - pcwritex.arc is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in directory mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a print driver for PC-Write that "prints" a PC-Write V2.71
document to a TeX-compatible disk file. It was written by Peter
Flynn at University College, Cork, Ireland. It is public domain.
runoff - Peter Vanroose, of the University of Leuven, Belgium, has
written a RUNOFF-to-TeX conversion program in VMS Pascal. It is
available from comp.text archives (they do exist, don't they? The
program was submitted in December 1987) or from the author
(peter@dit.lth.se) or from Mark James (mark@bdblues.altair.fr).
refer/Tib - There are a few programs for converting bibliographic data
between BibTeX and refer/Tib formats. They are available via
anonymous ftp from wheaties.ai.mit.edu (128.52.32.13) in the
directory ./refer-to-bibtex. In spite of the directory name,
it also contains a shell script to convert BibTeX to REFER as
well. This collection is maintained by
Thomas M. Breuel (tmb@ai.mit.edu).
In addition, a group at Ohio State University is working on a common
document format based on SGML. In theory any format could be
translated to or from this one. Also, Framemaker supposedly has
"import filters" to aid in the translation from alien formats
(presumably including TeX) to Framemaker; perhaps other desktop
publishing programs have similar things.
25) How do I get a file into the major style repositories?
Use anonymous ftp to fenris.claremont.edu (134.173.4.146) and transfer
the file into the directory ./pub/tex-incoming. Then send notification
to tex-group@hmcvax.claremont.edu. If the file is large, it's better
to send the note before transferring the file. From there it will
propagate to other inclusive archives.
26) Where can I get font Y?
A comprehensive list of METAFONT fonts is posted to Comp.fonts
about once every six weeks by Lee Quin (lee@sq.sq.com). It contains
both commercial fonts and fonts available via anonymous ftp. Most
of the fonts available via anonymous ftp are available from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23). Also, the file wujastyk.txh
on ymir.claremont.edu in [anonymous.tex.mf] is a copy of
Dominik Wujastyk's font article, and contains information on
METAFONT fonts as well.
27) Where can I get a dvi driver for the HP LaserJet?
PC - The emtex package mentioned in question 18 contains a driver for
the LaserJet, dvihplj. The driver is available by itself from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.ibm_pc.drivers.emtex]
in the files dvidrv[123].zip.
Version 2.10 of the Beebe drivers support the LaserJet. These drivers
will compile under Unix, VMS, and on the Atari ST and DEC-20's. They
are available from science.utah.edu (128.110.198.2) in ./pub/tex/dvi
and from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[.tex.drivers.beebe2_10].
Bobby Bodenheimer @hot.caltech.edu
// ARPA : bobby@hot.caltech.edu |
// BITNET: bobby@caltech.bitnet | Woof!
// UUCP : {amdahl,ames!elroy}!cit-vax!bobby | dabg7181@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Butthole Surfers) (03/16/91)
(Also I'm a virgin article poster, so I apologize I've done something wrong.) =========================== I'm trying to typeset a Japanese translation of the Mathematica Book Version 2.0. I have JTeX 1.1 up and running and I have 300dpi japanese fonts. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions where I could get either PostScript japanese fonts or higher resolution japanese bitmaps (like 1270 dpi or something). I've heard of a place that has Postscript japanese fonts, but we're not interested in spending the thousands of dollars that they cost. Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Joe Kaiping Publications Dept. Wolfram Research, Inc. kaiping@wri.com (217)-398-0700 P.S. Special thanks to Dan Brown, Russian translator extraordinaire, for posting this for me. We are having trouble posting articles from our site, but we can read them. Kinda gives me the feeling of being mute.
bobby@hot.caltech.edu (Bobby Bodenheimer) (04/01/91)
This article contains answers to some frequently asked questions on
comp.text.tex. Please don't ask these questions again, as they've been
answered many times before.
This is version 1.14 for April, last changed 4/1/91.
This article includes answers to:
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it (TeX for the Mac)?
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous
ftp?
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
25) How do I get a file into the major style repositories?
26) Where can I get font Y?
27) Where can I get a dvi driver for the HP LaserJet?
28) TeX and LaTeX are hyphenating words weirdly. What can I do?
29) How can I convert a TeX or LaTeX file into a plain ASCII file,
with all the formatting intact, a la nroff?
If you are looking for the answer to, for instance, question 17, and wish
to skip everything else, you can search ahead for the regular expression
"^17)"
These are all legitimate questions, but they seem to appear too
frequently for long-time readers of the list.
Many of the answers below tell you that you can obtain something
through anonymous ftp. Remember that anonymous ftp is a privilege
and that the system administrators for these sites have made these
files available out of their own generosity. Therefore please restrict
your ftp'ing to non-prime hours at the various sites. Also note that
Raymond Chen (raymond@math.berkeley.edu) posts a monthly document
"Supplementary TeX Information" to this newsgroup which contains other
information and software relevant to TeX users but beyond the scope of
this article. A LaTeX version of this article is available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.documentation] and from the other inclusive archives.
The most recent version should be available no later than a week
from the date of this posting.
I would like to acknowledge Don Hosek, Ken Yap, Tomas Rokicki, and
Micah Beck, whose postings provided many of the answers. Joe Weening,
Hal Perkins, Walter Carlip, Max Hailpern, Tad Guy, Raymond Chen, Henning
Schulzrinne, Sebastian Rahtz, Mark James, Peter Galko, and Mike Ernst
provided additional material and criticisms. The format of this
document is based on that of the Frequently Asked Questions appearing in
comp.unix.wizards, and written by Steve Hayman. Any mistakes are mine.
Corrections, suggestions, and additions to bobby@hot.caltech.edu.
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
Four very nice DVI to PostScript conversion programs that run
under Unix are:
dvitps - part of the TeXPS package by Stephan Bectolsheim.
Available via anonymous ftp from arthur.cs.purdue.edu
(128.10.2.1) in ./pub/TeXPS.
dvi3ps - by Kevin Coombes. Available via anonymous ftp
from tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (128.146.8.60) in
./pub/dvi3ps.tar.Z
dvips - by Tomas Rokicki. This driver is very nice and
has the ability to deal with virtual fonts. Available
via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47)
in ./pub. Dvips ports easily to other operating systems.
It is available for VMS via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.drivers.dvips_new]
and also through the DECUS library (see question 22). A
precompiled version for MSDOS is available from
monu1.cc.monash.edu.au (130.194.1.101) in ./pub/dvips54.zip
or from shape.mps.ohio-state.edu (128.146.7.200) in
./pub/msdos/dvips/dvips54.zip. If you wish to use postscript
fonts, get dvipslib.zip as well.
dvitops - by James Clark. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvitops.tar.Z
and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.drivers.dvitops]. Dvitops will compile under
Unix, MSDOS, VMS, and Primos.
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
Perhaps the best way to do this is to use the psfig macros written
by Trevor Darrell. They are available via anonymous ftp from
whitechapel.media.mit.edu (18.85.0.125) in ./psfig or
linc.cis.upenn.edu (130.91.6.8) in the directory ./dist/psfig. You
will also need a dvi to PostScript conversion program that supports
\specials. The ones mentioned in question 1 do, and the first two
drivers come with a version of psfig ready to use with them. The psfig
macros work best with Encapsulated PostScript Files (EPS). In
particular, psfig will need the file to have a BoundingBox (see
Appendix C of the _PostScript Language Reference Manual_). If you
don't have an EPS file, life can be difficult. For people who don't
have ftp access or can't deal with tar files, the files are also
available from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.graphics.psfig].
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
This briefly lists some previewers which are available via anonymous
ftp:
dvipage - For SunView. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvipages.tar.Z.
xtex - For X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
foobar.colorado.edu (128.138.243.105) in
./pub/SeeTeX/SeeTeX/SeeTeX-2.17.x.tar.Z.
dviapollo- for Apollo Domain. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviapollo.tar.Z.
dviis - For Integrated Systems. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviis.tar.Z.
dvidis - For VAXstation VWS. Available via anonymous ftp from
venus.ycc.yale.edu (130.132.1.5) in [.dvidis] (VMS machine).
xdvi - Also for X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
export.lcs.mit.edu (18.30.0.238) in ./contrib/xdvi.shar.Z.
dvitovdu - for Tektronix 4010 and other terminals under Unix.
Available via anonymous ftp from wsmr-simtel20.army.mil
(26.2.0.74) in the directory pd2:<unix-c.printers> as
dvi2vdu.tar-z (ftp in "tenex" mode). A C version is also
available from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.drivers.dvitovdu_c_1].
dvi2tty - A dvi to ASCII conversion program, for normal terminals.
Available from sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in
./pub/TEX/DVI/dvi2tty.shar. I could not get this program
to run on a Sun running SunOS 4.1.
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
The PiCTeX manual is not free. It is available for $30 ($35 with the
disk) from the TeX Users Group:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
The proceeds from this sale go to Michael Wichura, the author of PiCTeX,
and TUG.
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
VorTeX is a package of programs written at the University of California.
It includes several nice previewers and some Emacs modes for TeX and
BibTeX. It is not free. Inquiries should be directed to
vortex@ucbarpa.berkeley.edu or
Professor Michael A. Harrison
Att. Vortex Dist.
Computer Science Division
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it (TeX for the Mac)?
OzTeX is a public domain version of TeX for the Macintosh. A DVI
Previewer and PostScript driver are also included. It should run on
any Macintosh Plus, SE, II, or newer model, but will not work on a
128K or 512K Mac. It was written by Andrew Trevorrow, and is available
via anonymous ftp from from midway.uchicago.edu (128.135.12.73) in
./pub/OzTeX, which contains other public domain TeX-related software
for the Mac as well. Questions about OzTeX may be directed to
oztex@midway.uchicago.edu.
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
Fig is a menu driven tool similar to MacDraw that allows you to
draw objects on the screen of a Sun Workstation running SunView.
TransFig is a set of tools which translate the code fig produces
to other graphics languages including PostScript and the LaTeX
picture environment. Both are available via anonymous ftp from
svax.cs.cornell.edu (128.84.254.2) in ./pub/fig. Both Fig and
TransFig are also available from the Clarkson archive server at
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19). Both Fig and TransFig
are supported by Micah Beck (beck@svax.cs.cornell.edu).
XFig is essentially the same program except that it runs under
X Windows. It is available via anonymous ftp from export.lcs.mit.edu
(18.30.0.238) in ./contrib/xfig-2.0.*.Z. Note that version 2.0 is
the most recent. It was written by Brian Smith.
For complete compatibility with TransFig, be sure to get at least
patchlevel 4 of XFig 2.0.
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
There is a version of WEB for C called CWEB written by Silvio Levy. It
is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu (128.112.128.1) in
the directory ./pub/cweb.
There is a version of WEB called Spidery WEB which supports many
languages including ADA, awk, and C. It was written by Norman Ramsey
and, while not in the public domain, is usable free for research
purposes. It is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu in
./pub/spiderweb.tar.Z.
There is a version of WEB called FWEB for Fortran, Ratfor, and C
written by John Krommes (krommes@lyman.pppl.gov). Version 1.13 is
available via anonymous ftp from lyman.pppl.gov (192.55.106.129)
in ./pub/fweb.
SchemeWEB is a Unix filter that translates SchemeWEB into LaTeX source
or Scheme source. It was written by John Ramsdell and is available from
the Clarkson archive (see question 19) in ./submit/schemeweb.sh.
All of the above are also available from ymir.claremont.edu
(134.173.4.23) in [anonymous.tex.utilities].
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
A package called MuTeX, written by Andrea Steinbach and Angelika
Schofer, aids in doing this. It is available via anonymous ftp from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in pub/TEX/mtex.tar.Z and from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [anonymous.tex.music.mtex].
This package allows you to typeset single-staff music and lyrics.
A more powerful package which allows the typesetting of orchestral
and polyphonic music is MusicTeX, written by Daniel Taupin. It is
also available from ymir.claremont.edu in
[anonymous.tex.music.musictex].
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
TUG is the TeX User's Group. TUGboat is their newsletter, which
publishes useful articles about TeX and METAFONT. Inquiries should
be directed to:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
Use the afm2tfm program distributed with dvips, available via
anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in ./pub.
For the Macintosh, there is a program called EdMetrics which does
the job (and more). It is available free from:
Blue Sky Research
534 Southwest Third Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97204 (USA)
800-622-8398 or 503-222-9571
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
One way is to change the value of \baselinestretch to 2 or 1.5 with
the command \renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{2}. A better way is to
use the doublespace style file doublespace.sty in ./pub/tex/latex-style
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19), or, if you are using
the new font selection scheme, get the doublespace.sty from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-contrib].
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
A good way to do this is to use Rainer Schoepf's verbatim.sty,
which provides the command \verbatiminput that takes a file
as an argument. This file is available from both the Aston archive
(see question 22) and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23). Several
files are needed. From ymir.claremont.edu, get the file
[tex.inputs.latex-mainz]verbatim.readme to find out what other
files you will need.
Another way to do this is to use the alltt environment defined in
the style file alltt.sty available in ./pub/tex/latex-style from
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
If you can't figure out how to do something in LaTeX after you
have read the manual very carefully, asked your local LaTeX
guru, and thought about it, there is a LaTeX help service
available. Please note that the way to accomplish something
in LaTeX is often by using an appropriate style file, so please
check this also (see question 15). If none of this works, send mail
describing your problem to latex-help@cs.stanford.edu. If you haven't
gotten a reply to your problem within about a week, send mail
to latex-help-coordinator@cs.stanford.edu.
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
Before you ask for a LaTeX style file to do something, please check
the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu, either through
the archive server or via anonymous ftp (see question 19). It should
be noted that the basic LaTeX style files are available from
labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47), and that the Clarkson archive
contains only supplementary style files.
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
Making an index is not trivial. There are several indexing programs
which aid in doing this. Some are:
makeindex - for LaTeX under Unix (but runs under other OS's
without changes). Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23, VMS) in the directory
[.tex.utilities.makeindex]. A version for the Macintosh is
available from Johnny Tolliver at
tolliver%atf.mfenet@nmfecc.llnl.gov.
idxtex - for LaTeX under VMS. Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu in the directory [.tex.utilities.idxtex].
texix - for TeX on CMS and Macintosh machines. Available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu in the directory
[.tex.utilities.texix].
indexor - for LaTeX under Unix, VMS, and DOS. Available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu in [.tex.utilities.indexor].
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
METAFONT allows you to create your own fonts, and ordinary TeX users
will never need to use it. METAFONT, unlike TeX, requires some
customization. Each output device for which you will be generating
fonts needs a mode associated with it. Modes are defined using the
mode_def convention described on page 94 of _The METAFONTbook_. So
first create a file, which we will call local.mf, containing all the
mode_defs you will be using. The file waits.mf (in the standard
distribution or available via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu
(36.8.0.47) in ./lib) is a good starting point for this. Listings of
settings for various output devices are also published periodically
in TUGboat (see question 10). Now create a plain base file using
inimf, plain.mf, and local.mf:
% inimf
This is METAFONT....
**plain # you type plain
(output)
*input local # you type this
(output)
*dump # you type this
Beginning to dump on file plain....
(output)
%
This should create a base file named plain.base (or something close)
and should be moved to the directory which contains the base files on
your system.
Now we need to make sure that METAFONT loads this base when it starts
up. If METAFONT loads the plain base by default on your system, then
you're ready to go. Under Unix, we might, for instance define a
command mf which executes "virmf &plain," loading the plain base
file.
The usual way to create a font with plain METAFONT is to then start
it with the line
\mode=<mode name>; mag=<magnification>; input <font file name>
in response to the * prompt or on the METAFONT command line. If
<mode name> is unknown or omitted, then the mode defaults to proof
mode. If this has happened METAFONT will produce an output file
called <font file name>.2602gf. The <magnification> is a floating
point number or magstep (magsteps are defined in _The METAFONTbook_
and _The TeXbook_). If mag=<magnification> is omitted, then the
default is 1. For example, to generate cmr10 at 12pt for an epson
printer you would type
mf \mode=epson; mag=1.2; input cmr10
Note that under Unix the '\' and ';' characters must usually be
escaped, so that this would typically look something like
mf \\mode=epson\; mag=1.2\; input cmr10
If you don't have inimf or need a special mode that isn't in the
base, you can put its commands in a file (e.g., ln03.mf) and invoke
it on the fly with the \smode command. For example, to create
ln03.300gf for an LN03 printer, using the file
% This is ln03.mf as of 2/27/90
% mode_def courtesy of John Sauter
proofing:=0;
fontmaking:=1;
tracingtitles:=0;
pixels_per_inch:=300;
blacker:=0.65;
fillin:=-0.1;
o_correction:=.5;
(note the absence of the mode_def and enddef commands), we would type
mf \smode="ln03"; input cmr10
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
Unix - The Unix TeX distribution is available for anonymous
ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in the directory
./tex/unix. It is large, so please be sure to observe proper
ftp etiquette when getting it. It is also available through
the University of Washington, for a small fee. Contact:
Director
Northwest Computing Support Center
Thomson Hall, Mail Stop DR-10
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195 (USA)
(206)543-6259
or send electronic mail to Elizabeth Tachikawa at
elisabet@max.u.washington.edu (note the "s"). The fee charged
for getting the TeX distribution through the University of
Washington helps fund the further development of Unix TeX, so
it's a good idea to order it this way. This distribution compiles
under Ultrix. Executables for the 386/ix are available via
anonymous ftp from tik.vtt.fi (130.188.52.2) in
./pub/tex/bin-386ix and from math.berkeley.edu (128.32.183.94)
in ./pub/tex386ix.tar.Z.
PC - A TeX package for the PC, including LaTeX, BibTeX, previewers,
and drivers is available via anonymous ftp from
vax.eedsp.gatech.edu (130.207.226.2) in ./pub/TeX. The variety here
is sbtex version 30 by Wayne Sullivan. EmTeX, another TeX package
for the PC by Eberhard Mattes, is available via anonymous ftp from
rusmv1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (129.69.1.12) in
./soft/tex/machines/pc/emtex and also from ymir.claremont.edu
(134.173.4.23) in [.tex.ibm_pc.emtex]. This package includes
LaTeX, METAFONT, BibTeX, etc., as well. Documentation is available
in both German and English.
All Public Domain TeX software for the PC is also available
through
Jon Radel
P. O. Box 2276
Reston, VA 22090
jonradel@phoenix.princeton.edu
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope with 10 sheets of paper
or $2.00 to obtain information on what's available.
Mac - see question 6 for a public domain version.
TOPS-20 - TeX was originally written on a DEC-10 under WAITS, and so
was easily ported to TOPS-20. A Distribution that runs on TOPS-20
is available via anonymous ftp from science.utah.edu
(128.110.198.2) in ./pub/tex/pub/web.
VAX/VMS - VMS executables are available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.exe]. Source is
available in [.tex.sources]. Version 3.1 is available in
[.tex.sources.tex3_1]. Ymir has a mailserver for those without
ftp access, although executables are not available through it.
Send a message containing the line "help" to
mailserv@ymir.claremont.edu. Standard tape distribution is
through DECUS or Maria Code.
Atari - TeX is available for the Atari ST from dsrgsun.ces.cwru.edu
(129.22.16.2) in ./pub/atari/StTeX and from atari.archive.umich.edu
(141.211.164.8) in ./atari/tex. If anonymous ftp is not available
to you, send a message containing the line "help" to
atari@atari.archive.umich.edu. The mail server can uuencode
binary files. Another version can be obtained via anonymous
ftp from ifi.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de (129.69.211.1) in
./pub/atari.st/tex.
Amiga - Disk 1 of the Amiga CommonTeX distribution is available
via anonymous ftp from ab20.larc.nasa.gov (128.155.23.64)
in ./amiga/commontex.lzh. The file copying.tex in the
distribution contains information on how to obtain the other
disks. Also, experimental versions of TeX 3.1 and METAFONT 2.7
are available in ./incoming/amiga/TEX.
Tandy 6000 - First get web2c-5.8a and web-5.8a from ics.uci.edu
(128.195.1.1) in ./TeX and then apply the diffs available
and plains.ndsu.nodak.edu (134.129.111.64) in
./pub/tandy/programing and build. This builds TeX 3.1 and
METAFONT 2.7.
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
The Clarkson archive server is a program that allows you to
retrieve files via electronic mail. So it provides a way of
getting many neat things if you don't have anonymous ftp. To
get the archive server to do something you should send a message
to archive-server@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (128.153.12.3). To get
started using it, send the archive server a one line message
"help" (case is unimportant). It will send you back a file
describing how to use it more fully.
In particular, the Clarkson archive contains, among other things,
a repository for LaTeX style files, AMSTeX macros and style
files, BibTeX style files, PiCTeX source (not the manual, see
question 4), back issues of TeXhax and TeXMaG, files from
TUGboat, and source to TeX, LaTeX, WEB, and various utilities.
The archive is maintained by Michael DeCorte.
If anonymous ftp is available to you, you may get the files directly
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
If you have problems, contact archive-management@sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
Ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) is also a TeX repository with lots
of other stuff as well. It can be reached with anonymous ftp and
also has a mailing program for people without anonymous ftp. See
question 22 for more information.
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
Thesis styles are usually very specific to your University, so it's
usually not profitable to ask the whole newsgroup for one. If you
want to write your own, a good place to start is the ucthesis style
available in the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu
(see question 19).
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
These symbols are known as "blackboard bold" and are available in
the recently released AMS fonts "msam" (e.g., "msam10" for 10pt)
and "msbm". They replace the older "msxm" and "msym." The fonts
have a large number of mathematical symbols to supplement the ones
provided by TeX. The fonts are available via anonymous ftp from
e-math.ams.com (130.44.1.100) in the directory ./ams/amsfonts.
Two files which load the fonts and define the symbols are provided,
and both work with either TeX or LaTeX. Additionally a replacement
for the old amssymbols.sty file using the new fonts was posted
by Tony Li on August 13, 1990, but does not seem to have made it
into the major style repositories. Questions or suggestions
regarding these fonts should be directed to
tech-support@math.ams.com.
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous ftp?
There are several mail servers available, i.e., programs that will
send you files via electronic mail. Some are:
- The mail server at Clarkson (see question 19), if you can send
mail to the United States.
- Also in the US, the mail server at ymir.claremont.edu has access
to all the TeX-related material there. This site has a lot of the
PD TeX software, and even if it's not explicitly stated, much
of the software mentioned in this document is available there.
Unfortunately, executables are not available through the mail
server. Send a message containing the line "help" to
MAILSERV@ymir.claremont.edu.
- In the United Kingdom, you can get TeX-related material from the
UK TeX archive at the University of Aston. (FTP access is also
available for people on JANET:
Site uk.ac.tex
Username public
Password public
Top Level tex-archive
A known file is [tex-archive]000directory.list.) For electronic
mail access, send a message to texserver@uk.ac.tex. The
first non-blank line of the message must contain a valid
TeXserver command (help, directory, files, whereis, search, or
path). The program will then mail you a response notifying you
that your request has been received. If you fail to get a response
from the TeXserver, you may need to use the path command to
help the program out. For Internet users the return address is
of the form name%site@nsfnet-relay, while for Bitnet and EARN
it is name%site@earn-relay (i.e., include a line that says
"path name%site@nsfnet-relay along with a line containing "help").
Note that the old three hyphen format is obsolete, but still
accepted by the program for backward compatibility.
- sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) also contains a substantial TeX
archive (ftp access is available). Send a messages containing
the line "help" to mail-server@cs.ruu.nl. This mail server
can send binary files in a variety of different formats.
- There are LISTSERV facilities for TeX at LISTSERV@DHDURZ1.BITNET.
Send a message containing the line "help" to this address.
- For users on BITNET, access to anonymous ftp for some files can
be obtained indirectly by sending mail to BITFTP@PUCC.BITNET.
Send a message containing the line "help" to this address for
more information.
There is also the DECUS TeX collection, a collection of TeX material
for VMS, Unix, MS-DOS, and the Macintosh. It can be obtained from
the DECUS Library (reference number VS0058) in the US, or through
your DECUS office outside of the US. To contact the DECUS Library,
send mail or call:
The DECUS Program Library
219 Boston Post Road BP02
Marlboro, MA 01752-1850
(508)480-3418
or send electronic mail to the DECUS TeX Collection Editor, Ted
Nieland, at decus_tex@nieland.dayton.oh.us.
Another good source of information is NETWORK SOURCES OF TeX WARE by
Peter Flynn which appeared in TeXhax, volume 90, issues 45-47 (in
May 1990).
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
There are at least four problems with replacing the standard Computer
Modern fonts used in LaTeX:
1. The fonts are defined in a long set of macros in lfonts.tex
which are not easy to understand and change;
2. You must have a device driver capable of understanding the idea
of fonts built into the printer (all the drivers referred to in
question 1 have this capability).
3. The default layout of the Adobe fonts is NOT the same as that for
the CMR fonts, so you will not get the right characters (ligatures
being a good example).
4. The official names of the PostScript fonts are long and in both
upper and lower cases. While this presents no problems for Unix,
it can cause problems with files under DOS, VMS, etc.
The first problem can be solved by one of:
1. Going through lfonts.tex and changing references to CMR to some
new font, e.g., times.
2. Overloading the definitions of \bf, \rm, etc., with new font
families.
3. Using the font selection mechanism described in TUGboat 10.3,
p. 222 ff; a LaTeX interface to this will be part of version
2.10 of LaTeX, and is currently available. From
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) get the file
[anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-mainz]fontsel.readme for further
information, or ./pub/TEX/latexstyle/fontsel.zoo from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5). See question 22 if you don't
have ftp access. Some preliminary style options are available
from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.inputs.local].
The second problem is quickly disappearing since all recent DVI to
PostScript drivers have had adequate facilities. The third problem
can be solved by:
1. Changing TeX macros, etc., so that the Adobe font layouts are
expected.
2. Re-encoding the Adobe fonts in a PostScript prolog so that they
conform to TeX standards.
3. Using ``virtual fonts'' to perform the mapping between Adobe and
TeX layouts. Tomas Rokicki's dvips driver (see question 1) has
examples of this.
A definitive statement on short names for Adobe fonts is expected soon.
Meanwhile, there is not much agreement on how to compress
Garamond-LightItalic into 8 characters.
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
troff - TROFF-TO-LATEX.TAR-Z is available via anonymous ftp from
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory
pd2:<unix-c.textproc>. This program, written by Kamal Al-Yahya
at Stanford, assists in the translation of a troff document into
LaTeX format. It recognizes most -ms and -man macros, plus most
eqn and some tbl preprocessor commands. Anything fancier than that
needs to be done by hand. Two style files are provided. There
is also a man page (which converts very well to LaTeX :-).
The program is copyrighted but free. The DECUS TeX distribution
(see question 22) also contains a program which converts troff to
TeX. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of this program
without getting the entire DECUS TeX distribution, send email
to goathunter@wkuvx1.bitnet.
scribe - Mark James has a copy of scribe2latex which he has been
unable to test but which he will let anyone interested have.
Send email to mark@bdblues.altair.fr. The program was written
by Van Jacobson of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
wordperfect - wp2latex.zip is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in the directory ./mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a PC program written in Turbo Pascal by R. C. Houtepen at
the Eindhoven University in the Netherlands. It converts
WordPerfect 5.0 documents to LaTeX. Pascal source is included.
Users find it "helpful" and "decent" in spite of some limitations.
It gets high marks for handling font changes. Limitations include
no indices, table of contents, margins or graphics. It also won't
handle the new features of WordPerfect 5.1, in particular the
equation formatter. The program is copyrighted but free.
Glenn Geers of the University of Sydney (glenn@qed.physics.su.oz.au)
is translating wp2latex into C and adding some WordPerfect 5.1
features, in particular its equation handling. This is an ongoing
project; the most recent version can be retrieved via anonymous ftp
from suphys.physics.su.oz.au (129.78.129.1) in ./wp2latex. It is
also available by anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu
(134.173.4.23) in the directory
[anonymous.tex.ibm_pc.front_ends.wp2latex]. It was posted to
alt.sources on 8 August 1990.
PC-Write - pcwritex.arc is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in directory mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a print driver for PC-Write that "prints" a PC-Write V2.71
document to a TeX-compatible disk file. It was written by Peter
Flynn at University College, Cork, Ireland. It is public domain.
runoff - Peter Vanroose, of the University of Leuven, Belgium, has
written a RUNOFF-to-TeX conversion program in VMS Pascal. It is
available from comp.text archives (they do exist, don't they? The
program was submitted in December 1987) or from the author
(peter@dit.lth.se) or from Mark James (mark@bdblues.altair.fr).
refer/Tib - There are a few programs for converting bibliographic data
between BibTeX and refer/Tib formats. They are available via
anonymous ftp from wheaties.ai.mit.edu (128.52.32.13) in the
directory ./refer-to-bibtex. In spite of the directory name,
it also contains a shell script to convert BibTeX to REFER as
well. This collection is maintained by
Thomas M. Breuel (tmb@ai.mit.edu).
In addition, a group at Ohio State University is working on a common
document format based on SGML. In theory any format could be
translated to or from this one. Also, Framemaker supposedly has
"import filters" to aid in the translation from alien formats
(presumably including TeX) to Framemaker; perhaps other desktop
publishing programs have similar things.
25) How do I get a file into the major style repositories?
Use anonymous ftp to fenris.claremont.edu (134.173.4.146) and transfer
the file into the directory ./pub/tex-incoming. Then send notification
to tex-group@hmcvax.claremont.edu. If the file is large, it's better
to send the note before transferring the file. From there it will
propagate to other inclusive archives.
26) Where can I get font Y?
A comprehensive list of METAFONT fonts is posted to Comp.fonts
about once every six weeks by Lee Quin (lee@sq.sq.com). It contains
both commercial fonts and fonts available via anonymous ftp. Most
of the fonts available via anonymous ftp are available from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23). Also, the file wujastyk.txh
on ymir.claremont.edu in [anonymous.tex.mf] is a copy of
Dominik Wujastyk's font article, and contains information on
METAFONT fonts as well.
27) Where can I get a dvi driver for the HP LaserJet?
PC - The emtex package mentioned in question 18 contains a driver for
the LaserJet, dvihplj. The driver is available by itself from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.ibm_pc.drivers.emtex]
in the files dvidrv[123].zip.
Version 2.10 of the Beebe drivers support the LaserJet. These drivers
will compile under Unix, VMS, and on the Atari ST and DEC-20's. They
are available from science.utah.edu (128.110.198.2) in ./pub/tex/dvi
and from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[.tex.drivers.beebe2_10].
28) TeX and LaTeX are hyphenating words weirdly. What can I do?
You have a version mismatch problem. The hyphenation algorithm changed
between version 2.9 and 3.0. If you are using TeX version 3.0 or
later, make sure that you have plain.tex and lplain.tex files with
a version number of at least 3.0.
29) How can I convert a TeX or LaTeX file into a plain ASCII file,
with all the formatting intact, a la nroff?
This isn't easy. If anyone has a good solution, please email me.
One possibility is to use screen.sty, available from all the
major archives. However you need a program called crudetype to
process the resulting dvi file. Does anyone know more about this
program? Another possibility is to use the LaTeX-to-ASCII
conversion program, l2a, available from comp.sources.misc
archives.
Bobby Bodenheimer @hot.caltech.edu
// ARPA : bobby@hot.caltech.edu |
// BITNET: bobby@caltech.bitnet | Woof!
// UUCP : {amdahl,ames!elroy}!cit-vax!bobby | raymond@math.berkeley.edu (Raymond Chen) (07/03/91)
[Since it appears that Mr. Bodenheimer is on vacation, I'm reposting
the most recent comp.text.tex FAQ that I have on file. Note, however,
that the answer to question 18 that talks about Mr. Radel's IBM PC
software collection is no longer valid. Please see the TeX Supplement
for more up-to-date information on same. --rjc]
From: bobby@hot.caltech.edu (Bobby Bodenheimer)
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: Frequently Asked Questions about TeX, etc. - with Answers [Monthly]
Date: 1 Apr 91 08:43:04 GMT
This article contains answers to some frequently asked questions on
comp.text.tex. Please don't ask these questions again, as they've been
answered many times before.
This is version 1.14 for April, last changed 4/1/91.
This article includes answers to:
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it (TeX for the Mac)?
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous
ftp?
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
25) How do I get a file into the major style repositories?
26) Where can I get font Y?
27) Where can I get a dvi driver for the HP LaserJet?
28) TeX and LaTeX are hyphenating words weirdly. What can I do?
29) How can I convert a TeX or LaTeX file into a plain ASCII file,
with all the formatting intact, a la nroff?
If you are looking for the answer to, for instance, question 17, and wish
to skip everything else, you can search ahead for the regular expression
"^17)"
These are all legitimate questions, but they seem to appear too
frequently for long-time readers of the list.
Many of the answers below tell you that you can obtain something
through anonymous ftp. Remember that anonymous ftp is a privilege
and that the system administrators for these sites have made these
files available out of their own generosity. Therefore please restrict
your ftp'ing to non-prime hours at the various sites. Also note that
Raymond Chen (raymond@math.berkeley.edu) posts a monthly document
"Supplementary TeX Information" to this newsgroup which contains other
information and software relevant to TeX users but beyond the scope of
this article. A LaTeX version of this article is available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.documentation] and from the other inclusive archives.
The most recent version should be available no later than a week
from the date of this posting.
I would like to acknowledge Don Hosek, Ken Yap, Tomas Rokicki, and
Micah Beck, whose postings provided many of the answers. Joe Weening,
Hal Perkins, Walter Carlip, Max Hailpern, Tad Guy, Raymond Chen, Henning
Schulzrinne, Sebastian Rahtz, Mark James, Peter Galko, and Mike Ernst
provided additional material and criticisms. The format of this
document is based on that of the Frequently Asked Questions appearing in
comp.unix.wizards, and written by Steve Hayman. Any mistakes are mine.
Corrections, suggestions, and additions to bobby@hot.caltech.edu.
1) Where can I get a DVI to PostScript conversion program?
Four very nice DVI to PostScript conversion programs that run
under Unix are:
dvitps - part of the TeXPS package by Stephan Bectolsheim.
Available via anonymous ftp from arthur.cs.purdue.edu
(128.10.2.1) in ./pub/TeXPS.
dvi3ps - by Kevin Coombes. Available via anonymous ftp
from tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (128.146.8.60) in
./pub/dvi3ps.tar.Z
dvips - by Tomas Rokicki. This driver is very nice and
has the ability to deal with virtual fonts. Available
via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47)
in ./pub. Dvips ports easily to other operating systems.
It is available for VMS via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.drivers.dvips_new]
and also through the DECUS library (see question 22). A
precompiled version for MSDOS is available from
monu1.cc.monash.edu.au (130.194.1.101) in ./pub/dvips54.zip
or from shape.mps.ohio-state.edu (128.146.7.200) in
./pub/msdos/dvips/dvips54.zip. If you wish to use postscript
fonts, get dvipslib.zip as well.
dvitops - by James Clark. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvitops.tar.Z
and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.drivers.dvitops]. Dvitops will compile under
Unix, MSDOS, VMS, and Primos.
2) How can I include a PostScript figure in LaTeX?
Perhaps the best way to do this is to use the psfig macros written
by Trevor Darrell. They are available via anonymous ftp from
whitechapel.media.mit.edu (18.85.0.125) in ./psfig or
linc.cis.upenn.edu (130.91.6.8) in the directory ./dist/psfig. You
will also need a dvi to PostScript conversion program that supports
\specials. The ones mentioned in question 1 do, and the first two
drivers come with a version of psfig ready to use with them. The psfig
macros work best with Encapsulated PostScript Files (EPS). In
particular, psfig will need the file to have a BoundingBox (see
Appendix C of the _PostScript Language Reference Manual_). If you
don't have an EPS file, life can be difficult. For people who don't
have ftp access or can't deal with tar files, the files are also
available from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.graphics.psfig].
3) Where can I find a DVI previewer for machine Y running Q?
This briefly lists some previewers which are available via anonymous
ftp:
dvipage - For SunView. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu (128.95.1.4) in ./tex/dvipages.tar.Z.
xtex - For X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
foobar.colorado.edu (128.138.243.105) in
./pub/SeeTeX/SeeTeX/SeeTeX-2.17.x.tar.Z.
dviapollo- for Apollo Domain. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviapollo.tar.Z.
dviis - For Integrated Systems. Available via anonymous ftp from
june.cs.washington.edu in ./tex/dviis.tar.Z.
dvidis - For VAXstation VWS. Available via anonymous ftp from
venus.ycc.yale.edu (130.132.1.5) in [.dvidis] (VMS machine).
xdvi - Also for X Windows. Available via anonymous ftp from
export.lcs.mit.edu (18.30.0.238) in ./contrib/xdvi.shar.Z.
dvitovdu - for Tektronix 4010 and other terminals under Unix.
Available via anonymous ftp from wsmr-simtel20.army.mil
(26.2.0.74) in the directory pd2:<unix-c.printers> as
dvi2vdu.tar-z (ftp in "tenex" mode). A C version is also
available from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.drivers.dvitovdu_c_1].
dvi2tty - A dvi to ASCII conversion program, for normal terminals.
Available from sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in
./pub/TEX/DVI/dvi2tty.shar. I could not get this program
to run on a Sun running SunOS 4.1.
4) Where can I get the manual for PiCTeX?
The PiCTeX manual is not free. It is available for $30 ($35 with the
disk) from the TeX Users Group:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
The proceeds from this sale go to Michael Wichura, the author of PiCTeX,
and TUG.
5) What is VorTeX and where can I get it?
VorTeX is a package of programs written at the University of California.
It includes several nice previewers and some Emacs modes for TeX and
BibTeX. It is not free. Inquiries should be directed to
vortex@ucbarpa.berkeley.edu or
Professor Michael A. Harrison
Att. Vortex Dist.
Computer Science Division
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
6) What is OzTeX and where can I get it (TeX for the Mac)?
OzTeX is a public domain version of TeX for the Macintosh. A DVI
Previewer and PostScript driver are also included. It should run on
any Macintosh Plus, SE, II, or newer model, but will not work on a
128K or 512K Mac. It was written by Andrew Trevorrow, and is available
via anonymous ftp from from midway.uchicago.edu (128.135.12.73) in
./pub/OzTeX, which contains other public domain TeX-related software
for the Mac as well. Questions about OzTeX may be directed to
oztex@midway.uchicago.edu.
7) What is Fig and where can I get it?
Fig is a menu driven tool similar to MacDraw that allows you to
draw objects on the screen of a Sun Workstation running SunView.
TransFig is a set of tools which translate the code fig produces
to other graphics languages including PostScript and the LaTeX
picture environment. Both are available via anonymous ftp from
svax.cs.cornell.edu (128.84.254.2) in ./pub/fig. Both Fig and
TransFig are also available from the Clarkson archive server at
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19). Both Fig and TransFig
are supported by Micah Beck (beck@svax.cs.cornell.edu).
XFig is essentially the same program except that it runs under
X Windows. It is available via anonymous ftp from export.lcs.mit.edu
(18.30.0.238) in ./contrib/xfig-2.0.*.Z. Note that version 2.0 is
the most recent. It was written by Brian Smith.
For complete compatibility with TransFig, be sure to get at least
patchlevel 4 of XFig 2.0.
8) How do I get WEB for C, FORTRAN, or some other language?
There is a version of WEB for C called CWEB written by Silvio Levy. It
is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu (128.112.128.1) in
the directory ./pub/cweb.
There is a version of WEB called Spidery WEB which supports many
languages including ADA, awk, and C. It was written by Norman Ramsey
and, while not in the public domain, is usable free for research
purposes. It is available via anonymous ftp from princeton.edu in
./pub/spiderweb.tar.Z.
There is a version of WEB called FWEB for Fortran, Ratfor, and C
written by John Krommes (krommes@lyman.pppl.gov). Version 1.13 is
available via anonymous ftp from lyman.pppl.gov (192.55.106.129)
in ./pub/fweb.
SchemeWEB is a Unix filter that translates SchemeWEB into LaTeX source
or Scheme source. It was written by John Ramsdell and is available from
the Clarkson archive (see question 19) in ./submit/schemeweb.sh.
All of the above are also available from ymir.claremont.edu
(134.173.4.23) in [anonymous.tex.utilities].
9) How can I typeset music in TeX?
A package called MuTeX, written by Andrea Steinbach and Angelika
Schofer, aids in doing this. It is available via anonymous ftp from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) in pub/TEX/mtex.tar.Z and from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [anonymous.tex.music.mtex].
This package allows you to typeset single-staff music and lyrics.
A more powerful package which allows the typesetting of orchestral
and polyphonic music is MusicTeX, written by Daniel Taupin. It is
also available from ymir.claremont.edu in
[anonymous.tex.music.musictex].
10) What is TUG and TUGboat?
TUG is the TeX User's Group. TUGboat is their newsletter, which
publishes useful articles about TeX and METAFONT. Inquiries should
be directed to:
TeX Users Group
P. O. Box 9506
Providence, RI 02940 (USA)
401-751-7760
tug@math.ams.com
11) How do I convert Adobe's afm files to tfm format?
Use the afm2tfm program distributed with dvips, available via
anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in ./pub.
For the Macintosh, there is a program called EdMetrics which does
the job (and more). It is available free from:
Blue Sky Research
534 Southwest Third Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97204 (USA)
800-622-8398 or 503-222-9571
12) In LaTeX, how do I get a double-spaced document?
One way is to change the value of \baselinestretch to 2 or 1.5 with
the command \renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{2}. A better way is to
use the doublespace style file doublespace.sty in ./pub/tex/latex-style
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19), or, if you are using
the new font selection scheme, get the doublespace.sty from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-contrib].
13) In LaTeX, how do I include a file in the verbatim environment?
A good way to do this is to use Rainer Schoepf's verbatim.sty,
which provides the command \verbatiminput that takes a file
as an argument. This file is available from both the Aston archive
(see question 22) and ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23). Several
files are needed. From ymir.claremont.edu, get the file
[tex.inputs.latex-mainz]verbatim.readme to find out what other
files you will need.
Another way to do this is to use the alltt environment defined in
the style file alltt.sty available in ./pub/tex/latex-style from
sun.soe.clarkson.edu (see question 19).
14) In LaTeX, how do I do Y?
If you can't figure out how to do something in LaTeX after you
have read the manual very carefully, asked your local LaTeX
guru, and thought about it, there is a LaTeX help service
available. Please note that the way to accomplish something
in LaTeX is often by using an appropriate style file, so please
check this also (see question 15). If none of this works, send mail
describing your problem to latex-help@cs.stanford.edu. If you haven't
gotten a reply to your problem within about a week, send mail
to latex-help-coordinator@cs.stanford.edu.
15) Where can I find a LaTeX style file for doing Y?
Before you ask for a LaTeX style file to do something, please check
the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu, either through
the archive server or via anonymous ftp (see question 19). It should
be noted that the basic LaTeX style files are available from
labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47), and that the Clarkson archive
contains only supplementary style files.
16) How do I generate an index in TeX/LaTeX?
Making an index is not trivial. There are several indexing programs
which aid in doing this. Some are:
makeindex - for LaTeX under Unix (but runs under other OS's
without changes). Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23, VMS) in the directory
[.tex.utilities.makeindex]. A version for the Macintosh is
available from Johnny Tolliver at
tolliver%atf.mfenet@nmfecc.llnl.gov.
idxtex - for LaTeX under VMS. Available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu in the directory [.tex.utilities.idxtex].
texix - for TeX on CMS and Macintosh machines. Available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu in the directory
[.tex.utilities.texix].
indexor - for LaTeX under Unix, VMS, and DOS. Available via
anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu in [.tex.utilities.indexor].
17) How do I get METAFONT to do what I want it to do?
METAFONT allows you to create your own fonts, and ordinary TeX users
will never need to use it. METAFONT, unlike TeX, requires some
customization. Each output device for which you will be generating
fonts needs a mode associated with it. Modes are defined using the
mode_def convention described on page 94 of _The METAFONTbook_. So
first create a file, which we will call local.mf, containing all the
mode_defs you will be using. The file waits.mf (in the standard
distribution or available via anonymous ftp from labrea.stanford.edu
(36.8.0.47) in ./lib) is a good starting point for this. Listings of
settings for various output devices are also published periodically
in TUGboat (see question 10). Now create a plain base file using
inimf, plain.mf, and local.mf:
% inimf
This is METAFONT....
**plain # you type plain
(output)
*input local # you type this
(output)
*dump # you type this
Beginning to dump on file plain....
(output)
%
This should create a base file named plain.base (or something close)
and should be moved to the directory which contains the base files on
your system.
Now we need to make sure that METAFONT loads this base when it starts
up. If METAFONT loads the plain base by default on your system, then
you're ready to go. Under Unix, we might, for instance define a
command mf which executes "virmf &plain," loading the plain base
file.
The usual way to create a font with plain METAFONT is to then start
it with the line
\mode=<mode name>; mag=<magnification>; input <font file name>
in response to the * prompt or on the METAFONT command line. If
<mode name> is unknown or omitted, then the mode defaults to proof
mode. If this has happened METAFONT will produce an output file
called <font file name>.2602gf. The <magnification> is a floating
point number or magstep (magsteps are defined in _The METAFONTbook_
and _The TeXbook_). If mag=<magnification> is omitted, then the
default is 1. For example, to generate cmr10 at 12pt for an epson
printer you would type
mf \mode=epson; mag=1.2; input cmr10
Note that under Unix the '\' and ';' characters must usually be
escaped, so that this would typically look something like
mf \\mode=epson\; mag=1.2\; input cmr10
If you don't have inimf or need a special mode that isn't in the
base, you can put its commands in a file (e.g., ln03.mf) and invoke
it on the fly with the \smode command. For example, to create
ln03.300gf for an LN03 printer, using the file
% This is ln03.mf as of 2/27/90
% mode_def courtesy of John Sauter
proofing:=0;
fontmaking:=1;
tracingtitles:=0;
pixels_per_inch:=300;
blacker:=0.65;
fillin:=-0.1;
o_correction:=.5;
(note the absence of the mode_def and enddef commands), we would type
mf \smode="ln03"; input cmr10
18) Where do I get TeX/LaTeX for machine Y running Q?
Unix - The Unix TeX distribution is available for anonymous
ftp from labrea.stanford.edu (36.8.0.47) in the directory
./tex/unix. It is large, so please be sure to observe proper
ftp etiquette when getting it. It is also available through
the University of Washington, for a small fee. Contact:
Director
Northwest Computing Support Center
Thomson Hall, Mail Stop DR-10
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195 (USA)
(206)543-6259
or send electronic mail to Elizabeth Tachikawa at
elisabet@max.u.washington.edu (note the "s"). The fee charged
for getting the TeX distribution through the University of
Washington helps fund the further development of Unix TeX, so
it's a good idea to order it this way. This distribution compiles
under Ultrix. Executables for the 386/ix are available via
anonymous ftp from tik.vtt.fi (130.188.52.2) in
./pub/tex/bin-386ix and from math.berkeley.edu (128.32.183.94)
in ./pub/tex386ix.tar.Z.
PC - A TeX package for the PC, including LaTeX, BibTeX, previewers,
and drivers is available via anonymous ftp from
vax.eedsp.gatech.edu (130.207.226.2) in ./pub/TeX. The variety here
is sbtex version 30 by Wayne Sullivan. EmTeX, another TeX package
for the PC by Eberhard Mattes, is available via anonymous ftp from
rusmv1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (129.69.1.12) in
./soft/tex/machines/pc/emtex and also from ymir.claremont.edu
(134.173.4.23) in [.tex.ibm_pc.emtex]. This package includes
LaTeX, METAFONT, BibTeX, etc., as well. Documentation is available
in both German and English.
All Public Domain TeX software for the PC is also available
through
Jon Radel
P. O. Box 2276
Reston, VA 22090
jonradel@phoenix.princeton.edu
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope with 10 sheets of paper
or $2.00 to obtain information on what's available.
Mac - see question 6 for a public domain version.
TOPS-20 - TeX was originally written on a DEC-10 under WAITS, and so
was easily ported to TOPS-20. A Distribution that runs on TOPS-20
is available via anonymous ftp from science.utah.edu
(128.110.198.2) in ./pub/tex/pub/web.
VAX/VMS - VMS executables are available via anonymous ftp from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.exe]. Source is
available in [.tex.sources]. Version 3.1 is available in
[.tex.sources.tex3_1]. Ymir has a mailserver for those without
ftp access, although executables are not available through it.
Send a message containing the line "help" to
mailserv@ymir.claremont.edu. Standard tape distribution is
through DECUS or Maria Code.
Atari - TeX is available for the Atari ST from dsrgsun.ces.cwru.edu
(129.22.16.2) in ./pub/atari/StTeX and from atari.archive.umich.edu
(141.211.164.8) in ./atari/tex. If anonymous ftp is not available
to you, send a message containing the line "help" to
atari@atari.archive.umich.edu. The mail server can uuencode
binary files. Another version can be obtained via anonymous
ftp from ifi.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de (129.69.211.1) in
./pub/atari.st/tex.
Amiga - Disk 1 of the Amiga CommonTeX distribution is available
via anonymous ftp from ab20.larc.nasa.gov (128.155.23.64)
in ./amiga/commontex.lzh. The file copying.tex in the
distribution contains information on how to obtain the other
disks. Also, experimental versions of TeX 3.1 and METAFONT 2.7
are available in ./incoming/amiga/TEX.
Tandy 6000 - First get web2c-5.8a and web-5.8a from ics.uci.edu
(128.195.1.1) in ./TeX and then apply the diffs available
and plains.ndsu.nodak.edu (134.129.111.64) in
./pub/tandy/programing and build. This builds TeX 3.1 and
METAFONT 2.7.
19) What is the Clarkson archive server?
The Clarkson archive server is a program that allows you to
retrieve files via electronic mail. So it provides a way of
getting many neat things if you don't have anonymous ftp. To
get the archive server to do something you should send a message
to archive-server@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (128.153.12.3). To get
started using it, send the archive server a one line message
"help" (case is unimportant). It will send you back a file
describing how to use it more fully.
In particular, the Clarkson archive contains, among other things,
a repository for LaTeX style files, AMSTeX macros and style
files, BibTeX style files, PiCTeX source (not the manual, see
question 4), back issues of TeXhax and TeXMaG, files from
TUGboat, and source to TeX, LaTeX, WEB, and various utilities.
The archive is maintained by Michael DeCorte.
If anonymous ftp is available to you, you may get the files directly
from sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
If you have problems, contact archive-management@sun.soe.clarkson.edu.
Ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) is also a TeX repository with lots
of other stuff as well. It can be reached with anonymous ftp and
also has a mailing program for people without anonymous ftp. See
question 22 for more information.
20) Where can I get a thesis style for LaTeX?
Thesis styles are usually very specific to your University, so it's
usually not profitable to ask the whole newsgroup for one. If you
want to write your own, a good place to start is the ucthesis style
available in the latex style collection at sun.soe.clarkson.edu
(see question 19).
21) How do I get symbols for "the real numbers", "the complex numbers",
and so on?
These symbols are known as "blackboard bold" and are available in
the recently released AMS fonts "msam" (e.g., "msam10" for 10pt)
and "msbm". They replace the older "msxm" and "msym." The fonts
have a large number of mathematical symbols to supplement the ones
provided by TeX. The fonts are available via anonymous ftp from
e-math.ams.com (130.44.1.100) in the directory ./ams/amsfonts.
Two files which load the fonts and define the symbols are provided,
and both work with either TeX or LaTeX. Additionally a replacement
for the old amssymbols.sty file using the new fonts was posted
by Tony Li on August 13, 1990, but does not seem to have made it
into the major style repositories. Questions or suggestions
regarding these fonts should be directed to
tech-support@math.ams.com.
22) How do I get TeX material if I do not have access to anonymous ftp?
There are several mail servers available, i.e., programs that will
send you files via electronic mail. Some are:
- The mail server at Clarkson (see question 19), if you can send
mail to the United States.
- Also in the US, the mail server at ymir.claremont.edu has access
to all the TeX-related material there. This site has a lot of the
PD TeX software, and even if it's not explicitly stated, much
of the software mentioned in this document is available there.
Unfortunately, executables are not available through the mail
server. Send a message containing the line "help" to
MAILSERV@ymir.claremont.edu.
- In the United Kingdom, you can get TeX-related material from the
UK TeX archive at the University of Aston. (FTP access is also
available for people on JANET:
Site uk.ac.tex
Username public
Password public
Top Level tex-archive
A known file is [tex-archive]000directory.list.) For electronic
mail access, send a message to texserver@uk.ac.tex. The
first non-blank line of the message must contain a valid
TeXserver command (help, directory, files, whereis, search, or
path). The program will then mail you a response notifying you
that your request has been received. If you fail to get a response
from the TeXserver, you may need to use the path command to
help the program out. For Internet users the return address is
of the form name%site@nsfnet-relay, while for Bitnet and EARN
it is name%site@earn-relay (i.e., include a line that says
"path name%site@nsfnet-relay along with a line containing "help").
Note that the old three hyphen format is obsolete, but still
accepted by the program for backward compatibility.
- sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) also contains a substantial TeX
archive (ftp access is available). Send a messages containing
the line "help" to mail-server@cs.ruu.nl. This mail server
can send binary files in a variety of different formats.
- There are LISTSERV facilities for TeX at LISTSERV@DHDURZ1.BITNET.
Send a message containing the line "help" to this address.
- For users on BITNET, access to anonymous ftp for some files can
be obtained indirectly by sending mail to BITFTP@PUCC.BITNET.
Send a message containing the line "help" to this address for
more information.
There is also the DECUS TeX collection, a collection of TeX material
for VMS, Unix, MS-DOS, and the Macintosh. It can be obtained from
the DECUS Library (reference number VS0058) in the US, or through
your DECUS office outside of the US. To contact the DECUS Library,
send mail or call:
The DECUS Program Library
219 Boston Post Road BP02
Marlboro, MA 01752-1850
(508)480-3418
or send electronic mail to the DECUS TeX Collection Editor, Ted
Nieland, at decus_tex@nieland.dayton.oh.us.
Another good source of information is NETWORK SOURCES OF TeX WARE by
Peter Flynn which appeared in TeXhax, volume 90, issues 45-47 (in
May 1990).
23) How do I use PostScript fonts with LaTeX?
There are at least four problems with replacing the standard Computer
Modern fonts used in LaTeX:
1. The fonts are defined in a long set of macros in lfonts.tex
which are not easy to understand and change;
2. You must have a device driver capable of understanding the idea
of fonts built into the printer (all the drivers referred to in
question 1 have this capability).
3. The default layout of the Adobe fonts is NOT the same as that for
the CMR fonts, so you will not get the right characters (ligatures
being a good example).
4. The official names of the PostScript fonts are long and in both
upper and lower cases. While this presents no problems for Unix,
it can cause problems with files under DOS, VMS, etc.
The first problem can be solved by one of:
1. Going through lfonts.tex and changing references to CMR to some
new font, e.g., times.
2. Overloading the definitions of \bf, \rm, etc., with new font
families.
3. Using the font selection mechanism described in TUGboat 10.3,
p. 222 ff; a LaTeX interface to this will be part of version
2.10 of LaTeX, and is currently available. From
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) get the file
[anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-mainz]fontsel.readme for further
information, or ./pub/TEX/latexstyle/fontsel.zoo from
sol.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5). See question 22 if you don't
have ftp access. Some preliminary style options are available
from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[anonymous.tex.inputs.local].
The second problem is quickly disappearing since all recent DVI to
PostScript drivers have had adequate facilities. The third problem
can be solved by:
1. Changing TeX macros, etc., so that the Adobe font layouts are
expected.
2. Re-encoding the Adobe fonts in a PostScript prolog so that they
conform to TeX standards.
3. Using ``virtual fonts'' to perform the mapping between Adobe and
TeX layouts. Tomas Rokicki's dvips driver (see question 1) has
examples of this.
A definitive statement on short names for Adobe fonts is expected soon.
Meanwhile, there is not much agreement on how to compress
Garamond-LightItalic into 8 characters.
24) How can I convert from format Y to TeX or LaTeX, and vice-versa?
troff - TROFF-TO-LATEX.TAR-Z is available via anonymous ftp from
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory
pd2:<unix-c.textproc>. This program, written by Kamal Al-Yahya
at Stanford, assists in the translation of a troff document into
LaTeX format. It recognizes most -ms and -man macros, plus most
eqn and some tbl preprocessor commands. Anything fancier than that
needs to be done by hand. Two style files are provided. There
is also a man page (which converts very well to LaTeX :-).
The program is copyrighted but free. The DECUS TeX distribution
(see question 22) also contains a program which converts troff to
TeX. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of this program
without getting the entire DECUS TeX distribution, send email
to goathunter@wkuvx1.bitnet.
scribe - Mark James has a copy of scribe2latex which he has been
unable to test but which he will let anyone interested have.
Send email to mark@bdblues.altair.fr. The program was written
by Van Jacobson of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
wordperfect - wp2latex.zip is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in the directory ./mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a PC program written in Turbo Pascal by R. C. Houtepen at
the Eindhoven University in the Netherlands. It converts
WordPerfect 5.0 documents to LaTeX. Pascal source is included.
Users find it "helpful" and "decent" in spite of some limitations.
It gets high marks for handling font changes. Limitations include
no indices, table of contents, margins or graphics. It also won't
handle the new features of WordPerfect 5.1, in particular the
equation formatter. The program is copyrighted but free.
Glenn Geers of the University of Sydney (glenn@qed.physics.su.oz.au)
is translating wp2latex into C and adding some WordPerfect 5.1
features, in particular its equation handling. This is an ongoing
project; the most recent version can be retrieved via anonymous ftp
from suphys.physics.su.oz.au (129.78.129.1) in ./wp2latex. It is
also available by anonymous ftp from ymir.claremont.edu
(134.173.4.23) in the directory
[anonymous.tex.ibm_pc.front_ends.wp2latex]. It was posted to
alt.sources on 8 August 1990.
PC-Write - pcwritex.arc is available on wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) in directory mirrors/msdos/tex and on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in directory pd1:<msdos.tex>.
This is a print driver for PC-Write that "prints" a PC-Write V2.71
document to a TeX-compatible disk file. It was written by Peter
Flynn at University College, Cork, Ireland. It is public domain.
runoff - Peter Vanroose, of the University of Leuven, Belgium, has
written a RUNOFF-to-TeX conversion program in VMS Pascal. It is
available from comp.text archives (they do exist, don't they? The
program was submitted in December 1987) or from the author
(peter@dit.lth.se) or from Mark James (mark@bdblues.altair.fr).
refer/Tib - There are a few programs for converting bibliographic data
between BibTeX and refer/Tib formats. They are available via
anonymous ftp from wheaties.ai.mit.edu (128.52.32.13) in the
directory ./refer-to-bibtex. In spite of the directory name,
it also contains a shell script to convert BibTeX to REFER as
well. This collection is maintained by
Thomas M. Breuel (tmb@ai.mit.edu).
In addition, a group at Ohio State University is working on a common
document format based on SGML. In theory any format could be
translated to or from this one. Also, Framemaker supposedly has
"import filters" to aid in the translation from alien formats
(presumably including TeX) to Framemaker; perhaps other desktop
publishing programs have similar things.
25) How do I get a file into the major style repositories?
Use anonymous ftp to fenris.claremont.edu (134.173.4.146) and transfer
the file into the directory ./pub/tex-incoming. Then send notification
to tex-group@hmcvax.claremont.edu. If the file is large, it's better
to send the note before transferring the file. From there it will
propagate to other inclusive archives.
26) Where can I get font Y?
A comprehensive list of METAFONT fonts is posted to Comp.fonts
about once every six weeks by Lee Quin (lee@sq.sq.com). It contains
both commercial fonts and fonts available via anonymous ftp. Most
of the fonts available via anonymous ftp are available from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23). Also, the file wujastyk.txh
on ymir.claremont.edu in [anonymous.tex.mf] is a copy of
Dominik Wujastyk's font article, and contains information on
METAFONT fonts as well.
27) Where can I get a dvi driver for the HP LaserJet?
PC - The emtex package mentioned in question 18 contains a driver for
the LaserJet, dvihplj. The driver is available by itself from
ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in [.tex.ibm_pc.drivers.emtex]
in the files dvidrv[123].zip.
Version 2.10 of the Beebe drivers support the LaserJet. These drivers
will compile under Unix, VMS, and on the Atari ST and DEC-20's. They
are available from science.utah.edu (128.110.198.2) in ./pub/tex/dvi
and from ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) in
[.tex.drivers.beebe2_10].
28) TeX and LaTeX are hyphenating words weirdly. What can I do?
You have a version mismatch problem. The hyphenation algorithm changed
between version 2.9 and 3.0. If you are using TeX version 3.0 or
later, make sure that you have plain.tex and lplain.tex files with
a version number of at least 3.0.
29) How can I convert a TeX or LaTeX file into a plain ASCII file,
with all the formatting intact, a la nroff?
This isn't easy. If anyone has a good solution, please email me.
One possibility is to use screen.sty, available from all the
major archives. However you need a program called crudetype to
process the resulting dvi file. Does anyone know more about this
program? Another possibility is to use the LaTeX-to-ASCII
conversion program, l2a, available from comp.sources.misc
archives.
Bobby Bodenheimer @hot.caltech.edu
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