Notes to users of the TEX and NTEX programs on MIT-MC ... ----------29 Feb 84 (kmp)--------------------------------------- If you used to use XTEX, you want to use TEX80 now. This is the same program, just a different name. If you used to use TEX or NTEX, you want to convert to using TEX80. The remainder of this file discusses how to do that conversion. The programs TEX and NTEX are no longer supported. They will exist as OTEX and ONTEX for emergencies during a transition period, but should be expected to go away at any time. ----------26 Feb 84 (dcb)--------------------------------------- The program invoked by the command TEX on MC is TeX80 version 3.3. The program invoked by the commands XTEX, TEXCM, TEXTB, and TEXTR is TeX80 version 6.6. Many have you have noticed that you can no longer get files produced by version 3.3 to come off the dover correctly. This note explains why, and suggests some fixes that will allow you to run your files through version 6.6. (N.B. in the following, everything that is said about the program TEX also applies to the program NTEX, which is TeX80 version 5.2. NTEX users must update their files in the same way as TEX users.) 1. TeX80 version 3.3 reads information about the fonts you ask for from files in a directory named TEXTFX. The files it reads are known as TFX files, and differ in format from those used by TeX80 version 6.6 (and TeX82, which is not available on MC right now). The latter files, known as TFM files, are in the directory TEXTFM. 2. The font information in MC's TFX files for the Computer Modern (CM) fonts does not correctly describe fonts which exist on the dover. When a Press file prepared by TeX80 3.3 using these font descriptions is run off on the Dover, the Dover substitutes a variety of strange fonts for the ones that TeX80 3.3 requested; this substitution leads to two results: 1. The resulting output looks wierd (characters overlap, symbols don't look the way they should, margins don't align, etc.) 2. The cover sheet prepared by the dover (called the `break page') contains a variety of unreadable messages intended to explain which fonts got substituted for which other fonts. The first of these messages often looks like FONT CMSS10'''$!#$&#@&*#^!%$ ..etc.. 3. The TFX files on MC will NOT be updated to contain correct information. This is because TFX files (and TeX80 version 3.3) are completely out of date, and no apparatus exists for maintaining them. USERS OF TEX80 VERSION 3.3 MUST CHANGE OVER TO USING EITHER TEX80 VERSION 6.6 (which is also unsupported but will continue to work for at least a year) OR TEX82 (which may or may not become available on MC; ask CSTACY@MC whether he intends to bring it up or not). TeX80 version 3.3 will in fact disappear from MC completely sometime this summer. The rest of this note describes how TeX80 3.3 users can convert their source and macro files so as to work with TeX80 version 6.6. This is a very simple change to make. 4. TeX80 6.6 is described in the book ``TeX and Metafont, New Directions in Typesetting,'' Donald E. Knuth, Digital Press/AMS, 1979. As careful readers of that book will note, the only way in which TeX80 6.6 is not completely upward compatible with TeX80 version 3.3 is in the manner one initially loads font information and associates it with a font letter. In addition, on MC, version 6.6 looks for macro files not found in a user's current directory on the NTEXLB; directory, while version 3.3 looks for such files on the TEXLIB; directory. Thus, to convert source/macro files that worked under version 3.3 to work under version 6.6, you must perform the following two changes: 1. Any command sequence of the form \:= such as \:A=CMR10 \:<=cmb10 at 12pt \:b=HELICA at 10pt \: C=timman at 9pt must be changed to have the form \font = as in \font A=CMR10 \font <=cmb10 at 12pt \font b=HELICA at 10pt \font C=timman at 9pt Note that this change ONLY applies to contexts in which the \: macro is being used to LOAD a font, not where it is being used to CHANGE THE CURRENT FONT. For example, macro definitions of the form \def\rm{\:A} should be left UNCHANGED! (These font-changing contexts are distingushed by the fact that the \: is not followed by an = sign.) 2. Any \input command which inputs a file from the TEXLIB; directory must explicitly refer to that directory. For example, the two commands: \input basic \input |basic tex| intended to input the file TEXLIB;BASIC TEX must now read \input texlib;basic \input |texlib;basic tex| Of course, very few of the files on the TEXLIB directory will work properly with version 6.6 as they now stand; someone should go through them and make these two changes to their contents! 5. A few final notes: a. It is safest not to ask for Computer Modern fonts in sizes greater than 10pt unless you do this by scaling. For example, instead of issuing the commands \font A=CMR12 \font B=CMTI12 at 18pt it is better to issue the commands \font A=CMR10 at 12pt \font B=CMTI10 at 18pt The output produced using these latter commands will look the same, but you are less likely to have the Dover substitute fonts on you. b. If you use macro files produced by someone else, such as the PFCTEX files or some other package, you must make sure that these files have been converted as mentioned above. If you don't feel qualified to do the conversion yourself, then get in contact with whoever wrote or maintains the package. In addition, beware of macro files that \input other macro files; you must convert all of them before using any of them! c. Although there are files on the NTEXLB; directory that have the same name as those on the TEXLIB; directory (such as BASIC and so on), these contents of these files are liable to vary widely from those of their TEXLIB; counterparts. Thus, you cannot get your file to work simply by running it under version 6.6 and letting it automatically substitute NTEXLB; files for TEXLIB; files of the same name. You must convert the TEXLIB; files and explicitly include TEXLIB; in your \input command. 6. Good luck with the conversion.