Subject: UKTeX Digest V94 #07
From: [email-masked]
To: UKTeX Distribution: ;
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 1994 18:10:06 +0000

UKTeX Digest    Friday, 18 Feb 1994    Volume 94 : Issue 07

   ``The UKTeX Digest is brought to you as a free, unfunded and voluntary
        service of the UK TeX Users Group and the UK TeX Archive.''

Today's Topics:
 {Questions & Answers}:
                         Re: postscript fonts
                       Type 1 PostScript fonts
                     LaTeX2e and packages/classes
 {Announcements}:
               LaTeX2e -- Second Test Release Available

Administrivia:
    Moderators:     Peter Abbott (Aston University) and
                    David Osborne (University of Nottingham)
    Contributions:  [email-masked]
    Administration, subscription and unsubscription requests:
                    [email-masked]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:    Thu, 10 Feb 1994 19:55:04 +0000
From:    [email-masked] (Sebastian Rahtz)
Subject: Re: postscript fonts

Mike Piff writes:
 > %>in practice, why not just preview the PostScript with ghostview under
 > %>Windows
 > 
 > Isn't life too short?
 > 
 > Also, this is a very buggy program. It often says it is unable to open drive
 > e umlaut, a grave or something of the kind.

how anyone can call GhostScript `very buggy' is beyond me. I use it
many times a day, and it is the most reliable PS interprete I possess.

if you find ghostscript too slow, buy a faster computer! its *your*
time that costs real money; its a false economy scraping by with
low-end computers running DOS.

sebastian

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 11 Feb 1994 08:52:21 +0000
From:    [email-masked] (Dean Ayres)
Subject: Type 1 PostScript fonts

I'm using TeX and dvips with GhostScript to print. The ghostscript fonts
aren't of good enough quality. Printing TeX output with the supplied
ghostscript fonts is like asking Monet to paint on newspaper :-(

Can anyone recommend a (reasonably cheap?) supplier of Type 1 hinted
fonts? Addresses/telephone numbers welcome.

Dean Ayres

------------------------------

Date:    11 Feb 1994 12:28:08
From:    Mike Piff <[email-masked]>
Subject: LaTeX2e and packages/classes

I should draw your attention to the fact that Joachim Schrod has been made
the moderator for the CTAN archive as far as LaTeX styles are concerned. It
is his avowed intention to *reject* any new style files that do not also
behave as LaTeX2e packages/classes. Thus the intention is to *force*
contributors to conform to LaTeX2e standards, despite the limitations of the
new system and the possibility that it might be superceded in a couple of
years time.

The compatibility mode of LaTeX is thus only being supported nominally. You
have lost your freedom to continue using and enhancing this mode.

I think this is a serious issue for LaTeX, and one that must be addressed
publicly.

Mike Piff

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%% Dr M J Piff, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of %%
%% Sheffield, UK.                    e-mail: [email-masked] %%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 14 Feb 1994 19:33:53 +0100
From:    [email-masked] (Rainer Schoepf)
Subject: LaTeX2e -- Second Test Release Available

             LaTeX2e -- Second Test Release Available

            Leslie Lamport and the LaTeX3 project team

                        14 February 1994

The second test release of LaTeX is now available.  Notes about this
release are at the end of this announcement.  The first release
revealed a few serious bugs and several other areas which need
attention.  Many people reported that documents and style files had
been processed by the new system without serious problems; this
includes one very important test -- the original text of `The LaTeX
Manual'!  We can also report that this release has been tested with
all the files in the LaTeX 2.09 test suite and produces only
predictable differences in the output.

First, here is the original announcement
- ----------------------------------------

LaTeX2e is the new standard version of LaTeX -- prepared and supported
by the LaTeX3 project team.  It is upwardly compatible with LaTeX 2.09
documents, but contains new features.

Over the years many extensions of LaTeX have been developed.  This is,
of course, a welcome development, since it shows that the LaTeX system
is in a healthy state.  It has, however, had one unfortunate
consequence: there are now several incompatible systems, in the sense
of format (.fmt) files, all claiming to be LaTeX.  Therefore, in order
to process documents coming from various places, a site maintainer
needs to provide several format files: LaTeX (with and without NFSS),
SLiTeX, AmSLaTeX, and so on.  In addition, when looking at a source
file it is not always clear for which format the document was written.

LaTeX2e puts an end to this unsatisfactory situation -- it will give
access to all such extensions based on a single format and thus end
the proliferation of mutually incompatible dialects of LaTeX 2.09.

It uses an enhanced version (NFSS2) of the New Font Selection Scheme.
Files such as amstex.sty (formerly the AmSLaTeX format) or slides.sty
(formerly the SLiTeX format) will become extension packages, all
working with this single format.

The introduction of this new version will also make it possible to add
a small number of often-requested features (such as extended versions
of \newcommand).

To summarize:

 * Standardisation: a single format incorporating NFSS2, to replace
                 the present multiplicity of incompatible formats --
                 NFSS, lfonts, pslfonts, etc. 

*  Maintenance: a standardised system supported by a reliable
                 maintenance policy.

LaTeX2e adheres, as far as possible, to the following principles:

 * Unmodified version 2.09 document files can be processed with
   LaTeX2e.

 * All new features of LaTeX2e conform to the conventions of version
   2.09, making it as easy as possible for current users to learn to
   use them.

LaTeX2e is described in a new edition of `LaTeX: A Document Preparation
System' by Leslie Lamport (to appear during 1994) and `The LaTeX
Companion' by Goossens, Mittelbach and Samarin, both published by
Addison-Wesley.

LaTeX2e will be distributed twice a year.  This distribution is a
preliminary test release, and doesn't contain all of the files that
will be part of the full release.  In particular, it does not contain
the planned extensions in the area of graphics inclusion.

The first full release will be available in Spring 1994.

This is a test release, so please get it and test it on as many
different systems as possible!

Getting the second test release
- -------------------------------
LaTeX2e can be retrieved by anonymous ftp from the CTAN archives:

   ftp.tex.ac.uk  /tex-archive/macros/latex2e/core
   ftp.shsu.edu   /tex-archive/macros/latex2e/core
   ftp.dante.de   /tex-archive/macros/latex2e/core

Bug reports
- -----------
Please report any problems with LaTeX2e by using the report-generating
program latexbug.tex, included in the LaTeX2e distribution.  Error
reports should be sent to the following e-mail address:

   [email-masked]

Help for style/package/class file maintainers
- ---------------------------------------------
We shall be producing a short document summarising the changes that
may be needed in order to turn a style file for old LaTeX into a class
or package file.  To get the latest information on this subject or to
report problems, please send a message to the following address:

   [email-masked]

Please ensure that it starts with the following line *exactly*:

>Category: latex-class-writing

If you want a prompt and useful reply, please make your message as
short and precise as possible.

Notes on the second test release
- --------------------------------

- -- Only the straightforward bugs and the serious bugs found in the
   first release have been fixed; other problems are still being
   worked on.  Some of the reports uncovered features of the original
   LaTeX which some consider to be bugs; whether these should be
   `fixed' is not always clear.

- -- There are thus several areas, including things arising from bug
   reports, on which we are still working.

- -- The details of the distribution, unpacking etc are still under
   development.

- -- The details of the typography in the standard classes is not
   finalised.

- -- The precise functionality of the compatibility mode is not fixed.

- -- Still no graphics package!

Warning
- -------
If you have installed the first release then you must remove it
completely and start again.  This is because there are many small
differences, including new file names, and because the installation
procedure now behaves  differently.

For the LaTeX3 Project
- ----------------------
Johannes Braams
David Carlisle
Alan Jeffrey
Frank Mittelbach
Chris Rowley
Rainer Sch\"opf

------------------------------
                                        
                       UK TeX ARCHIVE at ASTON UNIVERSITY
                              >>>  UK.AC.TEX  <<<
                                        
                  *** Interactive and file transfer access ***
                                     JANET:
                          uk.ac.tex (DTE 000020120091)
                       Username: public, Password: public
                                   Internet:
              tex.ac.uk [134.151.79.28] -- telnet/rlogin, anonymous ftp
             ftp.tex.ac.uk [134.151.79.32] -- anonymous ftp, gopher, NFS
               For telnet access, login: public, password: public
      For anonymous ftp, login: anonymous, password: <your-e-mail-address>
                                        
                              *** Mail server ***
                        Send mail to [email-masked]
                   with message body containing the word HELP
                                        
\section FILES OF INTEREST

    [tex-archive]00readme.txt
    [tex-archive]00index.files        [tex-archive]0000index.zip_vve
    [tex-archive]00last7days.files    [tex-archive]00last7days.zip_vve
    [tex-archive]00last30days.files   [tex-archive]00last30days.zip_vve

    [tex-archive.doc]TeX-FAQ.txt    (Frequently Asked Questions list)
    [tex-archive.doc]FAQ-Supplement-*.txt    (FAQ supplement)

\section DIGESTS

    This year's UKTeX back issues are stored in the archive in directory
      [tex-archive.digests.uktex.93]
    This year's TeXhax back issues are stored in the archive in directory
      [tex-archive.digests.texhax.93]
      Latest TeXhax: V94 #01

\section MEDIA DISTRIBUTIONS
    Postal addresses are given below.

\subsection Washington Unix TeX distribution tape
    Our latest copy of May/June 1991 contains:
    TeX 3.14, LaTeX 2.09, Metafont 2.7, plus many utilities
    suitable for Unix 4.2/4.3BSD & System V
    tar format, 1 file (36Mb)

    Send One Quarter-Inch Cartridge, QIC-120 or QIC-150 format
    (DC600A or DC6150) with envelope AND stamps for return
    postage to David Osborne (address below); due to currency
    exchange, this service is offered only within the UK.

\section TeX IMPLEMENTATIONS FOR SMALL COMPUTERS

\subsection PC and Mac disks

    From January 1994 the UK TeX Users' Group is distributing an
    emTeX kit for PCs, and an OzTeX kit for Macintosh. The cost
    covers copying and postage costs, and the shareware fee for
    OzTeX.  Each set costs \pounds30, and is available from
    Peter Abbott, 1 Eymore Close, Selly Oak, Birmingham B29 4LB.
    Cheques must be payable to `UKTUG'. Please note that this
    service **is available to UKTUG members only.**

    Each set comes with an installation guide, and (at least)
    full TeX and Metafont, a previewer, a PostScript driver, and
    CM fonts. Two update disks a year will be sent out
    automatically, with the current version of LaTeXe, and other
    goodies. A subscription service will be available for
    subsequent years. In addition, subscribers can request up to
    3 disks a year with any material from the CTAN archives, but
    this will be supplied `as is', without instructions.

    OzTeX and emTeX are also available on disk from TeX Users Group;
    mail TUG for details.

\subsection TeX for the Atari ST

    Enquiries for TeX for the Atari ST etc. can be directed to:
    The Fast Club, 7 Musters Road, Nottingham NG2 7PP. Phone
    0602 455250, fax 0602 455305. They also supply a variety of
    TeX-related software in Atari format.

    Enquiries for disks etc. can also be directed to:
    The South West Software Library, P.O. Box 562, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2YD
    Internet: [email-masked]

\section POSTAGE RATES
    Quarter-inch cartridges:
            UK: 1.00,  Europe: 2.00.

\section POSTAL ADDRESSES
    Please include SELF-ADDRESSED ADHESIVE LABELS for return postage.

    Peter Abbott
    Information Systems, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET
    Internet: [email-masked]

    David Osborne
    Cripps Computing Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD
    (for Unix cartridges ONLY -- must include stamps for return postage)
    Internet: [email-masked]

    TeX Users Group
    P.O. Box 869, Santa Barbara, CA 93102, USA.
    Internet: [email-masked]
    
\section UK TeX USERS GROUP
    Details available from
    Jonathan Fine, 203 Coldhams Lane, Cambridge CB1 3HY, UK
    or from
    Internet: [email-masked]

\bye

End of UKTeX Digest [Volume 94 Issue 7]
***************************************