Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    Re: .0 (Jim)
    
    Well I can be of some little help.
    
    First, TeX is a typesetting language so your source is to direct 
    how the output should look and not the output itself (as you knw
    to get as far as you did).  TeX when compling generates DVI files
    which stands for Device Independant files.  The concept being that
    different drivers print the DVI file exactly the same (as much as
    possible) in whatever medium they represent ASCII, PostScript, etc.
    [Again, this is just wordy review .. sorry :-(]
    
    DVIprint analyzes the DVI file and atempts to print them.  It knws
    the fonts you've used and generates the sizes based on DVI inputs
    and the type of device your using.  Once it has these sizes it looks
    for TeX PK Fonts to actually tell it how to produce the characters
    in question.  
    
    PK Fonts must exist for each point size of each font your using.  PK
    stands for Packed font.  Typically original fonts are created using 
    another source language and run through anther of Knuth's programs
    METAFONT.  METAFONT produces any point size you desire of the font in
    question and makes a GF file (Generic Font).  After METAFONT, you run
    GFtoPK to make a PK font from a GF font (they are considerably
    smaller).
    
    Where does this leave you?  With two routes to go:
    
    	1) Find the PK fonts you need.  On Internet ftp.uni-passau.de in
    	   directory /pub/amiga/tex/fonts are fonts for the previewer sizes
    	   and most all printers 180dpi, 300dpi (post), 360dpi, etc.
    
    	   Copy these up to your amiga and unpack them in TeX:pk/... each
    	   under a subdirectory of the point size.  The entirety of the
    	   fonts on ftp.uni-passau.de is about 10Mbytes compressed, and
    	   more like 15Mbytes on your drive.
    
    	   Best bet here is to note the fonts and sizes you need from the
    	   DVIprint error message.
    
    	2) Get the METAFONT program its on EOT::AMIGA:[UPLOADS] in and get
    	   the METAFONT sources *.mf from Denmark or from any other place
    	   for the fonts you need and use METAFONT to generate the fonts
    	   you need.
    
    	   Generating fonts is slow but once one is made its there forever
    	   so eventually you'll have a full font set.  Also you'll only
    	   have the fonts you need saving space.
    
    	   If your running AmigaOS V2.04 or have ARexx, PasTeX has a rexx
    	   package to automatically have METAFONT build the PK fonts you
    	   need if they don't exist.
    
    A neat point here is that TeX is TeX.  The METAFONT sources, GF Fonts,
    and  Fonts distributed for use under ULTRIX, UNIX, or by DECus for
    VAX/VMS are 100% compatible with PasTeX on the Amiga.  So, you can get
    alot of these fonts by simply going to the TEX notesfile and fininghe
    DECus distribution ... or by fishing around in DECWRL::/pub/tex.
    
    Finally, if DVIprint can't find a font it simply doesn't print anything
    for those characters ... hence your blank spaces.
    
    Sorry about the long-winded-ness but I grabbed PasTeX blind about 8mths
    ago and am trying to save yu some confusion that I enjoyed :-)...
    
    George
    

George,

Thanks VERY much for your reply. As I am brand new into using PASTEX, your
explanation was extremely helpful, and explained why I could view the files on
Showdvi, but not print them off.

I will try to get hold of the Pk fonts and give it another bash.

Thanks a lot for your help.

best regards,

	Jim

    Hi, I know this isn't the right place but it's only a small problem.
    
    I recently (yesterday) got PasTeX from EOT:: and succesfully installed
    it at home.
    This morning I copied the file 'DECWRL::"pub/text/TeX/tex/texbook.tex"'
    (nearly 3000 blocks) to my/a account and like to print it from there,
    as it is to big to be shipped home on a disk.
    
    I tried printing it using VAX DOCUMENT but the manual is gone and I
    can't get it to work.
    If someone out there knows how to get a TEX-file into a POST-file, I'd
    be very greatfull.
    
    Hope on a quick responce, (email ?)
    
    				Frank Ederveen

    Re: .3
    
    The file texbook.tex won't work.  This file is the source for D.
    Knuth's TeXbook, the published book about TeX.  First, the source is
    hotwired not to compile.  Second, the TeXbook source requires MANY
    fonts that you probably don't have.  Suggestion is to buy the TeXbook
    at your local bookstore.
    
    As to your question, TeX is a source language.  The TeX file must be
    compiled through TeX first to produce an object file called the DVI
    file.  This is a device-independant ``picture'' of your file.  Next
    the DVI file must be processed through a ``DVI Driver''.  The Driver
    is specific to what type of printer your trying to print to.  Thus, t
    turn a TeX file into PostScript(tm), you must:
    
    	1) compile the TeX source		csh> tex texbook.tex
    	2) run the dvi driver for ps		csh> dvips texbook.dvi
    	3) print the file			csh> lpr texbook.ps
    
    A good public domain guide for TeX is the "Gentle Introduction to TeX"
    If I can find the PS source I'll publish it t EOT.  This is for Plain
    TeX only ... as is the TeX book.  For LaTeX, checkout the "Essential
    LaTeX" public domain document or Leslie Lamport's "LaTeX: A Document
    Preparation System" (L. Lamport is the author of LaTeX and a DECie!).
    
    Just in case (and in my wordy tradition):
    
    Plain TeX by D. Knuth is a markup language that is very extensible and
    programable.  New command macros are easily created.  LaTeX is actually
    just a macro package placed on top of TeX.  This can be done because
    TeX allows you to create a "format file" that contains your own macros
    and thus automatically have them available when you run TeX.
    
    For the VAX-Document junkies in the house, LaTeX is the closest thing
    to VAX-Document there is.  For example:
    
    	<COMMENT>
    	This is a VAX Document Example
    	<ENDCOMMENT>
    	<CHAPTER>(The Moose is Coming)
    	<HEAD1>(Animals)
    	<P>All about animals.
    	<HEAD2>(Moose)
    	<P>The moose is awfully big.
    	<HEAD2>(Man)
    	<P>What man has to do with mooses, I'll never know.
    
    In LaTeX the same source is:
    
    	% This is a LaTeX Example
    	\chapter{The Moose is Coming}
    	\section{Animals}
    	\par
    	All about animals.
    	\subsection{Moose}
    	\par
    	The moose is awfully big.
    	\subsection{Man}
    	\par
    	What man has to with mooses, I'll never know.
    
    Also, unlike Plain TeX, LaTeX supports the concepts of "styles".  A
    style file can be included which determines how page numbers look, hw
    things are numbered, etc. again like a VAX Document Document Style.
    
    Stay tuned for more TeX information! :-)
    
    George