[texhax] TeX -> PostScript, but in a resolution-independent manner

[Karl Berry]

    But if DVI files don't include the glyph shapes, how can they be
    really device-independent? 

They are device independent in the sense that the output from TeX does
not depend on the eventual output device.  

    What if I send my DVI file to someone, who has slightly different
    fonts installed? Wouldn't I get different results then?

Certainly.  In fact, this happens all the time -- consider a write/white
printer vs. write/black.  Not to mention a printer vs. a monochrome
display vs. a color display.  All will show different pixels.  So DVI
files cannot be device independent in the sense that every device will
show exactly the same pixels, that doesn't make sense.

    First I thought that a DVI file looks always the same, always and 

A DVI file doesn't really "look" like anything, because it does not
include the pixels for the glyphs.

What it does define is extremely precise positioning of the characters
and rules on a page.  Thus, it is still accurate to say that a given DVI
file will produce "the same" results on different output devices,
because all the black marks will be in the same places, as well as
possible for the physical output device.

Obviously it would be possible to configure a DVI driver such that a `B'
got output for character 65 instead of an `A' (in cmr10, let's say).
DVI format cannot prevent stupidity, it can only make excellent results
possible :).

    The only *updmap* file in my teTeX config I got is 
    /etc/texmf/dvips/updmap shell script. It had type1_default=false, 

Sounds like updmap has changed a lot in teTeX 2.  The teTeX list is
really the best place to ask about it.

    Unfortunately it's impossible for me to download the newer version right 

You might consider joining GUST (http://www.gust.org.pl/) or TUG
(tug.org) or some other user group.  One of the benefits is software
cd's, namely "TeX Live".  The next version should be getting produced in
early August, and it will include the latest teTeX.  (All the software
is also freely available over the Internet, but since you said you
couldn't download it ...)

k