Some comments on CTAN:info/tdscd

[Ulrik Vieth]

Hi Sebastian et al.,

1. After so much discussion last week I gave in and regenerated all
the texi2html documentation to ensure that filenames remain uniqiue
when truncated to 8+3.  While I was at it I also regenerated all the
Info files for the same reason.  Expect my uploads at ftp.tex.ac.uk.

2. I had a look at the files you placed on CTAN:info/tdscd and noted
the following problems (some of this may be TDS releveant but most
of it is probably only of interest for Sebastian and Thomas):

* tdscd/isoed:

> Using MAKEFILE.000;1 for  ./texmf/doc/latex/rotating/makefile (Makefile)

This conflict between a "Makefile" and "makefile" in the same
directory looks suspiciously like an installation problem that 
should be resolved somehow, i.e. there shouldn't ever be more 
than one [Mm]akefile in the same directory in the first place.

> Using DC.000;1 for  ./texmf/dvips/base/dc.enc (DC.enc)

This conflict between "DC.enc" and "dc.enc" looks like a mixup of 
the stuff that comes with fontname-2.0 and with the dvips sources.
If I remeber correctly, "DC.enc" and "EC.enc" are some old versions
of "dc.enc" and "cork.enc".  This should also be cleaned up.

* tdscd/files:

> /teTeX/doc:
> german
> 
> /teTeX/doc/german:
> koma-script
> 
> /teTeX/doc/german/koma-script:
> scr_new1.dvi
[...]
> scrguide.dvi

Doesn't that belong into teTeX/texmf/doc/german ?

> /teTeX/texmf/bibtex/bib:
> README
> harvard
> 
Where's mrabbrev.bib (from AMS-LaTeX)?
Where's xampl.bib (from BibTeX)?

> /teTeX/texmf/doc/babel:

Should be texmf/doc/generic/babel according to TDS.

> /teTeX/texmf/doc/dc:

Should be texmf/doc/fonts/dc.  In fact, that directory already exists,
but the contents is slightly different.  So what's messed up here?
BTW, it would be nice to include a DVI file of dcdoc.tex as well.

> /teTeX/texmf/doc/fontname:
> ChangeLog
> README
> fontname.dvi

Should be texmf/doc/fonts/fontname.  I'm also doubtful whether
ChangeLog will be of interest for anyone, if the full sources
aren't kept here.

> /teTeX/texmf/doc/help:
> CTAN.sites
> TeX-FAQ
> TeX-index
> csname.txt
> ctan.dat
> tds.dvi
> unixtex.ftp

Should have subdirectories help/ctan, help/faq, etc. according 
to TDS.  At least, that's what the doc summary figure says.

I'd suggest to add the UK TUG FAQ here as well.  It's certainly
better than the old Usenet FAQ.

> /teTeX/texmf/doc/latex/base:
> 00readme.txt
> Makefile.unx
> alltt.dtx
> alltt.ins
[...]

What are all the .dtx and .ins files doing here?  Doesn't the TDS 
say explicitly that thex belong into texmf/source/latex/base:

-- from tds.tex --
\item[\path|source|] for sources.  This includes both traditional
program sources (for example, \application{Web2c} sources go in
\path|texmf/source/web2c|) and {\LaTeX} \path|dtx| sources (which go in
\path|texmf/source/latex|).
------------------

IMHO, texmf/doc/latex/base should only include the following:

 - *.txt (perhaps not even all of them)
 - *.err 
 - ltnews*.{tex,dvi}
 - *guide.{tex,dvi}
 - {small2e,sample2e}.tex (but also in tex/latex/base)
 - *.dvi (for any other formatted source documentation)

The same applies for texmf/doc/latex/{graphics,tools}, except
that graphics should also include .ps files, not only .dvi.

> /teTeX/texmf/doc/latex/revtex:

This looks incomplete.  There should be DVI files for all
man*.tex files, but there's probably no need for PS files.

> /teTeX/texmf/doc/latex/styles:
[...]
> here.doc
> index.doc
> ulem.doc

I believe these are old (pre-LaTeX2e) .doc (pre-.dtx) files 
that should be LaTeXable somehow to produce DVI documentation.  
They are not necessarily meant to be read in source form.

> /teTeX/texmf/doc/latex/umlaute:
> anleitung.dvi
> umlaute.dvi

Might this is belong into texmf/doc/latex/german perhaps?  
(This package has been largely obsoleted by "inputenc" anyhow, 
but who knows who might be relying on it...)

> /teTeX/texmf/doc/programs:
> dvipsk.dvi
> info-stnd.dvi
> info.dvi
> kpathsea.dvi
> makeinfo.dvi

Where's texinfo.dvi?  I guess that would be more interesting
than makeinfo, info and info-stnd.

> /teTeX/texmf/fonts/tfm:
[...]
> bitstrea
> bitstream

Why both of these?

> dcbi0500.tfm
> dcbi0600.tfm
> ...
> dctt2074.tfm
> dctt2488.tfm
> jknappen
> monotype

Something must have been screwed up here!

> /teTeX/texmf/fonts/tfm/jknappen:
> tc

Ah yes, "dc" is missing here. There's where it should have been.

> /teTeX/texmf/fonts/tfm/public/mflogo:

logobf10.tfm is missing!

> /teTeX/texmf/sources:

TDS says "texmf/source" (without trailing `s')!  Here's where I would
expect to see a lot of stuff in texmf/source/{generic,latex}/<package>/...
In fact, you might put all the teTeX/extra-distrib stuff from CTAN here.

> /teTeX/texmf/tex/initex:
> latex209

> /teTeX/texmf/tex/initex/latex209:
> initex

> /teTeX/texmf/tex/initex/latex209/initex:
> latex.tex

What's this doing here?  "texmf/tex/initex" has been gone long since.
This stuff obviously belongs into texmf/tex/latex209/base/...

> /teTeX/texmf/tex/plain/base:
[...]

Should add at least logmac.tex (neeeded to TeX Knuth's errorlog.tex).
There are also some more variations of (l)list.tex in last year's
distribution of systems/knuth/local/lib.  However, I'm unconvinced
that they should all go in the plain/base.

> /teTeX/texmf/tex/plain/misc:
[...]
> dcstdedt.tex

I don't think dcstdedt.tex makes much sense here.  It's just an utility
file to create mf source files and should go whereever the corresponding
sources are, i.e. texmf/fonts/source/jknappen/dc/.

> epsf.tex

There's already an "epsf.tex" in tex/generic/dvips, so I don't think
it's needed here (unless it includes some extra hacks by Knuth, but
I guess that hacked version is called xepsf.tex).

> /teTeX/texmf/web2c:
> biglatex.fmt
> latex.fmt
> latex.log

Which languages for hypenation tables will be configured into the
distributed latex.fmt file on the CD?  Remember that this is something
that users may well want to configure, so it would be a good idea to
set up texmf.cnf, so that format files by default will also be searched 
in the corresponding directory on disk, no just on the CD.


General comments:

1.  I would find the output of "find /teTeX -print | sort" easier
    to check than the output of "ls -R /teTeX".  

2.  If time permits in the production cycle, it might be a good idea
    to have someone (us?) check the contents of a preliminary CD 
    for problems, mismatches, mix-ups, etc. as mentioned above before 
    releasing it to the general public.

Cheers, Ulrik.


P.S. Another suggestions:

What about including other related software such as Acrobat readers
or WWW brosers for those Unix platforms where they are available?
They usually come as binary distributions anyway and sometimes even
include a fool-proof installation routine to set them up if they 
don't come fully set up.  (And if we can't get binaries for all 
our platforms, one could say ``Hey Adobe, we've got 17 platforms,
you've got only 5, so when will you do something about the rest?'')