[tex-k] unixtex.texi

[Karl Berry]

Olaf -- here is a new version of unixtex.texi.  I removed the obsolete
distributions that John reported, emphasized TeX Live even more, etc.

Hope this makes it into the next release.  Let me know if problems or
suggestions ...

@ifclear version
@defcodeindex fl
@defcodeindex op
@end ifclear

@node unixtex.ftp
@section @file{unixtex.ftp}: Obtaining @TeX{}

@cindex obtaining @TeX{}
@cindex retrieving @TeX{}

@flindex unixtex.ftp
@flindex tug.org
@flindex www.tug.org
@flindex ftp.tug.org
This
@iftex
chapter
@end iftex
is @uref{ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/unixtex.ftp}, last updated 14 December
2003.  Also available as @uref{http://www.tug.org/unixtex.ftp}.  The
IP address is currently @code{[130.225.2.178]}.  It is also in
Kpathsea source distributions as @file{etc/unixtex.ftp} (although the
network version is usually newer).  Mail @email{tex-k@@mail.tug.org}
with comments or questions.

Following are general instructions for Unix or other sites who wish to
acquire the Web2c distribution, (plain) @TeX{}, La at TeX{} (2e),
Bib at TeX{}, Metafont, MetaPost, DVI processors for the X window system,
PostScript, the PCL language in the HP LaserJet, and related programs.
They are oriented towards building from the original sources, though
some information on alternative packages is included in the last
section.  See also @uref{http://www.tug.org/web2c}, the Web2c and
Kpathsea home page.

Please note that the Web2c distribution is a bare-bones distribution
in source form, and building a complete installation from it is a
non-trivial matter.  For most uses, it is a better idea to install a
distribution with pre-packaged binaries for your platform.  The
principal example of such a distribution is te at TeX{}
(@uref{http://www.tug.org/applications/teTeX}), which is based on the
Web2c sources.

Please consider joining the @TeX{} Users Group (TUG) or another user
group of your choice to help support the maintenance and development
of the programs you retrieve.  Email @email{office@@tug.org} or see
@url{http://www.tug.org/join.html} for information and a membership
form.

For actual installation instructions after obtaining the necessary
sources, see @ref{Installation}.  A copy is in the distribution file
@file{kpathsea/INSTALL}.

@menu
* Electronic distribution::  CTAN and so forth.
* CD-ROM distribution::
* Other TeX packages::
@end menu

@c * Tape distribution::
@c used to be in this menu.

@node Electronic distribution
@subsection Electronic distribution

@cindex ftp retrieval
@cindex obtaining Web2c by ftp
@cindex distributions, via ftp

@cindex CTAN, defined
@cindex backbone of CTAN
In many places we refer to @var{CTAN:}.  This is @emph{both} a host name
and a directory name.  Here are the primary locations:

@example
@uref{ftp://ctan.tug.org/tex-archive}    @r{(Vermont, USA)}
@uref{ftp://ftp.dante.de/tex-archive}    @r{(Germany)}
@uref{ftp://ftp.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive}   @r{(England)}
@end example

@noindent
@flindex README.mirrors
@flindex CTAN.sites
@cindex mirrors, FTP
CTAN has many mirrors worldwide; see the top-level file
@file{README.mirrors} from one of the sites above or see
@url{http://www.tug.org/CTAN.sites}.

@cindex World Wide Web CTAN access
@cindex email CTAN access
@cindex NFS CTAN access
You can also access CTAN via the World Wide Web, electronic
mail, or NFS.  The same @file{README.mirrors} file explains how.

@cindex binary mode, for file transfers
You will need to retrieve some or all of the following archives,
depending on your needs (don't forget to set binary mode for file
transfers):

@table @asis
@item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/web.tar.gz}
@cindex Knuth, Donald E., original author
The original WEB source files, written primarily by Don Knuth.  Required
unless you already have this @file{web} version.  (The WEB sources
change irregularly with respect to Web2c itself.)  Unpacks into
@file{web2c- at var{version}}.

@item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/web2c.tar.gz}
The Web2c system.  Required.  Also unpacks into
@file{web2c- at var{version}}.

@item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/web2c-etex.tar.gz}
Additions to the Web2c system for building e- at TeX{}.  Optional.  Unpacks
into @file{web2c- at var{version}}.

@item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/etexlib.tar.gz}
Additions to the texmf tree needed to build e- at TeX{}.  Optional.
Unpacks into @file{texmf/}.

@item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/etexdoc.tar.gz}
Documentation for e- at TeX{} as an addition to the texmf tree.  Optional.
Unpacks into @file{texmf/}.

@item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/web2c-omega.tar.gz}
Additions to the Web2c system for building Omega.  Optional.  Unpacks
into @file{web2c- at var{version}}.

@item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/omegalib.tar.gz}
Additions to the texmf tree needed to build Omega.  Optional.  Unpacks
into @file{texmf/}.

@item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/omegadoc.tar.gz}
Documentation for Omega as an addition to the texmf tree.  Optional.
Unpacks into @file{texmf/}.

@item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/web2c-pdftex.tar.gz}
Additions to the Web2c system for building pdf at TeX{}.  Optional.
Unpacks into @file{web2c- at var{version}}.

@item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/pdftexlib.tar.gz}
Additions to the texmf tree needed to build pdf at TeX{}.  Optional.
Unpacks into @file{texmf/}.

@item @file{@var{CTAN:}/dviware/xdvik/xdvik.tar.gz}
X window system DVI previewer.  Unpacks into @file{xdvik- at var{version}}.
Optional.
@end table

Additional drivers, macro files, and other support are needed to build
a working system.  These are available in te at TeX{}.

All that said, the originating host for the software above is
@file{ftp.tug.org}.  You can retrieve these distributions (but not much
else) from the @file{tex/} directory on that host.


@node CD-ROM distribution
@subsection CD-ROM distribution

@cindex CD-ROM distributions
@cindex obtaining Web2c on CD-ROM
@cindex distributions, on CD-ROM

Numerous organizations distribute various @TeX{} CD-ROM's (and DVD's):

@itemize @bullet
@item
@cindex @TeX{} Live CD-ROM
Virtually all the @TeX{} user groups collaborate to produce the yearly
@cite{@TeX{} Live} distribution; email @email{tex-live@@mail.tug.org}
or see @url{http://www.tug.org/texlive}.

@item
@cindex Free Software Foundation
@cindex FSF Source Code CD-ROM
The Free Software Foundation's @cite{Source Code CD-ROM} contains the
minimal @TeX{} source distribution described in the previous section
(i.e., enough to print GNU documentation); email
@email{gnu@@gnu.org}.

@c Commented out: the information is outdated in way or another.

@c @item
@c The Gateway@! CD-ROM set contains a runnable NetBSD/Amiga distribution
@c and sources; see @url{http://www.netbsd.org/Sites/cdroms.html}.

@c @item
@c The InfoMagic CD-ROM is a copy of CTAN (see previous section); see
@c @url{http://www.infomagic.com}.

@c @item
@c @cindex 4all at TeX{} Live CD-ROM
@c @cindex NTG
@c NTG (Dutch-speaking @TeX{} user group) produced the 4all at TeX{} CD-ROM;
@c email @email{ntg@@nic.surfnet.nl}, or see
@c @url{http://www.ntg.nl/4allcd/}.  This is a runnable system.

@c @item
@c @cindex Prime Time @TeX{}cetera CD-ROM
@c The Prime Time @TeX{}cetera CD-ROM is also a copy of CTAN; email
@c @email{ptf@@ctcl.com} or see @url{http://www.ptf.com/ptf/}.

@c @item
@c @cindex Walnut Creek @TeX{} CD-ROM
@c Walnut Creek's @TeX{} CD-ROM is also a copy of CTAN; email
@c @email{info@@cdrom.com} or see
@c @url{http://www.cdrom.com:/titles/tex.html}.

@item
@cindex Linux, using Web2c
Most Linux distributions include some @TeX{} package based on
Web2c; see the Linux documentation file @samp{Distribution-HOWTO} for a
comparison of Linux distributions, available (for example) via
@url{http://www.linux.org}.
@end itemize

If you know of additional @TeX{} distributions to add to this
list, please inform @email{tex-k@@mail.tug.org}.

@ignore

@node Tape distribution
@subsection Tape distribution

@cindex tape distribution
@cindex obtaining @TeX{} on tape
@cindex distributions, on tape

@cindex Northwest Computing Support Center
@flindex unixtex@@u.washington.edu
@cindex support organization
You can obtain a complete @TeX{} distribution, including Web2c, on tape.
Contact:
@display
Pierre MacKay / Denny Hall, Mail Stop DH-10 / Department of Classics
University of Washington / Seattle, WA 98195 / USA
phone: 206-543-2268; email: @email{unixtex@@u.washington.edu}
@end display

At this writing, the distribution is available in @code{tar} format on
4 at dmn{mm} DAT cartridges, and the
cost is US$210.  Make checks payable to the University of Washington,
drawn on a U.S. bank.  Purchase orders are acceptable, but they carry an
extra charge of $10 to pay for invoice processing.  Overseas sites,
please add $20 for shipment via air parcel post, or $30 for shipment via
courier.

@end ignore

@node Other TeX packages
@subsection Other @TeX{} packages

@cindex other @TeX{} distributions
@cindex @TeX{} distributions besides Web2c

@cindex Amiga @TeX{} implementations
@cindex Acorn @TeX{} implementations
@cindex VMS @TeX{} implementations
@cindex Macintosh @TeX{} implementations
@cindex DOS @TeX{} implementations
@cindex Windows @TeX{} implementations
Many other @TeX{} implementations are available in
@file{@var{CTAN:}/systems}, including ready-to-run distributions for
Unix, Amiga, Acorn, VMS, Macintosh, DOS, and Windows (in various forms).
Although Web2c has support in the source code for many operating
systems, and in fact some of the other distributions are based on it,
it's unlikely to work as distributed on anything but Unix.  (Please
contribute improvements!)

@cindex te at TeX{}
@cindex precompiled Unix binaries
The Unix distribution alluded to above is the te at TeX{} distribution.
This includes both complete sources and precompiled binaries for many
popular Unix variants, including Linux. It is based on Web2c, and
contains many other @TeX{}-related programs as well.

@flindex labrea.stanford.edu
@cindex Knuth, Donald E., archive of programs by
The host @t{labrea.stanford.edu} is the original source for the files
for which Donald Knuth is directly responsible: @file{tex.web},
@file{plain.tex}, etc. However, unless you want to build your @TeX{}
library tree ab initio, it is more reliable and less work to retrieve
these files as part of the above packages. In any case, @t{labrea} is
not the canonical source for anything except what was created by
Stanford @TeX{} project, so do not rely on all the files available at
that ftp site being up-to-date.