[tex-k] Bug in TeX (or LaTeX)

[Robin Fairbairns]

Samuel Lauber writes (quoting me):

> >> But strangely, with the LaTeX executable running plain, the same
> >> thing happens, but it displays the message more than once.
> >
> > i'm not sure i understand what you mean here.  latex "executables" are
> > typically merely some virtex-equivalent which is programmed to run the
> > format corresponding to the link's name.  plain (which is the source
> > for a format) won't read into an executable that's already got a
> > format loaded.
>
> As explained in the Web2C manual, the format loaded is the
> name of the executable.  Under most setups, latex is a
> symlink to tex.  It _does_ have an effect.  After all,
> there _is_ a file called `tex.fmt'.  See Web2C manual et
> alia.  The `\input plain' part just might be a peculiarity
> of the fact that I'm on DJGPP and the way symlinks are
> implemented for executables.  I'll attach my texput.log.

this still doesn't explain (to me) what the first bit (above) is
talking about.  it does tell me that your installation (djgpp) is one
i've no experience of; so perhaps "running plain using the latex
executable" makes sense there.  (not that you make that clear.)

however, none of this is actually apposite.  what you describe as a
bug in latex is a fact of life (garbage in, garbage out), as i
explained.