[tex-k] Bug (typo) in Metafont program, Section 90, Procedure "confusion"

[Gregor Purdy]

Lol if so maybe list as a non-errata?

:)

-- gregor

> On Jun 12, 2023, at 1:51 AM, Jonathan Kew <jfkthame at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Gregor,
> 
> I don't think this is a bug or typo; I've always understood it to be a little joke. The message indicates an internal error in the program, and is hinting at the idea of being stuck endlessly repeating its last words of output...
> 
> JK
> 
>> On 12/06/2023 01:00, Gregor Purdy wrote:
>> Greetings,
>> On page 36 of METAFONT: The Program, in Section 90 which defines procedure `confusion` which calls `help1` with an argument ending in the duplication "...who can fix can fix". This should be just “...who can fix” (or something similar).
>> I just checked a copy of mf.web I obtained recently from https://www.tug.org/svn/texlive/trunk/Build/source/texk/web2c/mf.web?revision=57915 <https://www.tug.org/svn/texlive/trunk/Build/source/texk/web2c/mf.web?revision=57915>, and it still has this error in it.
>> I also just checked the known errata last updated 2021-02-05 at http://mirrors.ctan.org/systems/knuth/dist/errata/mf84.bug <http://mirrors.ctan.org/systems/knuth/dist/errata/mf84.bug> and did not see a reference to it being previously reported.
>> Per the instructions at https://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/abcde.html <https://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/abcde.html> I am sending this error report to tex-k at tug.org <mailto:tex-k at tug.org> for vetting.
>> Best,
>> — Gregor Neal Purdy
>> gregor at abcelo.com <mailto:gregor at abcelo.com>
>