[tex-live] suitability for inclusion in TeX Live

[Karl Berry]

Hi Gavin,

    Having done some reading and tinkering, I've got it working
    reasonably well (there are a few small syntax errors in the metafont
    which need correcting).

Is wnri maintained?  The files haven't been changed since 1993.  Can you
write Tom Ridgeway (I think he's still there) and see if he'll take the
updates?  Or maybe he'd like you should take over the package from him
:).

Ironically, the http://www.tug.org/tex-archive/fonts/wnri/README.top
file says:

> This software is being released during the testing phase on a
> `need-to-know'' basis; please do not re-post this message in
> the view of the general public 

Oops :).

    it would mean our school need not install it as a customisation
    each time.  

FWIW, this would not be needed anyway.  You can install stuff in a
parallel texmf-local tree that is not touched (but is nevertheless used)
by new releases.  This is the recommended approach for local additions,
and the manual goes into some detail about it.

    Are there very strict requirements for inclusion in the TeX Live?  

The biggest issue is licensing.  In this case, some of the wnri files
have no copyright, but the ones that do say GPL, so that is good.  It
would be best if every file said GPL, but we don't need to be that
persnickety about it.

    Would wngbr fit?

It is small, so I don't see a problem with adding it.

It'd be best for your updates to get onto CTAN first, but we can
manually tweak them in if need be.

Thanks,
karl