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Draft letter; comments welcomed.<br>
<br>
Dear <whoever> — <br>
<br>
I write on behalf of the TeX User Group, and on behalf of
(literally) millions of TeX users worldwide. TeX is a typesetting
system without equal, created by Professor Donald E. Knuth in 1978
in order to allow him to re-typeset <i>The Art of Computer
Programming </i>to the same standards as those achieved when the
first edition was published using traditional hot-lead technology.
Over the next four years Professor Knuth re-wrote substantial parts
of TeX and released TeX version 2, to be followed about a decade
later by version 3, the version almost universally used today.
Almost since its inception, TeX has run on Microsoft platforms —
Eberhard Mattes wrote emTeX for MS/DOS, others developed versions
for Microsoft Windows, and until now there have been no significant
difficulties in supporting each new version of Windows as it was
released.<br>
<br>
But recently, an <i>impasse</i> has been reached, with the
announcement of Windows 10 "S-mode". As you know, far better than
we, S-mode is intended to lock down Windows such that no program
that does not come directly from the Microsoft Store can be
installed and run. Now it is not entirely clear what the <i>technical</i>
requirements are in order for a program to be eligible for inclusion
in the Store's portfolio, but TeX's development/implementation team
are very concerned that because (for example) TeX makes widespread
use of CMD.exe, that in itself would be sufficient reason for TeX to
be disbarred.<br>
<br>
We would therefore be very grateful if you could nominate someone
within Microsoft with whom we could liaise directly, with a view to
ascertaining what obstacles there are to including TeX (and its
adjunct programs) in the Microsoft Store portfolio, and how these
might best be overcome.<br>
<br>
Many thanks in advance for any help you can offer :<br>
Philip Taylor<br>
for and on behalf of the TeX User Group.<br>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:0359257d-f12b-5b42-fd3c-8e51643c2b44@Rhul.Ac.Uk">
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Boris Veytsman wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:201812101911.wBAJBZpD009897@bilbo.localnet">
<pre wrap="">PT> From: Philip Taylor <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:P.Taylor@Rhul.Ac.Uk" moz-do-not-send="true"><P.Taylor@Rhul.Ac.Uk></a>
PT> Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2018 18:59:45 +0000
PT> Maybe if we [we]re to ask someone with a little tact and diplomacy to write
PT> the letter we might have a better chance.
Philip,
As the President of TUG I hereby designate you my representative
responsible for contacts with Microsoft. If you need my signature on
any document, let me know.
</pre>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<img src="cid:part2.56D8BE43.0B1D5BCA@Rhul.Ac.Uk"
alt="<Signature>"><br>
Philip Taylor</div>
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