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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. Having consulted the <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/windows-10-s-planning">technical
guideline</a>s describing the constraints placed on a program
which is to run in S-mode, TeX's development/implementation team are
very concerned that because (for example) TeX makes widespread use
of CMD.exe, that in itself is 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 how these obstacles to the inclusion of TeX (and its
adjunct programs) in the Microsoft Store portfolio 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:part3.CDF6FAE9.91E95B79@Rhul.Ac.Uk"
alt="<Signature>" class=""><br>
Philip Taylor</div>
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