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author | Norbert Preining <norbert@preining.info> | 2019-09-28 03:00:42 +0000 |
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committer | Norbert Preining <norbert@preining.info> | 2019-09-28 03:00:42 +0000 |
commit | f41a5d46017f730e9586332f28744912872326f5 (patch) | |
tree | 0e7ebb355adbdb56ac9d1e236dd5cde0b71e1520 /help/uk-tex-faq/faq-getit.tex | |
parent | 5827a950592f8a91468bcd0b5963d1df8d3518d8 (diff) |
CTAN sync 201909280300
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diff --git a/help/uk-tex-faq/faq-getit.tex b/help/uk-tex-faq/faq-getit.tex deleted file mode 100644 index 8cdd9ccc5b..0000000000 --- a/help/uk-tex-faq/faq-getit.tex +++ /dev/null @@ -1,361 +0,0 @@ -% $Id: faq-getit.tex,v 1.11 2014/01/22 17:29:03 rf10 Exp $ - -\section{Acquiring the Software} - -\Question[Q-archives]{Repositories of \TeX{} material} - -To aid the archiving and retrieval of of \TeX{}-related files, a -\acro{TUG} working group developed the Comprehensive \TeX{} Archive -Network (\acro{CTAN}). Each \acro{CTAN} site has identical material, -and maintains authoritative versions of its material. These -collections are extensive; in particular, almost everything mentioned -in this \acro{FAQ} -is archived at the \acro{CTAN} sites (see the lists of software at the -end of each answer). - -There are two main \acro{CTAN} sites (in Germany and the \acro{UK}), -but users should ordinarily collect material via the % ! line break -\href{http://mirror.ctan.org/}{\acro{CTAN} mirror redirector} -(which connects you to a mirror that is in some sense ``near'' to -you). - -To access a particular thing through the \texttt{mirror.ctan.org} -mechanism, simply place the \acro{CTAN} path after the base -\acro{URL}; so -\URL{http://mirror.ctan.org/macros/latex/contrib/footmisc/} will -connect you to the \Package{footmisc} directory at some \acro{CTAN} -mirror. - -For details of how to find files at \acro{CTAN} sites, see -``\Qref*{finding \AllTeX{} files}{Q-findfiles}''. - -The \TeX{} user who has no access to any sort of -network may buy a copy of the archive as part of the -\Qref*{\texlive{} distribution}{Q-CD}; the disc is, necessarily, out -of date, but it is likely to be better than what (if anything) came -with your operating system. -\LastEdit{2012-12-14} - -\Question[Q-tds-zip]{Ready-built installation files on the archive} - -The \Qref*{\acro{TDS}}{Q-tds} is a simple structure, and almost all -files can be installed simply by putting them in the ``right'' place, -and updating a single index. (Note, this simple idea typically -doesn't work for fonts, unless they're distributed as \MF{} source.) - -The CTAN network is therefore acquiring ``\acro{TDS}-\acro{ZIP}'' files, -which have a built-in directory structure that matches the \acro{TDS}. -These files have to be built, and the \acro{CTAN} team has asked that -package authors supply them (the team will advise, of course, if the -author has trouble). The \acro{CTAN} team hopes that the extra work -involved will contribute to happier lives for package users, which in -turn must surely help keep the TeX community lively and active. - -At the time of writing, there are rather few \extension{tds.zip} -files (by comparison with the huge number of packages that are -available). As packages are updated, the number of files is -steadily increasing, but it will be a long time before the whole set -is covered. - -Use of the files is discussed in % ! line break -``\Qref*{installing using ready-built \acro{ZIP} files}{Q-inst-tds-zip}''. - -\Question[Q-nonfree]{What was the \acro{CTAN} \texttt{nonfree} tree?} - -When \acro{CTAN} was founded, in the 1990s, it was unusual to publish -the terms under which a \TeX{}-related package was distributed (or, at -any rate, to publish those terms formally). - -With the advent of the \TeX{} \emph{distributions}, however, people -started to realise the need for such information, to protect those who -create, distribute or sell the discs that hold the packages, etc. -With the licence information available, the distributors can decide -which packages may be distributed. - -The \acro{CTAN} team decided that it would be useful for users (and -distributors, not to say package authors) to separate packages that -were candidates for distribution, and those that were in some sense -``not free''. Thus was the \texttt{nonfree} tree born. - -From the start, the \texttt{nonfree} tree was controversial: the terms -under which a package would be placed on the tree were hotly -contested, and the \acro{CTAN} team were only able slowly to populate -the tree. It became obvious to the team that the project would never -have been completed. - -The \acro{CTAN} catalogue now records the nature of the licences of a -good proportion of the packages it describes (though there remain -several for which the licence is unknown, which is as good, for the -distributors, as a licence forbidding distribution). Since the -catalogue's coverage of \acro{CTAN} is good (and slowly improving), -the general rule for distributors has become -\begin{quote} -``if the package is listed in the catalogue, check there to see -whether you should distribute; if the package is not listed in the -catalogue, don't think of distributing it''. -\end{quote} -(The catalogue only has a modest % ! line break -\CTANhref{cat-licences}{list of licences}, but it covers the set used -by packages on \acro{CTAN}, with a wild-card ``\texttt{other-free}'' -which covers packages that the \acro{CTAN} administrators believe to -be free even though the authors haven't used a standard licence.) - -There is a corollary to the `general rule': if you notice something -that ought to be in the distributions, for which there is no catalogue -entry, please let the \acro{CTAN} team (\mailto{ctan@dante.de}) know. -It may well be that the package has simply been missed, but some aren't -catalogued because there's no documentation and the team just doesn't -understand the package. - -In the light of the above, the \texttt{nonfree} tree is being -dismantled, and its contents moved (or moved \emph{back}) to the main -\acro{CTAN} tree. So the answer to the question is, now, ``the -nonfree tree was a part of \acro{CTAN}, whose contents are now in -the main tree''. - -\Question[Q-uploads]{Contributing a file to the archives} - -You have something to submit to the archive~--- good news! - -Before we even start, here's a check-list of things to sort out: -\begin{enumerate} -\item Licence: in the spirit of \TeX{}, we hope for free software; in - the spirit of today's lawyer-enthralled society, \acro{CTAN} - provides a % ! line break - \href{http://mirror.ctan.org/help/Catalogue/licenses.html}{list of ``standard'' licence statements}. - Make sure that there's a formal statement of the licence of your - package, somewhere in the files you upload; beyond the \acro{CTAN} - installation, your package is a candidate for inclusion in \AllTeX{} - distributions~\dots{} and thereafter, also in operating system - distributions~\dots{} and the people who bundle all these things up - need a clear statement of your intent. -\item Documentation: it's good for users to be able to browse - documentation before downloading a package. You need at least a - plain text \File{README} file (exactly that name, upper case and no - \extension{txt} extension); in addition a - \acro{PDF} file of the package documentation, prepared for screen - reading, is highly desirable. -\item Name: endless confusion is caused by name clashes. If your - package has the same name as one already on \acro{CTAN}, or if your - package installation generates files of the same name as something - in a ``normal'' distribution, the \acro{CTAN} team will delay - installation while they check that you're doing the right thing: - they may nag you to change the name, or to negotiate a take-over - with the author of the original package. % beware line break - \Qref*{Browse the archive}{Q-findfiles} to ensure uniqueness. - - The name you choose should also (as far as possible) be somewhat - descriptive of what your submission actually \emph{does}; while - ``descriptiveness'' is to some extent in the eye of the beholder, - it's clear that names such as \File{mypackage} or \File{jiffy} - aren't suitable. -\end{enumerate} -You upload via the -\begin{flatversion} - CTAN upload redirector: \URL{http://www.ctan.org/upload} -\end{flatversion} -\begin{hyperversion} - \href{http://www.ctan.org/upload}{CTAN upload redirector} -\end{hyperversion} -(the archive's main page has a link). The upload page shows what it -needs to know, and allows you to enter the information. The mechanism -can only accept one file per upload: if you had intended to upload -lots of files, you need to bundle them into an `archive' file of some -sort; acceptable formats are \extension{zip} and \extension{tar.gz} -(most uploads are packed in \extension{zip} format). Once you have -completed your upload, the redirector assigns it to a member of the -team for processing. - -If you can't use this method, or if you find something confusing, ask -advice of the -\begin{flatversion} - \acro{CTAN} management team (\mailto{ctan@dante.de}). -\end{flatversion} -\begin{hyperversion} - \href{mailto:ctan@dante.de}{\acro{CTAN} management team} -\end{hyperversion} - -If your package is large, or regularly updated, it may be appropriate -to `mirror' your contribution direct into \acro{CTAN}. -Mirroring is only practical using \texttt{ftp} or \texttt{rsync}, so -this facility is limited to packages offered by a server that uses one -of those protocols. -\begin{ctanrefs} -\item[README.uploads]\CTANref{CTAN-uploads} -\end{ctanrefs} -\LastEdit{2013-01-31} - -\Question[Q-findfiles]{Finding \AllTeX{} files} - -Modern \TeX{} distributions contain a huge array of various sorts of -files, but sooner or later most people need to find something that's -not in their present system (if nothing else, because they've heard -that something has been updated). - -But how to find the files? - -Modern distributions (\texlive{} and \miktex{}, at least) provide the -means to update your system ``over the net''. This is the minimum -effort route to getting a new file: `simply' find which of the -distribution's `packages' holds the file in question, and ask the -distribution to update itself. The mechanisms are different (the two -distributions exhibit the signs of evolutionary divergence in their -different niches), but neither is difficult~--- see % ! line break -``\Qref*{using \miktex{} for installing}{Q-inst-miktex*}'' and % ! line break -``\Qref*{using \texlive{} for installing}{Q-inst-texlive}''. - -There are packages, though, that aren't in the distribution you use -(or for which the distribution hasn't yet been updated to offer the -version you need). - -Some sources, such as these \acro{FAQ} answers, provide links to -files: so if you've learnt about a package here, you should be able to -retrieve it without too much fuss. - -Otherwise, \acro{CTAN} provides a full-text search, at its -\href{http://www.ctan.org/}{`central database'} site, as well as -topic- and author-based indexes and a link to browse the archive -itself. - -% Two search mechanisms are offered: the simpler search, locating files -% by name, simply scans a list of files (\File{FILES.byname}~--- see -% below) and returns a list of matches, arranged neatly as a series of -% links to directories and to individual files. - -% The more sophisticated search looks at the contents of each catalogue -% entry, and returns a list of catalogue entries that mention the -% keywords you ask for. - -An alternative way to scan the catalogue is to use the catalogue's -% ! line break -\href{http://mirrors.ctan.org/help/Catalogue/bytopic.html}{``by topic'' index}; -this is an older mechanism than the topic-based search (above), but is -well presented (even though its data has not been updated for some time). - -In fact, \ProgName{Google}, and other search engines, can be useful -tools. Enter your search keywords, and you may pick up a package that -the author hasn't bothered to submit to \acro{CTAN}. - -A user of \ProgName{Google} can restrict the search to -\acro{CTAN} by entering -\begin{quote} - \texttt{site:ctan.org tex-archive \meta{search term(s)}} -\end{quote} -in \ProgName{Google}'s ``search box''. You can also enforce the -restriction using \ProgName{Google}'s ``advanced search'' mechanism; -other search engines (presumably) have similar facilities. - -Many people avoid the need to go over the network at all, for their -searches, by downloading the file list that the archives' web -file searches use. This file, \File{FILES.byname}, -presents a unified listing of the archive (omitting directory names and -cross-links). Its companion \File{FILES.last07days} is also useful, to -keep an eye on the changes on the archive. Since these files are -updated only once a day, a nightly automatic download (using -\ProgName{rsync}) makes good sense. -\begin{ctanrefs} -\item[FILES.byname]\CTANref{f-byname} -\item[FILES.last07days]\CTANref{f-last7} -\LastEdit{2014-03-19} -\end{ctanrefs} - -\Question[Q-findfont]{Finding new fonts} - -Nowadays, new fonts are seldom developed by industrious people using -\mf{}, but if such do appear, they will nowadays be distributed in -the same way as any other part of \alltex{} collections. (An -historical review of Metafont fonts available is held on \acro{CTAN} -as ``\mf{} font list''.) - -Nowadays, most new fonts that appear are only available in some -scalable outline form, and a large proportion is distributed under -commercial terms. Such fonts will only make their way to the free -distributions (at least \texlive{} and \miktex{}) if their licensing -is such that the distributions can accept them. Commercial fonts -(those you have to pay for) do not get to distributions, though -support for some of them is held by \acro{CTAN}. - -Arranging for a new font to be usable by \alltex{} is very different, -depending on which type of font it is, and which \tex{}-alike engine -you are using; roughly speaking: -\begin{itemize} -\item MetaFont fonts will work without much fuss (provided their - sources are in the correct place in the installation's tree); - \tex{}-with-\ProgName{dvips}, and \pdftex{} are ``happy'' with them. - While a new font will need `generating' (by running \mf{}, etc.), - distributions are set up to do that ``on the fly'' and to save the - results (for next time). -\item Adobe Type 1 fonts can be made to work, after \extension{tfm} - and (usually) \extension{vf} files have been created from their - metric (\extension{afm}) files; \extension{map} files also need to - be created. Such fonts will work with \pdftex{}, and with the - (`vanilla')\alltex{} and \ProgName{dvips} combination. -\item TrueType fonts can be made to work with \pdftex{}~--- see -% ! line break -\href{http://www.radamir.com/tex/ttf-tex.htm}{Using TrueType fonts with \tex{}\dots{}} - (a rather dated document, dicsussing use with \miktex{}~1.11). -\item TrueType and OpenType fonts are the usual sort used by \xetex{} - and \luatex{}; while straightforward use is pretty easy, one is - well-advised to use a package such as \Package{fontspec} to gain - access to the full range of a font's capabilities. -\end{itemize} - -The answer ``\Qref*{choice of scalable fonts}{Q-psfchoice}'' discusses -fonts that are configured for general (both textual and mathematical) -use with \AllTeX{}. The list of such fonts is sufficiently short that -they \emph{can} all be discussed in one answer. -\begin{ctanrefs} -\item[fontspec.sty]\CTANref{fontspec} -\item[\nothtml{\rmfamily}\MF{} font list]\CTANref{mf-list} -\end{ctanrefs} -\LastEdit{2014-01-21} - -\Question[Q-CD]{The \TeX{} collection} - -If you don't have access to the Internet, there are obvious -attractions to \TeX{} collections on a disc. Even those with net -access will find large quantities of \TeX{}-related files to hand a -great convenience. - -The \TeX{} collection provides this, together with -ready-to-run \TeX{} systems for various architectures. The collection -is distributed on \acro{DVD}, and contains: -\begin{itemize} -\item The \texlive{} distribution, including the programs themselves - compiled for a variety of architectures; \texlive{} may be - run from the \acro{DVD} or installed on hard disc. -\item Mac\TeX{}: an easy to install \TeX{} system for MacOS/X, based - on \texlive{}; this distribution includes a native Mac installer, - % ! line break - \href{http://www.uoregon.edu/~koch/texshop/}{the \TeX{}Shop front-end} - and other Mac-specific tools; -\item Pro\TeX{}t: an easy to install \TeX{} system for Windows, based - on \miktex{}, based on an `active' document that guides - installation; and -\item A snapshot of \acro{CTAN}. -\end{itemize} -A fair number of national \TeX{} User Groups, as well as \acro{TUG}, -distribute copies to their members at no extra charge. Some user -groups are also able to sell additional copies: -contact your local user group or \Qref*{\acro{TUG}}{Q-TUG*}. - -You may also download disc images from \acro{CTAN}; the installation -disc, Pro\TeX{}t and Mac\TeX{} are all separately available. Beware: -they are all pretty large downloads. \texlive{}, once installed, may -be updated online. - -More details of the collection are available from -\begin{hyperversion} - \href{http://www.tug.org/texcollection/}{its own web page} - on the \acro{TUG} site. -\end{hyperversion} -\begin{flatversion} - its own web page on the - \acro{TUG} site \URL{http://www.tug.org/texcollection/} -\end{flatversion} -\begin{ctanrefs} -\item[Mac\TeX{}]\CTANref{mactex} -\item[Pro\TeX{}t]\CTANref{protext} -\item[\texlive{} install image]\CTANref{texlive} -\end{ctanrefs} - |