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diff --git a/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_1/bv61rev.tex b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_1/bv61rev.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e812957ab3 --- /dev/null +++ b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_1/bv61rev.tex @@ -0,0 +1,129 @@ +\begin{multicols}{2}[\Section{Walnut Creek \TeX\ CDROM}] + +\let\Section\section + +\title{Part 1: A user's view} + +\author{J. M. Bowsher} + +\begin{article} +I first heard of the \emph{Walnut Creek} \TeX\ CDROM (actually a pair of +disks) when my faithful hardware and software suppliers {\it Systems +Solutions} sent me a list of their latest CDROMs. I asked Peter Abbott +about it when I renewed my subscription to \ukt, and he surprised me by +sending me a copy to review and asking me to write down my opinions as +one who works alone and is not connected to a network. + +The packaging is the usual for a pair of CDs, but the first thing I +noticed was the depressing little message on the first disk ``type GO to +start''; this warned me that the suppliers had IBM PC users only in +mind. Fortunately, the disks are in ISO~9660 format, so my Atari ST was +able to read them with no problems --- I expect that other platforms +would have no difficulty either. However, I found when I accessed the +first `readme' file that \emph{Walnut Creek} have used a format for +informative text files which required me to use my word processor to +read them; the ROM based ASCII text reader I normally use placed all the +text, apart from the first couple of lines, off the right hand edge of +the screen. \emph{Walnut Creek} provide in the root partition of the +first disk what they claim is a powerful and versatile viewer, but they +have failed to help workers on platforms other than the IBM PC --- there +are no viewing programs for other systems. + +The root partition `readme' file told me that the CDROM contains, +\emph{inter alia}, a snapshot of the \textsc{ctan} + archive taken between February +and March 1995; it would therefore seem to be of considerable utility to +the \TeX\ community; I look forward to reading the second part of this +review by a \TeX\ expert. The first thing \emph{I} did after reading +that first `readme' file was rush to the `systems' folder and see what +was in it. The following systems are included: Acorn Archimedes, Amiga, +Atari, Common \TeX, Knuth (Knuth's original sources), Mac, MSDOS, NT, +OS2, Unix, VM-cms, VMS, web2c. I next discovered --- and this, I feel, +is a very serious drawback --- that at least four different compression +algorithms are used on this pair of disks. After only a few minutes +searching around, I found \texttt{ARC}, \texttt{LZH}, \texttt{ZIP} and +\texttt{ZOO} extensions, but no decompression facilities were provided +in any of the systems sub-folders I looked through. I feel that the +suppliers should have placed in each of the `systems' sub-folders, a set +for \emph{that} system of executable decompression programs for every +compression method used. Those on systems using $8 + 3$ character file +names should be aware that some of the files on this CDROM do not use +this naming convention. + +Obviously, I opened the Atari sub-folder first, but had to search +through my floppy storage box to unearth a \texttt{ZOO} decompresser (I +have never before had occasion to use \texttt{ZOO}) before I could +discover that it contained version 7.00 of the Christoph Strunk \TeX\ +shell I use, and also a late version of the alternative Lindner shell. +I installed version 7.00 on my machine as it is very pleasant to use +English commands, but was sad to see that much of the supporting +documentation is still in German. There are also several folders of +useful utilities including, for example, many +\texttt{dvi}~$\rightarrow$~printer drivers. Who knows, one of the +600~dpi laser printer drivers may even work! + +A quick survey of other systems revealed that they seem to be provided +for in a similar manner. I couldn't check that things worked, of +course, but there were folders full of what looked like comparable +material to that I had gone through in my native folder. I leave the +discussion of the other, more basic, \TeX\ material to my fellow +reviewer. I noticed lots of useful stuff; for example, hundreds of +fonts (including a way of using printer resident Hewlett Packard laser +fonts) in addition to the expected \texttt{cm}, \texttt{dc} etc. + +Thus my opinion is that this CDROM would be a versatile addition to +almost anyone's collection provided they have the patience (if not using +an IBM PC) to sort out decompression and file location problems. My +file finding accessory deserved a much needed rest after working on this +CDROM for a few hours! +\end{article} + +\title{Part 2: An archivist's view} + +\author{Sebastian Rahtz} +\begin{article} + +There have been four \textsc{ctan} CDROM collections that we know of. +There were sections on CD even before the formal `opening' of the +archive setup by George Greenwade in 1993 at Aston, thanks to Prime +Time Freeware's offering, but the first full set was that issued by +PTF in mid 1994. They planned a yearly update, but we are still +waiting for a second edition; meanwhile, Walnut Creek issued their two +disk set in mid 1995, and recently the German \TeX\ Users Group, +Dante, has produced another one, which has not yet been seen in the UK +(it is for `members only', in that delightfully open way Dante has). + +When the Prime Time Freeware CD came out, it was criticized for being +all compressed using ZIP (which was better than the myriad methods +used on the 1992 disk), which meant that all of \LaTeX, for instance, +was in one giant archive. The Walnut Creek CD is better, because +everything is uncompressed, as you would find it on the archives (from +a year ago --- and much has changed since then), but +the downside is that because there are two disks, what you want is +always on the other one. Apart from that, it is a great convenience +having a \textsc{ctan} snapshot at home, or in an unconnected office, +and I congratulate Walnut Creek for producing it. + +Is a \textsc{ctan} dump a good idea, however? The most successful \TeX\ +CD is the 4All\TeX\ offering from NTG, which allows DOS users to run +straight from a mounted disk if they like, and this can never be the +case with a \textsc{ctan} dump. Do users want an archive, or a usable +file system? With the increasing use of compound \texttt{docstrip} +sources for \LaTeX\ packages, we need to \emph{install} material before +we use it. The standard directory structure recently described by the +TUG TDS working group is a vital stage in making the dream of a +complete, usable, \TeX\ file system on a single CD come true, and I +expect to see an offering this year. + +We need both \textsc{ctan} dumps for the unconnected, and TDS standard +file systems for `plug-n-play'ers. \textsc{ctan} will continue to +provide the raw material, but I hope that CD producers will spend more +on adding value, and understanding the content. The Walnut Creek CD is +useful, but not very useful for the complete beginner; it has not been +done in consultation with the \textsc{ctan} maintainers, which is a +pity. + +\end{article} + + +\end{multicols} |