This is a port of Common TeX 3.3 for OS/2 using EMX-0.8f. See the file COPYING for rights, responsibilities, and limitations. One of the best TeX implementations around is EmTeX. However, it has one "feature" that doesn't utilize the full capabilities of OS/2, especially when HPFS is used: long file names are not accepted. This port of Common TeX does not have this restriction. Features and Limitations ------------------------ Some limitations of Common Tex: o Parts from EmTeX like the tfm and tex input files are needed. The DVI programs from EmTeX will also be need if you want to see actual output. Here are some basic features of Common TeX: o Supports long file names on HPFS partitions. o Will not give "TeX out of memory" errors until you run out of virtual memory. o Preloads formats, which (marginally) speeds up loading. o Doesn't need TeX format files. o Runs about twice as fast as btexp. Installation ------------ Be sure to put the dll directory of this archive in your LIBPATH!!! You can install the executables anywhere. Then set the environment variables TEXFONTS and TEXINPUTS. If you have EmTeX, make TEXINPUTS the same as TEXINPUT and TEXFONTS the same as TEXTFM. However, you must include the drive letter and replace all backslashes with forward slashes. For example, if you have set EMTEXDRV=f set TEXINPUT=.;\emtex\texinput set TEXTFM=.;\emtex\tfm;\emtex\fonts\tfm then do set TEXINPUTS=.;f:/emtex/texinput set TEXFONTS=.;f:/emtex/tfm;f:/emtex/fonts/tfm Usage ----- If you want to run LaTeX, use latex texfile You do not need to specify "^&lplain". Typically, the equivalent EmTeX command would be "btexp ^&lplain texfile". For TeX plain format, use "tex". This is equivalent to "btexp ^&plain" in EmTeX. To create (or update) your own formats, give the following commands: initex mystyle \dump emxbind -x initex.exe a.out emxbind -ccore /emx/bin/emxl.exe mytex.exe del core del a.out Your format is "mystyle" and the resulting command is "mytex.exe" which will have "mystyle" preloaded. Of course, to do this you need emxbind to do this. Recommendations --------------- Get a copy of EmTeX first. Follow the instructions that come with EmTeX and make it work first. Then install Common TeX.