7 @section @file{unixtex.ftp}: Obtaining @TeX{}
9 @cindex obtaining @TeX{}
10 @cindex retrieving @TeX{}
20 is @uref{ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/unixtex.ftp}, last updated 26 December
21 2003. Also available as @uref{http://www.tug.org/unixtex.ftp}. The
22 IP address is currently @code{[130.225.2.178]}. It is also in
23 Kpathsea source distributions as @file{etc/unixtex.ftp} (although the
24 network version is usually newer). Mail @email{tex-k@@mail.tug.org}
25 with comments or questions.
27 Following are general instructions for Unix or other sites who wish to
28 acquire the Web2c distribution, (plain) @TeX{}, La@TeX{} (2e),
29 Bib@TeX{}, Metafont, MetaPost, DVI processors for the X window system,
30 PostScript, the PCL language in the HP LaserJet, and related programs.
31 They are oriented towards building from the original sources, though
32 some information on alternative packages is included in the last
33 section. See also @uref{http://www.tug.org/web2c/}, the Web2c and
36 Please note that the Web2c distribution is a bare-bones distribution
37 in source form, and building a complete installation from it is a
38 non-trivial matter. For most uses, it is a better idea to install a
39 distribution with pre-packaged binaries for your platform. The
40 principal example of such a distribution is @TeX{} Live
41 (@uref{http://www.tug.org/texlive/}), which is based on the
44 Please consider joining the @TeX{} Users Group (TUG) or another user
45 group of your choice to help support the maintenance and development
46 of the programs you retrieve. See @uref{http://www.tug.org/join.html}
47 for information and the membership registration form, and
48 @uref{http://www.tug.org/usergroups.html} for a listing of all user groups.
50 For actual installation instructions after obtaining the necessary
51 sources, see @ref{Installation}. A copy is in the distribution file
52 @file{kpathsea/INSTALL}.
55 * Electronic distribution:: CTAN and so forth.
56 * CD-ROM distribution::
57 * Other TeX packages::
60 @c * Tape distribution::
61 @c used to be in this menu.
63 @node Electronic distribution
64 @subsection Electronic distribution
67 @cindex obtaining Web2c by ftp
68 @cindex distributions, via ftp
71 @cindex backbone of CTAN
72 In many places we refer to @var{CTAN:}. This is @emph{both} a host name
73 and a directory name. Here are the primary locations:
76 @uref{ftp://ctan.tug.org/tex-archive/} @r{(Vermont, USA)}
77 @uref{ftp://ftp.dante.de/tex-archive/} @r{(Germany)}
78 @uref{ftp://ftp.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/} @r{(England)}
82 @flindex README.mirrors
85 CTAN has many mirrors worldwide; see the top-level file
86 @file{README.mirrors} from one of the sites above or see
87 @uref{http://www.tug.org/CTAN.sites}.
89 @cindex World Wide Web CTAN access
90 @cindex email CTAN access
91 @cindex NFS CTAN access
92 You can also access CTAN via the World Wide Web, electronic
93 mail, or NFS. The same @file{README.mirrors} file explains how.
95 @cindex binary mode, for file transfers
96 You will need to retrieve some or all of the following archives,
97 depending on your needs (don't forget to set binary mode for file
101 @item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/web.tar.gz}
102 @cindex Knuth, Donald E., original author
103 The original WEB source files, written primarily by Don Knuth. Required
104 unless you already have this @file{web} version. (The WEB sources
105 change irregularly with respect to Web2c itself.) Unpacks into
106 @file{web2c-@var{version}}.
108 @item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/web2c.tar.gz}
109 The Web2c system. Required. Also unpacks into
110 @file{web2c-@var{version}}.
112 @item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/web2c-etex.tar.gz}
113 Additions to the Web2c system for building e-@TeX{}. Optional. Unpacks
114 into @file{web2c-@var{version}}.
116 @item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/etexlib.tar.gz}
117 Additions to the texmf tree needed to build e-@TeX{}. Optional.
118 Unpacks into @file{texmf/}.
120 @item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/etexdoc.tar.gz}
121 Documentation for e-@TeX{} as an addition to the texmf tree. Optional.
122 Unpacks into @file{texmf/}.
124 @item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/web2c-omega.tar.gz}
125 Additions to the Web2c system for building Omega. Optional. Unpacks
126 into @file{web2c-@var{version}}.
128 @item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/omegalib.tar.gz}
129 Additions to the texmf tree needed to build Omega. Optional. Unpacks
132 @item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/omegadoc.tar.gz}
133 Documentation for Omega as an addition to the texmf tree. Optional.
134 Unpacks into @file{texmf/}.
136 @item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/web2c-pdftex.tar.gz}
137 Additions to the Web2c system for building pdf@TeX{}. Optional.
138 Unpacks into @file{web2c-@var{version}}.
140 @item @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems/web2c/pdftexlib.tar.gz}
141 Additions to the texmf tree needed to build pdf@TeX{}. Optional.
142 Unpacks into @file{texmf/}.
144 @item @file{@var{CTAN:}/dviware/xdvik/xdvik.tar.gz}
145 X window system DVI previewer. Unpacks into @file{xdvik-@var{version}}.
149 Additional drivers, macro files, and other support are needed to build
150 a working system. These are available in te@TeX{}.
152 All that said, the originating host for the software above is
153 @file{ftp.tug.org}. You can retrieve these distributions (but not much
154 else) from the @file{tex/} directory on that host.
157 @node CD-ROM distribution
158 @subsection CD-ROM distribution
160 @cindex CD-ROM distributions
161 @cindex obtaining Web2c on CD-ROM
162 @cindex distributions, on CD-ROM
164 Numerous organizations distribute various @TeX{} CD-ROM's (and DVD's):
168 @cindex @TeX{} Live CD-ROM
169 Virtually all the @TeX{} user groups collaborate to produce the
170 @cite{@TeX{} Live} distribution once a year; see
171 @uref{http://www.tug.org/texlive/} for more information.
174 @cindex Free Software Foundation
175 @cindex FSF Source Code CD-ROM
176 The Free Software Foundation's @cite{Source Code CD-ROM} contains the
177 minimal @TeX{} source distribution described in the previous section
178 (i.e., enough to print GNU documentation); email
179 @email{gnu@@gnu.org}.
181 @c Commented out: the information is outdated in way or another.
184 @c The Gateway@! CD-ROM set contains a runnable NetBSD/Amiga distribution
185 @c and sources; see @url{http://www.netbsd.org/Sites/cdroms.html}.
188 @c The InfoMagic CD-ROM is a copy of CTAN (see previous section); see
189 @c @url{http://www.infomagic.com}.
192 @c @cindex 4all@TeX{} Live CD-ROM
194 @c NTG (Dutch-speaking @TeX{} user group) produced the 4all@TeX{} CD-ROM;
195 @c email @email{ntg@@nic.surfnet.nl}, or see
196 @c @url{http://www.ntg.nl/4allcd/}. This is a runnable system.
199 @c @cindex Prime Time @TeX{}cetera CD-ROM
200 @c The Prime Time @TeX{}cetera CD-ROM is also a copy of CTAN; email
201 @c @email{ptf@@ctcl.com} or see @url{http://www.ptf.com/ptf/}.
204 @c @cindex Walnut Creek @TeX{} CD-ROM
205 @c Walnut Creek's @TeX{} CD-ROM is also a copy of CTAN; email
206 @c @email{info@@cdrom.com} or see
207 @c @url{http://www.cdrom.com:/titles/tex.html}.
210 @cindex Linux, using Web2c
211 Most Linux distributions include some @TeX{} package based on
212 Web2c; see the Linux documentation file @samp{Distribution-HOWTO} for a
213 comparison of Linux distributions, available (for example) via
214 @uref{http://www.linux.org}.
217 If you know of additional @TeX{} distributions to add to this
218 list, please inform @email{tex-k@@mail.tug.org}.
222 @node Tape distribution
223 @subsection Tape distribution
225 @cindex tape distribution
226 @cindex obtaining @TeX{} on tape
227 @cindex distributions, on tape
229 @cindex Northwest Computing Support Center
230 @flindex unixtex@@u.washington.edu
231 @cindex support organization
232 You can obtain a complete @TeX{} distribution, including Web2c, on tape.
235 Pierre MacKay / Denny Hall, Mail Stop DH-10 / Department of Classics
236 University of Washington / Seattle, WA 98195 / USA
237 phone: 206-543-2268; email: @email{unixtex@@u.washington.edu}
240 At this writing, the distribution is available in @code{tar} format on
241 4@dmn{mm} DAT cartridges, and the
242 cost is US$210. Make checks payable to the University of Washington,
243 drawn on a U.S. bank. Purchase orders are acceptable, but they carry an
244 extra charge of $10 to pay for invoice processing. Overseas sites,
245 please add $20 for shipment via air parcel post, or $30 for shipment via
250 @node Other TeX packages
251 @subsection Other @TeX{} packages
253 @cindex other @TeX{} distributions
254 @cindex @TeX{} distributions besides Web2c
256 @cindex Amiga @TeX{} implementations
257 @cindex Acorn @TeX{} implementations
258 @cindex VMS @TeX{} implementations
259 @cindex Macintosh @TeX{} implementations
260 @cindex DOS @TeX{} implementations
261 @cindex Windows @TeX{} implementations
262 Many other @TeX{} implementations are available in
263 @file{@var{CTAN:}/systems}, including ready-to-run distributions for
264 Unix, Amiga, Acorn, VMS, Macintosh, DOS, and Windows (in various forms).
265 Although Web2c has support in the source code for many operating
266 systems, and in fact some of the other distributions are based on it,
267 it's unlikely to work as distributed on anything but Unix. (Please
268 contribute improvements!)
271 @cindex precompiled Unix binaries
272 The principal user-oriented Unix distribution based on Web2c is the
273 te@TeX{} distribution. It includes complete sources, and runs on
274 all modern Unix variants, including Linux. It contains many
275 @TeX{}-related programs besides those in the core Web2c.
277 @flindex labrea.stanford.edu
278 @cindex Knuth, Donald E., archive of programs by
279 The host @t{labrea.stanford.edu} is the original source for the files
280 for which Donald Knuth is directly responsible: @file{tex.web},
281 @file{plain.tex}, etc. However, unless you want to build your @TeX{}
282 library tree ab initio, it is more reliable and less work to retrieve
283 these files as part of the above packages. In any case, @t{labrea} is
284 not the canonical source for anything except what was created by
285 Stanford @TeX{} project, so do not rely on all the files available at
286 that ftp site being up-to-date.