From:	mschulter AT DOT value DOT net (M. Schulter)
Newsgroups:	comp.text.tex,comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject:	Re: DJGPP port of TeX (with instructions for non-DJGPP'ers) (Was Re: Win95 and LaTex ?)
Followup-To:	comp.text.tex,comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Date:	10 Jul 1997 21:50:24 GMT
Organization:	Value Net Internetwork Services Inc.
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To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com
DJ-Gateway:	from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp

: On 8 Jul 1997, Kaz Kylheku wrote:

: > Why do people do TeX/LaTeX with Windows 95? Or, more precisely, why 
: > would a TeXpert bother with windows? You are one step away from not
: > needing a GUI at all if you can typeset with these tools, so it's not
: > like you need to run Word! :)

Hi, there. To what others have written in reply, I would add two
observations.

First of all, Eli's port gives a new option for quality TeX to those of us
who do in fact program and do typesetting and graphic design in DOS rather
than Windows. It means access to a great text-based editing environment
(GNU Emacs 19.3x for DOS) and a host of supporting 32-bit applications
with a "tried and true" record of performance among the most discerning
UNIX users.

In fact, someone has quipped that GNU might do well to make DJGPP the
basis for its HURD OS <grin>. Those of us who do use a command line
environment such as MS-DOS 6.22 -- which I seem to recall is also DJ's
setup -- are the special beneficiaries of the DJGPP effort.

I've admired TeX for nine years as a desktop publisher and PostScript
programmer -- but it was the DJGPP port that got me actually reading _The
TeXBook_ and learning this great typesetting system.

At the same time, I'd like to emphasize that users of GUI environments
have made immense contributions to computing, and to TeX. Consider, for
example, the NeXT environment -- not to mention various flavors of
X-Windows and the like, as well as pioneering typesetting programs on the
Mac (e.g. JustType and various TeX implementation). If the power and
quality of TeX becomes more available in the popular Windows 3.x/9x/NT
environments, so much the better for people who use these environments. DJ
and the team have gone to great efforts in order to support both 8.3 DOS
file systems and the new lfn options in Win 95. 

This second point is especially important to me as the user of a
command-line system, and now a member of a rather small minority. It's
very important that we respect the diversity of interfaces, and also the
diversity of users.

True confession: I've used WordPerfect 5.0 as my main typesetting
application. It may not be TeX, but it has precise mathematical controls,
and is still a great 16-bit legacy application that fits in well with the
DJGPP world. Learning TeX doesn't mean that I have to give up other
alternatives which may be the right tools for lots of documents.

Anyway, DJGPP TeX is a great breakthrough for GUI and command line users
alike.

Most respectfully,

Margo Schulter
mschulter AT value DOT net

(To reply, please remove the extra . from my default e-mail address)

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