From: mschulter AT  DOT value DOT net (M. Schulter)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: DJGPP Web2c TeX (was: Is the world dropping MS-DOS?)
Date: 16 Aug 1997 22:10:37 GMT
Organization: Value Net Internetwork Services Inc.
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Smith A. Cat (imbe AT primenet DOT com) wrote:
 
: i appreciate the effort involved in compiling the TeX binaries with
: DJGPP, but is it necessary to repeat the tremendous effort that
: obviously went into EmTeX, just to prove you can?

Hi, there.

First, please let me emphasize that I've heard great things about EmTeX
from very knowledgeable TeX users, and that the rest of what I have say
shouldn't in any way detract from that achievement.

As a virtual operating system implementing the GNU environment within DOS,
DJGPP seeks to implement UNIX-like programming and documentation tools, as
well as general utilities like Emacs and less that can be used for these
purposes and much more.

Since TeX is a very important part of this environment, it seems
appropriate to me that DJGPP would have its own TeX implementation
following UNIX-like conventions. 

One point that might bear emphasis is that DJGPP Web2c TeX isn't a clone
of EmTeX: it's a different implementation, which in keeping in with DJGPP
has a more "UNIX-like" treatment of commands like initex. This isn't
saying that either approach is better, only that they're different, and
that DJGPP users might find the "Unixy" style a plus.

Anyway, I've been working with TeX and the freeware MusicTeX add-on, and
especially like the dvips features as a PostScript programmer.

There are lots of TeX implementations out there, just as there are many C
compilers, and each may have its own advantages.

I do want to give Eli Zaretskii credit for a port which not only was a
great technical feat, but which prodded at least one DJGPP user to install
and use TeX for the first time.

Most respectfully,

Margo Schulter
mschulter AT value DOT net