README revision 151497
1This is the GNU `groff' document formatting system. The version 2number is given in the file VERSION. 3 4Included in this release are implementations of `troff', `pic', `eqn', 5`tbl', `grn', `refer', `-man', `-mdoc', `-mom', and `-ms' macros, and 6drivers for `PostScript', `TeX dvi' format, `HP LaserJet 4' printers, 7`Canon CAPSL' printers, `HTML' format (beta status), and 8typewriter-like devices. Also included is a modified version of the 9Berkeley `-me' macros, the enhanced version `gxditview' of the X11 10`xditview' previewer, and an implementation of the `-mm' macros 11contributed by Joergen Haegg (jh@axis.se). 12 13See the file `INSTALL' for installation instructions. You will 14require a C++ compiler. 15 16The file `NEWS' describes recent user-visible changes to `groff'. 17 18`groff' is free software. See the file `COPYING' for copying 19permission. 20 21The file `PROBLEMS' describes various problems that have been 22encountered in compiling, installing, and running `groff'. 23 24The most recent released version of `groff' is always available by 25anonymous ftp from `ftp.gnu.org' in the directory `gnu/groff'. 26 27The current development version of `groff' is available from a `CVS' 28repository. You can access it by first selecting a parent directory 29in which to create a working copy (call it, say, `~/cvswork'), and 30then executing the commands 31 32 cd ~/cvswork 33 CVS_RSH=ssh; export CVS_RSH 34 cvs -d:ext:anoncvs@savannah.gnu.org/cvsroot/groff -z5 co groff 35 36(Note that you need an `ssh' client for security reasons.) 37 38This will create a subdirectory, `~/cvswork/groff', with a "checked 39out" copy of the `CVS' repository. An update of this working copy may 40be achieved, at any later time by invoking the commands 41 42 cd ~/cvswork/groff 43 CVS_RSH=ssh cvs -z5 update -dP 44 45Please read the `CVS' info pages for further details. 46 47Finally, it is possible to access the `CVS' with a web browser by 48pointing it to 49 50 http://savannah.gnu.org/cvs/?group=groff 51 52Alternatively, you can download snapshots (which are updated twice a day). 53The complete `groff' source as a single file is available at 54 55 http://groff.ffii.org/groff/devel/groff-current.tar.gz 56 57A diff file relative to `groff-<version>', the latest official `groff' 58release is available at 59 60 http://groff.ffii.org/groff/devel/groff-<version>-current.diff.gz 61 62Assuming that `groff-<version>.tar.gz' and 63`groff-<version>-current.diff.gz' are in the same directory, do the 64following to apply the diff file: 65 66 tar xzvf groff-<version>.tar.gz 67 cd groff-<version> 68 gunzip -c ../groff-<version>-current.diff.gz | patch -p1 69 70Depending on your requirements, you may need at least some of the 71following tools to build `groff' directly from its source: 72 73 ghostscript 74 the psutils package 75 the netpbm package 76 texinfo 4.8 77 bison >= 1.875b or byacc 78 79Note that `texinfo' and `bison' or `byacc' are required only for 80building from `CVS' sources (either a checked out working copy, or a 81daily snapshot). They are not required for building from a stable 82release tarball. Also note that the version numbers stated are the 83minimum supported. No version of `texinfo' < 4.8 will work, and the 84original release of `bison' 1.875 is known not to work; you *may* find 85that `bison' releases < 1.875 will work, but in case of difficulty, 86please update to a later version *before* posting a bug report. 87 88For *all* sources, you need ghostscript for creation of either `PDF' or 89`HTML' output; the `netpbm' and `psutils' packages are required only for 90`HTML' output. If you don't intend to produce output in either of these 91formats, then these packages are unnecessary. 92 93In Linux Debian, the installation of `texinfo' is dangerous. For it 94creates a file `install-info' that will block the system installation. 95So the created `/usr/local/bin/install-info' must be renamed. 96 97The `groff' configure script searches for the X11 headers and 98libraries `Xaw' and `Xmu'. So the corresponding developer packages of 99your system must be installed, otherwise `groff' does not install 100`gxditview' and the `-TX*' devices. In Debian, the developer packages 101are `libxaw7-dev' and `libxmu-dev'. 102 103Please report bugs using the form in the file `BUG-REPORT'; the idea of 104this is to make sure that FSF has all the information it needs to fix 105the bug. At the very least, read the `BUG-REPORT' form and make sure 106that you supply all the information that it asks for. Even if you are 107not sure that something is a bug, report it using `BUG-REPORT': this will 108enable us to determine whether it really is a bug or not. 109 110Three mailing lists are available: 111 112 bug-groff@gnu.org for reporting bugs 113 groff@gnu.org for general discussion of groff 114 groff-commit@gnu.org a read-only list showing commitments 115 to the CVS repository 116 117You can post mails directly to the `bug-groff' list, without subscribing; 118to post mails to the `groff' list you must subscribe to it. 119 120To subscribe, send a mail to <list>-request@<domain> (example: 121groff-request@gnu.org for the `groff' list) with the word `subscribe' 122in either the subject or body of the email (don't include the quotes). 123Alternatively, you may subscribe by visiting the web pages at 124 125 http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/bug-groff 126 http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/groff 127 http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/groff-commit 128 129Each of these web pages also provides a link to a browseable archive of 130postings to the corresponding mailing list. 131 132GNU `groff' was written by James Clark <jjc@jclark.com>. It is now 133maintained by Ted Harding <ted.harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> and Werner 134Lemberg <wl@gnu.org>. 135