INTRODUCTION revision 21495
121495SjmacdGetting Started with Texinfo 221495Sjmacd============================ 321495Sjmacd 421495Sjmacd25 March 1993 521495Sjmacd 621495SjmacdMost of the installation instructions are described in the file `INSTALL'. 721495SjmacdOne additional note to make is that if your info files are in a nonstandard 821495Sjmacdplace (i.e. not in the `info' directory immediately under $prefix) you may 921495Sjmacdwish to change the default info path as specified via DEFAULT_INFOPATH in 1021495Sjmacdinfo/Makefile.in. 1121495Sjmacd 1221495Sjmacd"Texinfo" is a documentation system that uses a single source file to 1321495Sjmacdproduce both on-line information and printed output. Using Texinfo, 1421495Sjmacdyou can create a printed document with the normal features of a book, 1521495Sjmacdincluding chapters, sections, cross references, and indices. From the 1621495Sjmacdsame Texinfo source file, you can create a menu-driven, on-line Info 1721495Sjmacdfile with nodes, menus, cross references, and indices. 1821495Sjmacd 1921495SjmacdThe name of the Texinfo source documentation file is `texinfo.texi'. 2021495SjmacdYou can produce both on-line information and printed output from this 2121495Sjmacdsource file. The documentation describes Texinfo in detail, including 2221495Sjmacdhow to write Texinfo files, how to format them for both hard copy and 2321495SjmacdInfo, and how to install Info files. 2421495Sjmacd 2521495SjmacdTo get started, you need to create either a printed manual or an 2621495Sjmacdon-line Info file from the `texinfo.texi' file. You do not need to 2721495Sjmacdcreate both, although you will probably want both eventually. 2821495Sjmacd 2921495SjmacdTo learn how to use Info, read the info documentation. You can do this in 3021495Sjmacdone of two ways: using the standalone `info' program, or using Info mode in 3121495SjmacdGNU Emacs. 3221495Sjmacd 3321495Sjmacd * If you want to use the `info' program, type 3421495Sjmacd 3521495Sjmacd $ info -f info-stnd 3621495Sjmacd 3721495Sjmacd * If you want to use Emacs, start up emacs and type `C-h i' [M-x info]. 3821495Sjmacd Follow the instructions to learn how to use Info. 3921495Sjmacd 4021495SjmacdAfter learning how to use Info, you can read the Texinfo documentation. 4121495SjmacdUsing the standalone `info', type the following at the shell prompt: 4221495Sjmacd 4321495Sjmacd $ info -f texinfo 4421495Sjmacd 4521495SjmacdTo use read this manual in Emacs, you first need to edit the Info-directory 4621495Sjmacdmenu (the file `dir' in the system info directory) to contain the 4721495Sjmacdappropriate node. To learn how to do this, see node: Add in the Info 4821495Sjmacddocumentation. 4921495Sjmacd 5021495SjmacdThe Texinfo documentation describes Texinfo in detail; among other things, 5121495Sjmacdit tells how to install Info files in the usual manner. (See node: Install 5221495Sjmacdan Info File.) 5321495Sjmacd 5421495SjmacdThe `info-stnd.info' file describes the standalone Info reader in detail. To 5521495Sjmacdread this file, type 5621495Sjmacd 5721495Sjmacd $ info -f info-stnd 5821495Sjmacd 5921495SjmacdIf you are using GNU Emacs, you may want to install the Emacs Lisp files 6021495Sjmacdpermanently. Move them them to a directory in the load-path for Emacs; 6121495Sjmacdotherwise Emacs will not be able to load the autoloaded support files, such 6221495Sjmacdas `texinfmt.el'. 6321495Sjmacd 6421495SjmacdThe `texinfo.el' file contains the autoload commands; it is the only 6521495Sjmacdfile that needs to be loaded initially. If your Emacs does not 6621495Sjmacdautomatically load `texinfo.el', you can tell it to do so by placing 6721495Sjmacdthe following in `default.el' or in your `.emacs' file: 6821495Sjmacd 6921495Sjmacd (load "texinfo") 7021495Sjmacd 7121495Sjmacd 7221495SjmacdTo create a printed manual 7321495Sjmacd========================== 7421495Sjmacd 7521495SjmacdYou need: 7621495Sjmacd 7721495Sjmacd * The `tex' program, which typesets the manual using TeX. 7821495Sjmacd * The `texinfo.tex' definition file that tells TeX how to typeset 7921495Sjmacd a Texinfo file. 8021495Sjmacd * The `texindex' program, which sorts the unsorted index files 8121495Sjmacd created by TeX. 8221495Sjmacd * A printing program such as `lp' or `lpr', 8321495Sjmacd * A printer. 8421495Sjmacd 8521495SjmacdThis Texinfo distribution package contains `texinfo.tex', the C source 8621495Sjmacdfor `texindex', and the handy shell script `texi2dvi'. The `tex' 8721495Sjmacdprogram is not part of this distribution, but is available separately. 8821495Sjmacd(See `How to Obtain TeX' in the Texinfo documentation.) 8921495Sjmacd 9021495Sjmacd * Install `tex'. (`texindex' is installed automagically by 9121495Sjmacd `make install' in this distribution.) 9221495Sjmacd 9321495Sjmacd * Move the `texinfo.tex' file to an appropriate directory; the current 9421495Sjmacd directory will do. (`/usr/local/lib/tex/inputs' might be a good place. 9521495Sjmacd See ``Preparing to Use TeX'' in the Texinfo manual, for more 9621495Sjmacd information.) 9721495Sjmacd 9821495SjmacdAfter following those instructions, type the following to make the .dvi 9921495Sjmacdfiles: 10021495Sjmacd 10121495Sjmacd $ make texinfo.dvi 10221495Sjmacd $ (cd info; make info.dvi info-stnd.dvi) 10321495Sjmacd $ (cd makeinfo; make makeinfo.dvi) 10421495Sjmacd 10521495SjmacdYou can then print the resulting .dvi files with the `lpr' command (on BSD 10621495Sjmacdsystems. On SysV systems the command is `lp'. Consult your man pages for 10721495Sjmacdmore information). 10821495Sjmacd 10921495SjmacdFor example, the command to print the texinfo.dvi file might be: 11021495Sjmacd 11121495Sjmacd $ lpr -d texinfo.dvi 11221495Sjmacd 11321495SjmacdThe name of the printing command depends on the system; `lpr -d' is 11421495Sjmacdcommon, and is illustrated here. You may use a different name for the 11521495Sjmacdprinting command. 11621495Sjmacd 11721495SjmacdPlease report bugs to bug-texinfo@prep.ai.mit.edu. 11821495Sjmacd 11921495SjmacdHappy formatting. 120