xref: /freebsd-11-stable/contrib/groff/README

This is the GNU `groff' document formatting system.  The version
number is given in the file VERSION.

Included in this release are implementations of `troff', `pic', `eqn',
`tbl', `grn', `refer', `-man', `-mdoc', `-mom', and `-ms' macros, and
drivers for `PostScript', `TeX dvi' format, `HP LaserJet 4' printers,
`Canon CAPSL' printers, `HTML' format (beta status), and
typewriter-like devices.  Also included is a modified version of the
Berkeley `-me' macros, the enhanced version `gxditview' of the X11
`xditview' previewer, and an implementation of the `-mm' macros
contributed by Joergen Haegg (jh@axis.se).

See the file `INSTALL' for installation instructions.  You will
require a C++ compiler.

The file `NEWS' describes recent user-visible changes to `groff'.

`groff' is free software.  See the file `COPYING' for copying
permission.

The file `PROBLEMS' describes various problems that have been
encountered in compiling, installing, and running `groff'.

The most recent released version of `groff' is always available by
anonymous ftp from `ftp.gnu.org' in the directory `gnu/groff'.

The current development version of `groff' is available from a `CVS'
repository.  You can access it by first selecting a parent directory
in which to create a working copy (call it, say, `~/cvswork'), and
then executing the commands

  cd ~/cvswork
  CVS_RSH=ssh; export CVS_RSH
  cvs -d:ext:anoncvs@savannah.gnu.org/cvsroot/groff -z5 co groff

(Note that you need an `ssh' client for security reasons.)

This will create a subdirectory, `~/cvswork/groff', with a "checked
out" copy of the `CVS' repository.  An update of this working copy may
be achieved, at any later time by invoking the commands

  cd ~/cvswork/groff
  CVS_RSH=ssh cvs -z5 update -dP

Please read the `CVS' info pages for further details.

Finally, it is possible to access the `CVS' with a web browser by
pointing it to

  http://savannah.gnu.org/cvs/?group=groff

Alternatively, you can download snapshots (which are updated twice a day).
The complete `groff' source as a single file is available at

  http://groff.ffii.org/groff/devel/groff-current.tar.gz

A diff file relative to `groff-<version>', the latest official `groff'
release is available at

  http://groff.ffii.org/groff/devel/groff-<version>-current.diff.gz

Assuming that `groff-<version>.tar.gz' and
`groff-<version>-current.diff.gz' are in the same directory, do the
following to apply the diff file:

  tar xzvf groff-<version>.tar.gz
  cd groff-<version>
  gunzip -c ../groff-<version>-current.diff.gz | patch -p1

Depending on your requirements, you may need at least some of the
following tools to build `groff' directly from its source:

  ghostscript
  the psutils package
  the netpbm package
  texinfo 4.8
  bison >= 1.875b or byacc

Note that `texinfo' and `bison' or `byacc' are required only for
building from `CVS' sources (either a checked out working copy, or a
daily snapshot).  They are not required for building from a stable
release tarball.  Also note that the version numbers stated are the
minimum supported.  No version of `texinfo' < 4.8 will work, and the
original release of `bison' 1.875 is known not to work; you *may* find
that `bison' releases < 1.875 will work, but in case of difficulty,
please update to a later version *before* posting a bug report.

For *all* sources, you need ghostscript for creation of either `PDF' or
`HTML' output; the `netpbm' and `psutils' packages are required only for
`HTML' output.  If you don't intend to produce output in either of these
formats, then these packages are unnecessary.

In Linux Debian, the installation of `texinfo' is dangerous.  For it
creates a file `install-info' that will block the system installation.
So the created `/usr/local/bin/install-info' must be renamed.

The `groff' configure script searches for the X11 headers and
libraries `Xaw' and `Xmu'.  So the corresponding developer packages of
your system must be installed, otherwise `groff' does not install
`gxditview' and the `-TX*' devices.  In Debian, the developer packages
are `libxaw7-dev' and `libxmu-dev'.

Please report bugs using the form in the file `BUG-REPORT'; the idea of
this is to make sure that FSF has all the information it needs to fix
the bug.  At the very least, read the `BUG-REPORT' form and make sure
that you supply all the information that it asks for.  Even if you are
not sure that something is a bug, report it using `BUG-REPORT': this will
enable us to determine whether it really is a bug or not.

Three mailing lists are available:

  bug-groff@gnu.org          for reporting bugs
  groff@gnu.org              for general discussion of groff
  groff-commit@gnu.org       a read-only list showing commitments
                             to the CVS repository

You can post mails directly to the `bug-groff' list, without subscribing;
to post mails to the `groff' list you must subscribe to it.

To subscribe, send a mail to <list>-request@<domain> (example:
groff-request@gnu.org for the `groff' list) with the word `subscribe'
in either the subject or body of the email (don't include the quotes).
Alternatively, you may subscribe by visiting the web pages at

  http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/bug-groff
  http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/groff
  http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/groff-commit

Each of these web pages also provides a link to a browseable archive of
postings to the corresponding mailing list.

GNU `groff' was written by James Clark <jjc@jclark.com>.  It is now
maintained by Ted Harding <ted.harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> and Werner
Lemberg <wl@gnu.org>.