General information 4allTeX CD-ROM; update September 23th, 1994 (fwd)
Petr Sojka
sojka at daeron.ics.muni.cz
Sat Sep 24 13:35:55 CEST 1994
Date: Sat, 24 Sep 1994 02:38:00 +0100
Reply-To: "4TeX: a TeX work bench for ms-dos pc's" <4TEX at HEARN.bitnet>,
"Gerard van Nes, ECN-Petten" <vannes at ECN.NL>
Sender: "4TeX: a TeX work bench for ms-dos pc's" <4TEX at HEARN.bitnet>
From: "Gerard van Nes, ECN-Petten" <vannes at ECN.NL>
Subject: General information 4allTeX CD-ROM; update September 23th, 1994
=========================================
General information >> 4allTeX CD-ROM <<
=========================================
September 23th, 1994
Updated version
| (Changebar in the left margin indicates an update comparing with
| earlier version)
Below you will find the most important items concerning the
>>4allTeX CD-ROM<<.
1. Availability
-- ------------
The first 4allTeX CD-ROM was introduced on June 9th 1994 at the 13th local
NTG (Dutch TeX Users Group) meeting in the Netherlands (and exactly on
| time!). Within 3 months all 600 copies were sold (all over the world) and
| the NTG decided to make a SECOND edition that was introduced on September
| 15th. On this second edition NTG puts an extra 130 Mb in addition to the
| first release.
2. Contents
-- --------
4TeX is based on the famous, fast and well-known emTeX distribution.
Besides that, the 4allTeX (yes for all!!) CD-ROM contains all related
| software as available as of August 1994.
So:
| 1. It contains the latest 4TeX version (3.25; network drive independent).
4TeX gives us a user friendly interface with a large set of utilities.
2. 4TeX contains software in direct executable form.
| 3. 4TeX supports 37 formats including big versions, TeX, LaTeX, Cyrillic,
| Polish, Greek, texinfo, lollipop, latex2e (official release) etc.
4. 4TeX supports 59 printer drivers (including linotronics, matrix
printers, 300/600 dpi laserprinters, laserjets, fax etc),
5. 4TeX supports graphics: both for previewing and printing. All
| functionality of e.g. BM2FONT, GhostScript (3.0), HP2XX, TeXCAD, QFIG
are included, ready to use!
6. 4TeX includes amSpell spell-checker for languages English (UK),
English (USA), Dutch, German, Franch, Spanish and Italian.
7. 4TeX contains conversion utilities: WP to LaTeX/TeX,
MS-Word/Chiwriter/PC-Write/troff to LaTeX, detex, untex, etc.
8. 4allTeX contains a huge set of fonts: Why waste your time generating
fonts (fax, 300dpi, 600dpi, etc)?
They are available also for non-DOS systems!
9. 4allTeX contains a huge set of .sty .mf .pk .fli .tfm .bst .etc
files.
10. 4TeX includes Metafont with automatic font generation.
11. 4TeX fully supports PostScript fonts. E.g. with automatic font
| generation using PS2PK! and with the utility MAKEFONT you can convert
| any Postscript font for use within TeX.
12. With 4TeX you can view and print directly in e.g. Times.
13. 4TeX contains dbase utilities, supports makeindex, etc.
14. 4TeX uses default the integrated QEDIT editor (you can change that
in the 4TeX configuration file: use your favourite editor!). With
the QEDIT editor you can even do block compilation: mark a small
part of your (large) document, and ONLY that part will be compiled
and viewed.
15. 4allTeX contains a huge set of documentation (> 150Mbyte), including
TeX/LaTeX/Metafont documentation and tutorials both for novices and
gurus, including:
. ALL MAPS issues (botch dutch and english articles; starting in 1988;
about 1600 pages with high density information, in a large set of
PostScript files)
. ALL TEXHAX issues (1986-1994)
. ALL TEX-NL issues (1989-1994)
. ALL TEX-MAG issues
. ALL UKTEX issues (1988-1994)
. A lot of tutorials in TeX/LaTeX source (also .dvi and .ps files
available)
. The `TeXbook' and the `Metafontbook' in TeX source
. FAQ about TeX, PostScript, etc
. WEB/literate program related contributions
16. 4allTeX contains `FUN' : chess (including chinese), bridge, music,
crossword, go, and more. >>including<< ALL fonts
17. 4allTeX contains French, Cyrillic and Polish packages.
18. With 4TeX, it is very easy to generate completely new formats.
19. 4allTeX contains a lot of .dvi and PostScript utilities
20. 4allTeX contains GNUPLOT
21. 4allTeX contains extensive bibliographies on TeX-related topics
| 22. It contains a 4TeX `1.44 Mbyte 3.5" disc distribution version'.
| You can install only `one disc'(a basic emTeX installation),
| a limited number of discs, or all.
====> The 4allTeX CD-ROM contains even more than that!!!
Hard disk requirement for running 4TeX (processing all your documents):
less than 50k!
The 4allTeX CD-ROM is the FIRST and (at least in the near future) the ONLY
CD-ROM with a:
>>>> ready-to-use MS-DOS TeX implementation <<<<
including a HUGE set of documentation.
| (AND it also works under OS/2 and Windows in a DOS box!)
The 4allTeX CD-ROM contains a UNIQUE SET of TeX/LaTeX/etc software for
both MS-DOS and non MS-DOS users!
Unbelievable but TRUE!
3. Computer system requirements
-- -------- ------ ------------
The ready-to-use 4TeX system is available for PC
MS-DOS 8086/80286/80386/80486/pentium systems. However, the MAJOR part of
the software on the 4allTeX CD-ROM is system INdependent.
| Further you need:
| . A hard disk of 50k (yes: 50.000 BYTES), or more...
| . A CD-ROM drive (of course)
| . No memory requirements
| . Any printer
4. How to install
-- --- -- -------
| The 4TeX system on the 4allTeX CD-ROM can be installed within 10-30
seconds (!!) and the first example can be previewed and printed
within the next 10-20 seconds.
For installation, only the following commands are needed!
> cd f: (if F: is your local CD-ROM drive)
> inst4tex
C(ontinue)
C:\ (name local drive where 50k software will be installed)
Y or N (Yes or No for generating ACD tree)
| Y or N (for installing the 4TeX BTM batch files on harddisk)
For starting 4TeX:
> 4tex sample
That's all!
5. Price
-- -----
| - The price of the CD-ROM including a 110+ pages manual is:
** 60 Dutch guilders **
| (or the equivalence in dollars).
| - The price includes shipping (even by air mail for outside Europe!)
- ADD $12 if you pay to NTG with a bank cheque (however cheques are
NOT recommended).
| But add nothing if you pay to NTG by Mastercard/VISA!
6. How to order the 4allTeX CD-ROM
-- --- -- ----- --- ------- ------
| UK : Sebastian Rahtz (sebastian.rahtz at cl.cam.ac.uk)
For orders, please send him an e-mail first.
(pricing could be different)
| Ireland : Micromail Limited
| Computer Books & Software
| 7 Crawford Commercial Park
| Bishop Street
| Cork, Ireland
| phone +353 21 317686
| fax +353 21 310756
| (pricing could be different)
| Germany : JF Lehmanns
Hardenbergstr. 11
10623 Berlin
phone +49 30 31592320
fax +49 30 3139177
e-mail : bestellung at jf-lehmanns.de
WWW : 'http://www.Germany.EU.net:80/shop/JFL'
Price: 88.-DM in Germany! (incl. TaX & Shipping)
Others : Frans Goddijn (ntg at nic.surfnet.nl)
For orders: please send money (cash) by ****registered**** post
to the Dutch TeX Users Group:
NTG
P.O. Box 394
1740 AJ Schagen
The Netherlands
| You can also pay by MasterCard/VISA
| >> directly to the NTG office <<.
| Send (e-mail) your MasterCard/VISA card number / expiration
| date to:
| NTG
| P.O. Box 394
| 1740 AJ Schagen
| The Netherlands
| e-mail: ntg at nic.surfnet.nl
The 4allTeX CD-ROM is also available from the computersoftware/magazine
shop (pricing could be different):
Computercollectief Het Computerwinkeltje Mechelen bvba
Amstel 312 M. Sabbestraat 39
1017 AP Amsterdam B-2800 Mechelen
The Netherlands Belgium
phone +31 20 6223573 phone +32 15 206645
fax +31 20 6226668 fax +32 15 207332
| ==> Asks for pricing; shipping charge depends on country.
==> Please send a FAX before ordering.
Computercollectief welcomes Master/Visa cards.
| There could be a possibility that TeX local User Groups (LUGs) are also
| (re)selling the 4allTeX CD-ROM.
| Please contact your local LUG first!
| NTG is selling the 4allTeX CD-ROM directly to all LUGs for bookstore
| pricing.
7. 4TeX discussion list support
-- ---- ---------- ---- -------
Yes there is already a lot of ** 4TeX support ** using the world-wide 4TeX
discussion list.
- How to subscribe:
send the one line message:
subscribe 4tex your_personal_name
to the listserv manager:
listserv at nic.surfnet.nl
- How to use:
send your questions/bugs/remarks/suggestions to:
4tex at nic.surfnet.nl
- How to retrieve old e-mails
All discussions will be archived.
In order to receive a list of all archived files, send the one-line
message:
INDEX 4TEX
to the listserv manager:
listserv at nic.surfnet.nl
In order to retrieve one of the monthly archieved e-mail file, send the
one-line message (for month 05 in year 94):
GET 4TEX LOG9405
to the listserv manager:
listserv at nic.surfnet.nl
The 4TeX authors Wietse Dol (w.dol at lei.agro.nl) and Erik Frambach
(e.h.m.frambach at eco.rug.nl) are monitoring this fast growing 4TeX
list!
For very special requests/questions use:
4tex-support at eco.rug.nl
| All 4TEX discussion list e-mails can also be found on the 4allTeX CD-ROM.
8. The 4TeX manual
-- --- ---- ------
The price of the 4TeX manual only (without the 4allTeX CD-ROM) is:
In Holland/Belgium: f. 20,- (including shipping)
Other countries : $ 15 (including shipping)
9. 4allTeX FTP availability
-- ------- --- ------------
On anonymous ftp-site:
archive.cs.ruu.nl
in directory:
pub/TEX/MSDOS/4alltex
you will find:
- the 4allTeX distribution version (an earlier version of 4TeX) in
30 files of 1.44 Mbyte.
- updates of the 4allTeX CD-ROM.
You will also find these files at the CTAN sites, directory;
.../systems/msdos/4alltex
| 10. Latest update
| --- ------ ------
| Just a quick list of the additions in 4TeX version 3.25 compared to the
| earlier release 3.20:
| - (as complete as possible) version of LaTeX2e (patch level 3)
| (e.g. with psnfss)
| - all OS/2 executables
| - upgrades DVI-drivers from Eberhard Mattes (1.5c)
| - dvips 32 bits version for 386 and higher systems
| - new BibTeX version (E. Mattes) using EMX
| - new ghostscript version 3
| - updates of the 4TeX batchfiles, in order to e.g.
| * view/print/convert JPEG pictures
| * include your own Postscript fonts in TeX
| * update for Windows users: After compiling within 4TeX it is possible to
| view the DVIfile with virtial fonts under DVIWIN
| * source codes for GNU software and more
| - support for HP laserjet III en IV internal fonts
| And to get people enthousiastic:
| The CD-rom will contain now ** 27.101 files ** and
| consists of ** more than 600Mb ** (= 70 minutes of music).
11. Future improvements
--- ------ ------------
Of course 4TeX is continuously under development. In a next release
you can expect e,g.:
- latest version of other (TeX-related) products
- update dvi drivers (1.5f)
- and more
If some essential packages and/or files are missing on the 4allTeX CD-ROM,
please contact the authors on: 4tex-support at eco.rug.nl
Some of the above extensions and further improvements will be
available as additional installation files from the internet archives
| and from the Dutch FGBBS bulletin board service of NTG (+31 85 217041).
Gerard van Nes
secretary Dutch TeX Users Group NTG
e-mail: vannes at ecn.nl
(e-mail NTG board: ntg at nic.surfnet.nl)
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