MiKTeX News File
Revision 1.20a
April 1999
Christian Schenk <cschenk@snafu.de>
Table of Contents
Copyright (C) 1998--1999 Christian Schenk
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
are preserved on all copies.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the entire
resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission
notice identical to this one.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions,
except that this permission notice may be stated in a translation approved
by the Free Software Foundation.
The source archives (source*.zip
) were removed from the normal
distribution. They are now in the CTAN directory
systems/win32/miktex/source
.
Updated Apps
- pdfTeX 0.13d
- Dvipdfm 0.10.5
- Babel 3.6m
New Apps
- URW PostScript fonts; these are free replacements for the standard Adobe
fonts.
Resolved Problems
New Installation Method
MiKTeX is now (again) distributed as set of Zip files. The new Setup
Wizard replaces the InstallSHIELD(R) setup program.
Updated Apps
- MetaPost 0.641
- Dvipdfm 0.10.4
- pdfTeX 0.13c
- Omega 1.8
- LaTeX2e 1998/12/01
New Apps
New Features
- Yap
- now supports basic HyperTeX specials; see `doc\miktex\hyperdemo.dvi' for an
example.
- Yap now uses a search path to locate DVI input files.
- new option
--goto-hyper-label=name
causes Yap to go to a hyper
label.
- TeX & friends:
- memory settings are now format dependend, i.e. it's possible to
reserve extra memory for (say) context
- filenames are now logged in their absolute form
- new option
--job-name
can be used to redefine the name of the job; in
the end, this option will set the name of the output file to the name specified
- new option
--job-time
can be used to redefine the time of the job; in
the end, this option will set the timestamp of all output files to the specified time
- new option
--tcx
causes TeX to read the
input encoding from a .tcx
file
- the first input line is now checked for a dump/tcx specification;
i.e. TeX loads the dump file
foo.fmt
and processes the TCX bar.tcx
,
if the first input line is %&foo -translate-file=bar
- new option
--undump
causes TeX to load a specific dump file
- the exe name now determines the default dump file that is to be loaded
by TeX; for example, you can copy
tex.exe
to
texinfo.exe
; TeX will then load texinfo.fmt
, if no other
dump was specified
- trace output can be redirected to a file
Highlights
- New setup utility (InstallShield)
- Several distribution types
- Uninstall support
- Support for a local TEXMF tree
- Previewer improvements:
- Support for BMP/EPS graphics inclusions
- Magnifying glass (variable magnification)
- Support for Dvips (PostScript) specials
- Support for virtual fonts
- Support for Type 1 outline fonts (via
ps2pk
)
- Omega-generated DVI can be processed
- Dvips/GhostScript interface for printing purposes
- Some command keys accept a numerical prefix argument (for example,
9g
opens TeX page 9)
- Omega 1.5
- pdfTeX 0.12r
Distributions
MiKTeX is now distributed in the form of four independent self-extracting
setup utilities:
- `bare.exe'
-
The bare distribution includes executables only. It is suited for sites
that already have a comprehensive TEXMF tree (e.g. a TeXLive3 CDROM).
- `basic.exe'
-
The basic distribution includes fundamental applications and macro packages.
- `advanced.exe'
-
The advanced distribution includes the basic distribution plus the following
components:
- pdfTeX 0.12l
- Computer Modern PostScript Fonts
- AMS-Fonts PostScript Fonts
- `complete.exe'
-
The complete distribution includes the advanced distribution plus the following
components:
- Omega 1.5
- MetaPost 0.632
- Texinfo macros and Makeinfo
- Web System (Tangle, Weave, Tie)
Resolved Problems
initexmf --dump
: specifying an unknown program causes a GPF.
- Yap displays smeared characters under certain conditions.
- Yap doesn't print rules under certain conditions.
- TeX: Danish hyphenation patterns don't work together with LaTeX2e.
- TeX: `--c-style-errors' sometimes produces funny error messages.
- TeX: The error menu option `E' (start editor) does not work if the
erroneous source file is not located in the current directory.
- TeX says `TeX capacity exceeded, sorry [buffer size=20000]'
while processing a document that comes from a MacOS system.
YAP 0.94v
- Support for graphics inclusions has been added. GhostScript
is required for the display/printing of EPS figures.
- YAP now understands basic dvips (PostScript) specials.
- YAP can process virtual fonts: it's now possible to use PostScript
Type 1 fonts (via
ps2pk
, see below).
- Dvips/GhostScript interface (for printing purposes).
- Customizable magnifying glasses.
- Some command keys accept a numerical prefix argument.
- Yap records events in a logbook (`View|Logbook...').
- A double-click now initiates inverse DVI search:
- The TeX source file will be opened with an editor (e.g. Emacs, WinEdt).
- Inside the editor window, the caret is positioned at the corresponding text
location.
The DVI file must contain source file information, which can be inserted
with the new TeX option `--src-specials'.
Hyphenation Patterns
Plain TeX only loads the the standard hyphenation patterns (hyphen.tex
),
i.e. it does not consult language.dat
.
initexmf (fka configure)
- The MiKTeX configuration utility moved to the bin directory.
Besides that, the executable was renamed in
initexmf.exe
(formerly configure.exe
).
- New options:
--find-lambda-input
-
--find-latex-input
-
--find-metafont-input
-
--find-metapost-input
-
--find-omega-input
-
--find-pdflatex-input
-
--find-pdftex-input
-
--find-tex-input
-
Find various input files. These options were introduced to test the find-file
machinery.
--mkpsres
-
Update the PS Resource Database (
psres.dpr
).
--local-root
-
Define the location of the local TEXMF tree.
--report
-
Show a configuration report.
makepk (aka MakeTeXPK)
makepk
now invokes ps2pk
when a Type 1 outline font is available.
makepk
now invokes ttf2pk
when a TrueType font is available.
TeX (and also pdfTeX)
- New option `--src-specials' causes TeX to insert source
file information (a.k.a. source specials) into the DVI file. Source file
information improves Editor/Previewer interaction.
- TeX can read compressed input files, i.e. it's now possible to
say `\input foo.tex.gz'.
- New option `--try-gz' causes TeX to try `file.tex.gz' if
`file.tex' cannot be found.
- New option `--term=oem' causes TeX to use the DOS code page
for console output.
Dvips
- Compressed EPS figures are searched by means of the find-file-machinery.
New Applications
- dvipdfm 0.9.5, a DVI-to-PDF converter developed by Mark A. Wicks.
ps2pk
converts Type 1 outline fonts into PK files.
This utility is used by makepk
.
gif2png
converts GIF files into PNG files.
- ttf2pk, ttf2tfm: these programs make TrueType fonts usable with TeX.
Developed by Frederic Loyer and Werner Lemberg.
Updated
- dvips 5.83
- Omega 1.5; now with some documentation in `c:\texmf\doc\omega'.
- pdfTeX 0.12r; now with some documentation in `c:\texmf\doc\pdftex'.
Resolved Problems
- `YAP --single-instance' causes a GPF.
Resolved Problems
- On some Win95 boxes: YAP displays text lines upside down.
- YAP reports `MF mode / printer resolution mismatch' if printer
resoultion is different from 600 dpi.
- YAP forgets the paper size info (i.e. always starts with A4).
- YAP consumes too much GDI resources during the run.
Hightlights
- YAP improvements (see below)
- TeX memory parameters can be changed at run-time
- Omega 1.47
Resolved Problems
- If you use virtual fonts (which is necessary for languages like
Czech), pdfTeX says `"checksum missmatch in font xxx.vf was ignored"'
on every font and `"character width missmatch in font xxx.vf was ignored"'
on every character in the font.
makempx
fails to create an mpx file, if the corresponding source file
resides in the TEXMF tree (and not in the current directory).
makempx
ignores environment variable `TEX'.
New Applications
makebase
, makemem
: Make METAFONT (MetaPost) base (mem) files.
- Omega 1.47 (experimental version).
See http://www.ens.fr/omega for more information.
YAP
- The METAFONT mode selection has been simplified.
- Gray-scaled character bitmaps make it easier to read shrinked text.
- YAP now supports so called source specials, which is a prerequisite
for forward/inverse DVI search.
- New command lines switch `-1' forces YAP to use a single application
window.
- Sticky Cursor (a.k.a. "the hand tool") allows you to scroll pages
by moving the mouse cursor.
- Context-sensitive help.
- New toolbar icons for easier navigation.
dvips
configure
- The master configuration file has a new name: `miktex.ini' (was
`miktex.environment').
- Configuration parameters are no longer stored in the Windows Registry.
- New option `--dump' causes configure to create new format files, base
files, etc.
INITEX, INIPDFTEX ...
- INITEX and VIRTEX have been merged into one program (`tex.exe').
You invoke INITEX by specifying `--ini' as the first option on the command line.
The same applies to INIPDFTEX, INIMF and INIMP.
TeX, pdfTeX, Omega
- TeX now pays attention to the environment variable `TEXINPUTS'.
- Many memory-related parameters (such as
mem_max
, buf_size
, ...) can be
changed at run-time. See `miktex.ini' for details.
- Improved error handling:
--c-style
: This option causes TeX to show C-style error messages (e.g.
`"foo.tex:9: undefined control sequence"'); implies \scrollmode
.
- You can cause TeX to start a text editor by typing e in the
error menu. See `miktex.ini' for details.
Makeinfo
makepk (a.k.a. MakTeXPK)
- Improved argument checking.
Resolved Problems
- Bibtex8 announces a duplicate bibstyle line when the first and only
one is encountered.
- YAP miscalculates the left and top margins of the printable area.
- When you use a `btex ...some tex stuff... etex' construction to
create a label, MiKTeX complains that it can't create an
.mpx
file.
New Applications
- PostScript versions of Computer Moden Fonts / AMSFonts
- pdfTeX
New Features
- MiKTeX supports multiple TEXMF directory trees.
This feature allows you to make use of an existing comprehensive TEXMF tree
(such as a shared teTeX installation).
- Support of UNC file names. It should now be possible to do without
a drive letter when you setup a shared MiKTeX installation.
- Certain internal TeX parameters have been increased.
- MakeTeX{PK,TFM} now determines the standard destination directory. (In the
past, all generated fonts ended up in a temporary directory tree.) Please
note that the new method is not compatible with DviWin, which cannot search
recursively for PK files. You can restore the old method by changing back
the value `PK Temp Dir'.
- MakeIndex searches recursively for style files.
- It is possible to define per-user configuration settings (via
`configure --personal CFGFILE').
See the Local Guide, for more information.
New Applications
- Modified version of GNU Makeinfo which converts Texinfo docs
into RTF. You can use this utility to make WinHelp files from Texinfo
docs.
- 8-bit enhanced version of BibTeX with extra large processing capacity.
Executable is named `bibtex8.exe'. Documentation is in `doc\bibtex8'.
- MakeTeXFMT makes a new format file and moves it into the format folder.
Upated
- dvips 5.74
- MetaPost 0.632
- LaTeX June'97
Resolved Problems
- TeX capacity exceeded.
- On-the-fly generation of fonts fails, if the font sources are
placed in the current directory.
Resolved Problems
- dvips: cannot download
.pfb
files.
- dvips: complains that `The filename, directory name, or volume
label syntax is incorrect.' before doing its job.
- dvicopy: sometimes causes a general protection fault.
- MakeTeXPK/METAFONT/ec-fonts:
.600gf
files are created even
if a non-600dpi mode was specified
Anti-Features
- Removed DC-fonts from the distribution.
New Features
- MetaPost
- Standard LaTeX packages: AMS-LaTeX, psnfss, ...
- psutils: psbook, psselect, pstops, epsffit, psnup, psresize
- AMS-Fonts
- DVIcopy
- EC-Fonts 1.0
- DVIPS: supports emTeX specias
Anti-Features
- The distribution comes without printer PK files.
Improvements
- TeX runs much faster now.
- MiKTeX uses a filename database for fast file access.
Updated
- LaTeX Dec'96
- dvips 5.66
- DC-Fonts 1.3
Resolved Problems
- BibTeX: causes a GPF if the main LaTeX file
\include
's someting.
- BibTeX: says `Sorry--you've exceeded BibTeX's buffer size 1000' if
the last input line is not terminated by a newline character
- dvips: DVIPS fails to find the EPS file if the full path is given in the
LaTeX
\epsfile
command argument.
- LaTeX: `\' is not accepted as a directory delimiter (on the
command line).
New Features
- Installation Utility
- BibTeX
- YAP (Yet Another Previewer)
- Local guide
Updated
- LaTeX Nov'95
- DC Fonts 1.2
Resolved Problems
- TeX: `\' is not accepted as a directory delimiter (on the
command line).
- (La)TeX: `foo.bar.tex' is converted into `foo.dvi' (instead of
`foo.bar.dvi').
- dvips: hangs when the font source file for a missing PK font does
not exist.
- dvips: dynamic creation of PostScript graphic files is not possible.
This document was generated on 13 April 1999 using
texi2html 1.56k.