Modified: 11/09/96
This file contains answers to questions concerning the text formatting
package teTeX (latex/tex).
Send comments on the accuracy of this information to:
unix-consult@virginia.edu
If you have questions on usage, type: man tex (or latex)
call the ITC Help Desk: 924-3731
send e-mail to: unix-consult@virginia.edu
read this newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Documents:
TIB-174 LaTeX: A Document Preparation System
U-012 FONTS: Catalog of PostScript Fonts
U-013 PSFIG: How to Include PostScript Figures into a
LaTeX or Troff Document
CONTENTS:
Q1. How can I access latex/tex (teTeX)?
Q2. Is there on-line documentation available for teTeX ?
Q3. I am having problems running teTeX - what could be
wrong ?
Q4. I want teTeX to write the fonts it creates to my account - how
do I do this ?
Q5. How do I print a ps file using the new latex (tetex) ?
Q6. What are the style files available with the new (teTeX) distribution ?
Q7. What are the class files available with the new (teTeX) distribution ?
Q8. I am having problems using psfig with latex - what's wrong ?
Q9. I want to use some style files that are not part of ITC's
distribution what do I need to do?
Q10. I have a latex error that says the following:
! LaTeX Error: Too many unprocessed floats.
What can I do ?
Q11. I'm writting a LaTeX paper in two-column format, and since I am not
filling the last page, I would like to balance the size of the two
columns. That is, instead of filling the entire left column and
putting the remained at the top of the right column, I'd like to use
the top of both the left and right columns so then each end in roughly
the same spot, and leave the bottom of both columns blank.
Does anyone know if LaTeX can be made to do this automatically?
Q12.
I am having a problem with latex reading in a EPS file with the
\includegraphics{} command. I get the message:
! Unable to read an entire line---bufsize=3000.
Please ask a wizard to enlarge me.
What should I do?
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Q1. How can I access latex/tex (teTeX)?
A: The new teTeX package (beginning Aug 10, 1998 the default
tex/latex is the new teTeX distribution) is available on all ITC
machines running AIX, Irix, SunOS or Solaris. Currently there are
13 utilities available in /uva/bin (additional
binaries can be found within the /teTeX area):
amstex
bibtex
dvips
latex
makeindex
ps2frag
pslatex
tex
texinfo
vftovp
virmf
weave
xdvi
Each utility calls the platform specific version of the teTeX
utility (for example latex calls the teTeX version of latex
that is appropriate for your operating system).
These utilities are found in /uva/bin which is part of the
standard PATH configuration - you do not need to modify your
start up files to access the new teTeX.
(If you are running teTeX from departmental machine - your
system administrator will need to mount teTeX from juno and
create a symbolic link between /net/teTeX and /teTeX.)
DATE: 11/09/96
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Q2. Is there on-line documentation available for teTeX ?
A: Yes. On line information is available in both the Unix
manual format (the "man" command) and the gnu info format (the
"info" command). To access the on-line information you will
need to modify either your MANPATH variable (if you wish to
access the info with the "man" command) or the INFOPATH
variable (if you wish to access the info using "info").
The MANPATH and INFOPATH variables are typically found in the
.variables.ksh file. You will need to make the following modification:
MANPATH=/teTeX/man:$MANPATH or
INFOPATH=/teTeX/info:$INFOPATH
Then, to access the on-line information on the ps2frag utility
you would type "man ps2frag" or "info ps2frag".
DATE: 11/09/96
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Q3. I am having problems running the new teTeX - what could be
wrong ?
A: Its possible that variables you defined for use with older versions of
latex/tex are interfering with teTeX. Examples of such tex
variables are: TEXSIS_LIB, TEXFORMATS, TEXINPUTS, TEXFONTS,
XDVIFONTS, TEXPKS, PKFONTS, PKPATH. If you have defined these
variables (they would typically be defined in your
.variables.ksh file) they should be commented out for
the new teTeX to run smoothly.
Also if you are having trouble with dvips - make sure
you DON'T have a file called .dvipsrc.
DATE: 11/09/96
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Q4. I want teTeX to write the fonts it creates to my account - how
do I do this ?
A: Having teTeX write the fonts it creates to your account is useful
if you will be processing (and reprocessing) the same document over
an extended period of time. In its default configuration, teTeX
writes fonts to the /var/tmp area - an area which is periodically
"cleared". To write fonts to your account set the VARFONTS variable:
VARFONTS=/home/user_id
teTeX will write the fonts to a pk subdirectory.
DATE: 11/09/96
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Q5. How do I print a ps file using the new latex (tetex) ?
A. You can generate a Postscript file from a .dvi file using the
syntax
dvips filename.dvi
A file named filename.ps will be created in the current directory.
To then print the file issue the command:
lpr -Pprinter_name filename.ps
What if I don't want the ps file in the current directory (perhaps
its too large and you are near quota)...
Issue the commands
dvips filename.dvi -o /tmp/filename.ps
lpr -Pprinter_name /tmp/filename.ps
(You may want to delete the file from the tmp area with the
command rm /tmp/filename.ps)
If you want to by-pass the ps file all together ....
dvips filename -o !lpr
[you must have defined a PRINTER variable to use this command]
(Note - this is contrast to the previous version of latex which uses
the syntax..
dvips filename.dvi > filename.ps
dvips filename.dvi | lpr -Pprinter_name will no longer work.
DATE: 1/02/97
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Q6. What are the style files available with the new distribution ?
A: There are over 300 style files included in our local tetex distribution-
so I won't list them all here !
Here is how you can get the list:
cd to /teTeX/texmf then run
find . -type f -name '*.sty' -print
DATE: 1/06/97
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Q7. What are the class files available with the new distribution ?
A: There are over 30 style files included in our local tetex distribution-
so I won't list them all here !
Here is how you can get the list:
cd to /teTeX/texmf then run
find . -type f -name '*.cls' -print
DATE: 1/06/97
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Q8. I am having problems using psfig with latex.new
(or latex) - what's wrong ?
A: Here is the command for incorporating postscript files in latex
documents (using psfig).
\documentclass{article} or \documentclass{article}
\usepackage{psfig}
\begin{document}
\begin{figure}
\psfig{figure=yourfig.ps}
\end{figure}
DATE: 1/08/97
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Q9. I want to use some style files that are not part of ITC's
distribution what do I need to do?
A: You can use your own style file (*.sty) via one of two mechanisms:
1) Simply place the .sty file in the directory with the *.tex file
that "calls" it.
2) You can modify your TEXINPUTS variable such that it searches
both the default area and your selected area:
TEXINPUTS=:/home/userid/tex_stuff (ksh)
setenv TEXINPUTS :/home/userid/tex_stuff (csh)
DATE: 5/12/97
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Q10. I have a latex error that says the following:
! LaTeX Error: Too many unprocessed floats.
What can I do ?
A10. Too many unprocessed floats: A likely error when you have lots of figure
and table enviroments. Latex can keep track of a limited number while
finishing page processing before it runs out of memory. The error is
often triggered when you have a large environment that won't fit on one
page, or when you haven't specified an optional placement argument. Reduce
the size of the table/figure or use the p option to try to solve the error.
Another helpful hint: use the /clearpage command after figures (if that
fits in with your formatting ideas) to clear Latex's memory.
DATE: 1-6-99
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Q11. I'm writting a LaTeX paper in two-column format, and since I am not
filling the last page, I would like to balance the size of the two
columns. That is, instead of filling the entire left column and
putting the remained at the top of the right column, I'd like to use
the top of both the left and right columns so then each end in roughly
the same spot, and leave the bottom of both columns blank.
Does anyone know if LaTeX can be made to do this automatically?
A11. Latex can do this with the multilcols package. The syntax is:
\usepackage{multicol}
...
\begin{multicols}{2}
...your text
\end{multicols}
DATE 1-6-99 (dma9w)
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Q12.
I am having a problem with latex reading in a EPS file with the
\includegraphics{} command. I get the message:
! Unable to read an entire line---bufsize=3000.
Please ask a wizard to enlarge me.
What should I do?
A12. The error was caused by a binary transter of an ascii file from a pc
to a unix account (in this case the Home Directory server performed
this binary transfer).
There are 2 solutions :
1) Move the file from the pc to the unix account again - this time using
and ftp client.
2) Use an unix editorto change all instances of \r to \n
DATE: 7-1-99
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