Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!yale!mintaka!daemon
From: dmjones@theory.lcs.mit.edu (David M. Jones)
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: LaTeX 2.10/3.0
Keywords: LaTeX, Mittlebach, Schoepf
Message-ID: <1990Sep3.010417.21701@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu>
Date: 3 Sep 90 01:04:17 GMT
Sender: daemon@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu (Lucifer Maleficius)
Reply-To: dmjones@theory.lcs.mit.edu (David M. Jones)
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT
Lines: 48

Greetings.  We're in the process of installing TeX 3.0, and in the
process I thought I'd update our version of LaTeX and also actually
produce a Local Guide to LaTeX for our system.  (You remember the
Local Guide -- it's that usually mythical document referred to in the
LaTeX manual.)

By updating our version of LaTeX, I mostly mean grabbing Mittlebach
and Schopf's code from ymir.claremont.edu and making it available on
our system.  This also means replacing LaTeX's font selection
mechanism by the M&S scheme.  However, before I actually turn this
whole system loose on the local users, I have a few questions.

1.  I have before me an article entitled "Towards LaTeX 2.10," by M&S,
that appeared in in the November 1989 issue of TUGboat, in which they
talk about a few of the changes they are making.  First of all, has
LaTeX 2.10 been dumped in favor of LaTeX 3.0?  (I suspect so, since it
seems from other articles I've seen on the net, and from some of the
code I've seen, that the revision of LaTeX has turned into a major
re-implementation of LaTeX.)  Second, have Mittlebach and Schoepf
released any more details of how extensive their revision will be?
I've seen nothing since an article Dan Hosek posted to this group on
July 6, 1990, which didn't have much information except that there
would be major changes in the output routine and unspecified changes
in the List environment, front matter and section heading mechanisms.
Finally, does anyone have any idea when the new LaTeX will be out?

2. What problems can I expect with the version of LaTeX I've described
above?  I.e., LaTeX 2.09 (version of 7 Dec 1989), running under TeX
3.0 (with Mittelbach's modified lplain.tex from ymir), and with
Mittlebach's font selection code installed?  What is likely to change
enough that the users will notice and come after me with sharp
implements?

3.  The local guide includes the file addendum.tex, which contains a
list of errata and additions to the LaTeX manual.  The addendum.tex I
have is dated 31 October 1989.  Is there a more recent errata list
available anywhere?

Thanks in advance for your answers.  I'd also appreciate any other
hints anyone would like to give.

Cheers,
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David M. Jones                             |"I've just come across a fascinat-
ARPANET: dmjones@athena.mit.edu            | ing piece in the Times.  Concerns
UUCP: ...!mit-eddie!mit-athena!dmjones     | the effects of lack of sleep
USmail: 3 Ames Street; Cambridge, MA 02139 | among the marginally sane."
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