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From: img@eng.cam.ac.uk (Ian Green)
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: when are .fmts portable across architectures? (if ever)
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Date: 4 Jun 91 23:10:20 GMT
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When I generate a .fmt file (say lplain, TeX3.0) on a sun4, it appears
to work with virtex on hp300s and hp800s, as well as the sun4.

I was wondering if it is possible to share .fmts files *under some
circumstances*?  (I suspect that this is not possible in general.)

What are these circumstances, if any?

(My hp300 .fmts appear to work under virmf on hp800s.  The two,
lplain-hp800 and lplain-hp300, are exactly the same size, but cmp says
they are different.  Is this difference significant?  [eg it's not
simply a time stamp])

I'm afraid I don't know enough to figure this out for myself.
ian green