unixtex.ftp: Obtaining TeX
==========================

This is ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/unixtex.ftp, last updated 16 January 2003. Also available as http://www.tug.org/unixtex.ftp.  The IP address is currently [130.225.2.178], and the canonical host name is currently tug.org.  It is also in Kpathsea source distributions as etc/unixtex.ftp (although the network version is usually newer).  Mail tex-k@mail.tug.org with comments or questions.

Following are general instructions for Unix or other sites who wish to acquire the Web2c distribution, (plain) TeX, LaTeX (2e), BibTeX, Metafont, MetaPost, DVI processors for the X window system, PostScript, the PCL language in the HP LaserJet, and related programs. They are oriented towards building from the original sources, though some information on alternative packages is included in the last section.  See also http://www.tug.org/web2c, the Web2c and Kpathsea home page.

Please note that the Web2c distribution is a bare-bones distribution in source form, and building a complete installation from it is a non-trivial matter.  For most uses, it is a better idea to install a distribution with pre-packaged binaries for your platform.  An example of such a distribution is teTeX, which is based on the Web2c sources.

Please consider joining the TeX Users Group (TUG) to help support the maintenance and development of the programs you retrieve.  Email office@tug.org or see http://www.tug.org for information and a membership form.

For actual installation instructions after obtaining the necessary sources, see Installation.  A copy is in the distribution file kpathsea/INSTALL.

Electronic distribution
-----------------------

In many places we refer to CTAN:.  This is both a host name and a directory name.  Here are some primary locations:

     ftp://ctan.tug.org/tex-archive    (California, USA)
     ftp://ftp.dante.de/tex-archive    (Germany)
     ftp://ftp.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive   (England)

CTAN has many mirrors worldwide; see the top-level file README.mirrors from one of the sites above, or finger ctan@ftp.tug.org, or see http://www.tug.org/CTAN.sites. A list current as of the time of distribution is in the top-level file ./MIRROR.

You can also access CTAN via the World Wide Web, Gopher, electronic mail, or NFS.  The same README.mirrors file explains how.

You will need to retrieve some or all of the following archives, depending on your needs (don't forget to set binary mode for file transfers):

CTAN:/systems/web2c/texmflib.tar.gz
     A basic collection of fonts (TFM files only) and macro packages (including Texinfo and LaTeX 2e).  It unpacks into texmf/; if you change the structure of this hierarchy, you will also have to change the default search paths (see Changing search paths).  It is required unless you already have these files, in which case you should change the default paths as necessary to find them.

     Please note that this collection is bare-bones, providing just the means for bootstrapping TeX.  It's contents may also be outdated, especially where LaTeX 2e is concerned.

CTAN:/systems/web2c/web.tar.gz
     The original WEB source files, written mostly by Don Knuth.  Required unless you already have this web version.  (The WEB sources change irregularly with respect to Web2c itself.)  Unpacks into web2c-VERSION.

CTAN:/systems/web2c/web2c.tar.gz
     The Web2c system.  Required.  Also unpacks into web2c-VERSION.

CTAN:/systems/web2c/web2c-etex.tar.gz
     Additions to the Web2c system for building e-TeX.  Optional.  Unpacks into web2c-VERSION.

CTAN:/systems/web2c/etexlib.tar.gz
     Additions to the texmf tree needed to build e-TeX.  Optional. Unpacks into texmf/.

CTAN:/systems/web2c/etexdoc.tar.gz
     Documentation for e-TeX as an addition to the texmf tree.  Optional. Unpacks into texmf/.

CTAN:/systems/web2c/web2c-omega.tar.gz
     Additions to the Web2c system for building Omega.  Optional.  Unpacks into web2c-VERSION.

CTAN:/systems/web2c/omegalib.tar.gz
     Additions to the texmf tree needed to build Omega.  Optional.  Unpacks into texmf/.

CTAN:/systems/web2c/omegadoc.tar.gz
     Documentation for Omega as an addition to the texmf tree.  Optional. Unpacks into texmf/.

CTAN:/systems/web2c/web2c-pdftex.tar.gz
     Additions to the Web2c system for building pdfTeX.  Optional. Unpacks into web2c-VERSION.

CTAN:/systems/web2c/pdftexlib.tar.gz
     Additions to the texmf tree needed to build pdfTeX.  Optional. Unpacks into texmf/.

CTAN:/systems/web2c/pdftexdoc.tar.gz
     Unpacks into texmf/.  Documentation for pdfTeX as an addition to the texmf tree.  Optional.  Unpacks into texmf/.

CTAN:/dviware/dvipsk/dvipsk.tar.gz
     DVI-to-PostScript translator.  Unpacks into dvipsk-VERSION. Optional.

CTAN:/dviware/xdvik/xdvik.tar.gz
     X window system DVI previewer.  Unpacks into xdvik-VERSION. Optional.

CTAN:/dviware/dviljk/dviljk.tar.gz
     DVI-to-PCL (HP LaserJet) translator.  Unpacks into dviljk-VERSION.  Optional.

All that said, the originating host for the software above is ftp.tug.org.  You can retrieve these distributions (but not much else) from the tex/ directory on that host.

CD-ROM distribution
-------------------

Numerous organizations distribute various TeX CD-ROM's:

  * TUG, UK TUG, and GUTenberg (French-speaking TeX user group) collaborated to produce the TeX Live CD-ROM, based on teTeX, which in turn is based on Web2c; email tex-live@mail.tug.org or see http://www.tug.org/tex-live.html.

  * Dante (the German-speaking TeX user group) has produced a CD-ROM. See http://www.dante.de/dante/DANTE-CTAN-CD-ROM.html, and http://www.dante.de/tex-informationen/CD-ROMs.html for information about TeX CD's in general.  Both are in German.

  * The Free Software Foundation's Source Code CD-ROM contains the minimal TeX source distribution described in the previous section (i.e., enough to print GNU documentation); email gnu@gnu.org.

  * Most Linux distributions include some TeX package based on Web2c; see the Linux documentation file Distribution-HOWTO for a comparison of Linux distributions, available (for example) via http://www.linux.org.

If you know of additional TeX CD-ROM distributions to add to this list, please inform tex-k@mail.tug.org.

Other TeX packages
------------------

Many other TeX implementations are available in CTAN:/systems, including ready-to-run distributions for Unix, Amiga, Acorn, VMS, Macintosh, DOS, and Windows (in various forms). Although Web2c has support in the source code for many operating systems, and in fact some of the other distributions are based on it, it's unlikely to work as distributed on anything but Unix.  (Please contribute improvements!)

The Unix distribution alluded to above is the teTeX distribution. This includes both complete sources and precompiled binaries for many popular Unix variants, including Linux. It is based on Web2c, and contains many other TeX-related programs as well.

The host labrea.stanford.edu is the original source for the files for which Donald Knuth is directly responsible: tex.web, plain.tex, etc. However, unless you want to build your TeX library tree ab initio, it is more reliable and less work to retrieve these files as part of the above packages. In any case, labrea is not the canonical source for anything except what was created by Stanford TeX project, so do not rely on all the files available at that ftp site being up-to-date.