5.3 How to print the docs?

Q: I like my docs the old way: printed on paper, right near my workplace. How can I print the documentation files which come with DJGPP?

A: Most of the DJGPP packages already have their docs converted to a printable format, look for the files named *d.zip at the same place where you got the binary *b.zip distribution. For example, the ready-to-print docs of GCC 2.95.1 should be in the v2gnu/gcc2951d.zip archive. These archives include a .dvi and a .ps file. The latter can be printed directly on a PostScript printer. If you don't have access to such a printer, you can use the .dvi file in conjunction with a DVI driver for your printer to produce a printed copy of the docs. A DVI driver is a program that reads the .dvi file and translates it into commands for a particular printer device which cause it to print the document. DJGPP ports of DVI drivers for LaserJet series of printers are available on SimTel.NET mirrors in the v2apps/tex directory. Drivers for DeskJet series are also available from there, in the dvdjNNb.zip archive. For other devices, download and install the Ghostscript interpreter which supports a lot of popular printers.

You can also get the GNU documentation in DVI, PostScript, and two-up PostScript formats in .tar.gz format from the DJGPP server.

Note that some documentation files (notably, the one for GCC and Emacs) will produce voluminous print-outs. You have been warned!

If you cannot find a ready archive with printable files anywhere, you will need to get and install a program called TeX or its work-alike, like emTeX. A DJGPP port of TeX is available via FTP. Install TeX, then run the texi2dvi shell script¹² on the docs' source files (called *.txi or *.texi) which you get with the source distribution of every package you download. TeX produces a .dvi file which you can then print using one of the available DVI drivers, as explained above. To convert a .dvi file into PostScript, use the DVIPS program; you can find it as dvps584.zip on the above-mentioned site, together with the TeX port.

If TeX won't run, check that you have the file texinfo.tex which defines the TeX macros specific to Texinfo files. If you don't, get the latest GNU or DJGPP Texinfo distribution which includes that file.

If you'd like to produce printed docs of the library reference, TeX might complain that it cannot find a file named libc2.tex. This file is generated from all the *.txh files in the DJGPP source distribution (djlsr203.zip) and is usually built as part of the library build procedure. In order to generate this file without building the entire library, you need to install djlsr203.zip and the C++ compiler, then go to the src/libc directory and type this from the DOS command prompt:

  make misc.exe ../hostbin
  make -C mkdoc
  make -C libc info

DJGPP comes with a program called TEXI2PS which can convert *.txi files into a crude PostScript; try it if you don't care much about the appearance of the printed docs. Its advantage is that you don't need to install any additional packages, just to fetch the Texinfo sources of the docs.

Finally, if you don't mind paying for the printed documentation, the Free Software Foundation sells printed copies of manuals for GNU packages. You can contact the FSF for details.

For those who prefer reading docs with a Web browser, many GNU manuals in HTML (hypertext) format, suitable for reading with your Web browser, can be viewed at the DJGPP Web site. The *d.zip archives also include the docs converted to HTML, which you can browse locally on your machine.