[tex-live] REVTeX4.1 update in preparation
Arthur Ogawa
arthur_ogawa at sbcglobal.net
Sat Aug 9 23:32:14 CEST 2008
This is a heads-up to the effect that the REVTe4 package for LaTeX is
currently under revision and will be issued (insofar as schedules can
assure one) in September 2008. The released version will be REVTeX4.1.
As part of this work, I am working to make the packaging up of REVTeX
as straightforward as possible for the sake of folks like yourselves.
In that connection, let me provide you with our current scheme, for
your review.
As for REVTeX4, the package is entirely free; the source and all
derived files are marked with the LPPL.
The distribution is in the form of an archive revtex4-1.zip, with its
primary point of distribution http://publish.aps.org/revtex. Of course
we will also submit for inclusion in CTAN, where REVTeX4.1 is expected
to supersede REVTeX4.
Unzipping revtex4-1.zip produces a directory revtex4.1 with the
following contents:
revtex4.1/
README - a nice readme file with manifest, installation
instructions, and provenance
DOWNLOAD - pretty much a copy of a portion of the README; I do
not know why we include it
texmf.zip - an image of the texmf tree that REVTeX4.1 occupies
The installation instructions say to execute a command like:
# unzip texmf.zip -d /usr/local/texlive/texmf-local
# mktexlsr /usr/local/texlive/texmf-local
where choice of target directory is up to the administrator doing the
install.
This installation procedure is similar in most respects to that
promoted by the TeX Live team on your web page http://www.tug.org/texlive/pkgcontrib.html
, but with some differences:
* the two-layered .zip archive. This was done to avoid unzipping the
README and DOWNLOAD files into the texmf tree. The only alternative I
know about would involve piping into and out of tar; the present
scheme seems simpler.
* our .dtx files follow the clever model of Heiko Oberdiek in the
sense that there is no need for either a .ins nor a .drv file. To
effectively run the .ins, you type, e.g.,
tex revtex4.dtx
and to effectively typeset the .drv, you type
[pdf]latex revtex4.dtx
therefore we have removed the .ins and .drv files entirely.
Do you think this a poor idea? Since you will not have to run the
sausage maker, I thought it would not negatively impact the packaging
activities of the TeX Live team, and anyone wishing to gen the files
or the documentation themselves will read the README or the head of
the .dtx.
* our arrangement of files in the texmf tree is different in minor
ways from that adopted by the TeX Live team in the (dim) past. We are
hoping you will simply follow our lead in the matter. In particular,
we use a small private package docs.sty in typesetting our
documentation; it was never our intention to inflict this private
package on the TeX users of the world, so it now lives in doc/.
It is my hope that the latest REVTeX4 release will make your lives
easier. Let us know if you see us heading off in the wrong direction.
Arthur Ogawa/TeX Consultants
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