[texhax] Hello - I have a problem

[Randolph J. Herber]

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>Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 12:04:45 +0200
>From: Paul Wagner <paul_spam at gmx.at>
>Subject: [texhax] Hello - I have a problem
>To: texhax at tug.org
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>Randolph,

>>	Now, if were possible to convince the Europeans to stop hard-
>>	coding paper sizes into software instead of putting such data
>>	into configuration files so that it would be easier to adjust
>>	their software to work with letter paper, the European software
>>	would be much more popular with United States users.

>the default papersize in ghostscript is NOT hardcoded, it is set in the
>initalization file gs_init.ps, which is plain ASCII and can be edited by
>everyone.

>So if it were possible for some people to gain at least a little bit of
>insight into a subject prior to posting on a mailing list, many flame wars
>and nearly off-topic posts could be avoided.

	If you would gain some insight into a subject, then you would
	not trigger replies to inform you of your errors.  I was not
	the person complaining about ghostscript's behavior.   My
	complaint was about a2ps amd the modern versions of TeX and
	LaTeX where in order to learn the names of the configuration
	files, the relationships between the various configuration
	files and where the default assumptions were in the code, I
	had to read major amounts of the source code to locate a
	solution to my problem.  Furthermore, thank you for illustrating
	my point for me, the file name, gs_init.ps, does not indicate
	clearly that that is where the assumptions about paper size
	are stored.

	And, to me at least, TeX and LaTeX are the subjects of this
	mailing list.  The fact that TeX and LaTex now defaults to
	European paper sizes tell me that TeX and LaTeX support amd
	development has moved out of the United States of America
	where TeX and LaTex originated.  Before, Europeans had to
	put in A4 (after discovering the style file for that purpose);
	not, the Europeans seem have reversed that situation.

>Paul

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Randolph J. Herber, herber at fnal.gov, +1 630 840 2966, CD/CDFTF PK-149F,
Mail Stop 318, Fermilab, Kirk & Pine Rds., PO Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510-0500,
USA.  (Speaking for myself and not for US, US DOE, FNAL nor URA.)  (Product,
trade, or service marks herein belong to their respective owners.)