DJGPP FAQ -- How to print the docs?

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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 2.8.1 should be in the v2gnu/gcc281d.zip archive. These distributions 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.

If some package doesn't have a ready *d.zip archive, you will need to get and install a program called TeX or its work-alike, like emTeX. A DJGPP port of TeX is available on SimTel.NET. Install TeX, then run the texi2dvi shell script(Note: You will need to install the port of Bash and some auxiliary utilities to be able to run shell scripts; texi2dvi itself is part of the GNU Texinfo distribution and comes with the v2gnu/txiNNNb.zip archive.) 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 dvps566.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 (djlsr201.zip). In order to build this file, you need to install djlsr201.zip and the C++ compiler, then go to the src/libc directory and type this from the DOS command prompt:

       make -C ../mkdoc
       make doc

If the above command fails due to unresolved externals, you will need to edit the file makefile in the mkdoc directory. It has a line which calls ld (the linker), where you should change -lgcc -lc into -lgcc -lc -lgcc. Save makefile and try the above commands again.

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

DJGPP comes with a program called TEXI2PS which can convert *.txi files to 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.

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