texinfo: Preparing for TeX

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21.9 Preparing for TeX
======================

TeX needs to know where to find the 'texinfo.tex' file that the '\input
texinfo' command on the first line reads.  The 'texinfo.tex' file tells
TeX how to handle @-commands; it is included in all standard GNU
distributions.  The latest version is always available from the Texinfo
source repository:
     <http://savannah.gnu.org/cgi-bin/viewcvs/texinfo/texinfo/doc/texinfo.tex?rev=HEAD>

  Usually, the installer has put the 'texinfo.tex' file in the default
directory that contains TeX macros when GNU Texinfo, Emacs or other GNU
software is installed.  In this case, TeX will find the file and you do
not need to do anything special.  If this has not been done, you can put
'texinfo.tex' in the current directory when you run TeX, and TeX will
find it there.

  Also, you should install 'epsf.tex', if it is not already installed
from another distribution.  More details are at the end of the
description of the '@image' command (Note: Images).

  To be able to use quotation marks other than those used in English
you'll need to install European Computer Modern fonts and optionally
CM-Super fonts, unless they are already installed (Note: Inserting
Quotation Marks).

  If you intend to use the '@euro' command, you should install the Euro
font, if it is not already installed.  Note: @euro.

  Optionally, you may create an additional 'texinfo.cnf', and install it
as well.  This file is read by TeX when the '@setfilename' command is
executed (Note: @setfilename).  You can put any commands you like
there, according to local site-wide conventions.  They will be read by
TeX when processing any Texinfo document.  For example, if 'texinfo.cnf'
contains the line '@afourpaper' (Note: A4 Paper), then all Texinfo
documents will be processed with that page size in effect.  If you have
nothing to put in 'texinfo.cnf', you do not need to create it.

  If neither of the above locations for these system files suffice for
you, you can specify the directories explicitly.  For 'texinfo.tex', you
can do this by writing the complete path for the file after the '\input'
command.  Another way, that works for both 'texinfo.tex' and
'texinfo.cnf' (and any other file TeX might read), is to set the
'TEXINPUTS' environment variable in your '.cshrc' or '.profile' file.

  Which you use of '.cshrc' or '.profile' depends on whether you use a
Bourne shell-compatible ('sh', 'bash', 'ksh', ...) or C shell-compatible
('csh', 'tcsh') command interpreter.  The latter read the '.cshrc' file
for initialization information, and the former read '.profile'.

  In a '.cshrc' file, you could use the following 'csh' command
sequence:

     setenv TEXINPUTS .:/home/me/mylib:

  In a '.profile' file, you could use the following 'sh' command
sequence:

     TEXINPUTS=.:/home/me/mylib:
     export TEXINPUTS

  On MS-DOS/MS-Windows, you would say it like this(1):

     set TEXINPUTS=.;d:/home/me/mylib;c:

It is customary for DOS/Windows users to put such commands in the
'autoexec.bat' file, or in the Windows registry.

These settings would cause TeX to look for '\input' file first in the
current directory, indicated by the '.', then in a hypothetical user
'me''s 'mylib' directory, and finally in the system directories.  (A
leading, trailing, or doubled ':' indicates searching the system
directories at that point.)

  Finally, you may wish to dump a '.fmt' file (Note: (web2c)Memory
dumps) so that TeX can load Texinfo faster.  (The disadvantage is that
then updating 'texinfo.tex' requires redumping.)  You can do this by
running this command, assuming 'epsf.tex' is findable by TeX:

     initex texinfo @dump

('dump' is a TeX primitive.)  Then, move 'texinfo.fmt' to wherever your
'.fmt' files are found; typically, this will be in the subdirectory
'web2c' of your TeX installation.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) Note the use of the ';' character, instead of ':', as directory
separator on these systems.