INTRODUCTION revision 256281
1233294Sstas$Id: INTRODUCTION,v 1.3 2004/04/11 17:56:45 karl Exp $ 272445SassarGetting started with Texinfo. 372445Sassar 472445Sassar Copyright (C) 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 5233294Sstas Free Software Foundation, Inc. 672445Sassar 772445Sassar Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification, 872445Sassar are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright 972445Sassar notice and this notice are preserved. 10178825Sdfr 1172445Sassar 1272445Sassar 13178825SdfrGetting Started with Texinfo 14178825Sdfr============================ 1572445Sassar 16178825Sdfr"Texinfo" is a documentation system that uses a single source file to 17178825Sdfrproduce both on-line information and printed output. Using Texinfo, 18178825Sdfryou can create a printed document with the normal features of a book, 19178825Sdfrincluding chapters, sections, cross references, and indices. From the 2072445Sassarsame Texinfo source file, you can create a menu-driven, on-line Info 21178825Sdfrfile with nodes, menus, cross references, and indices. 22178825Sdfr 23233294SstasThe name of the Texinfo source documentation file is `texinfo.txi'. 24233294SstasYou can produce both on-line information and printed output from this 25178825Sdfrsource file. The documentation describes Texinfo in detail, including 26178825Sdfrhow to write Texinfo files, how to format them for both hard copy and 2790926SnectarInfo, and how to install Info files. 28178825Sdfr 29178825SdfrTo get started, you need to create either a printed manual or an 30178825Sdfron-line Info file from the `texinfo.txi' file. You do not need to 31178825Sdfrcreate both, although you will probably want both eventually. 32178825Sdfr 33178825SdfrTo learn how to use Info, read the info documentation. You can do this in 34178825Sdfrone of two ways: using the standalone `info' program, or using Info mode in 35178825SdfrGNU Emacs. 36178825Sdfr 37178825Sdfr * If you want to use the `info' program, run 38178825Sdfr 39178825Sdfr info -f info-stnd 4090926Snectar 41178825Sdfr * If you want to use Emacs, start up emacs and type `C-h i' [M-x info]. 4290926Snectar Follow the instructions to learn how to use Info. 43178825Sdfr 44178825SdfrAfter learning how to use Info, you can read the Texinfo documentation. 45178825SdfrUsing the standalone `info', type the following at the shell prompt: 46178825Sdfr 47178825Sdfr info -f texinfo 48178825Sdfr 49178825SdfrTo use read this manual in Emacs, you first need to edit the Info-directory 50178825Sdfrmenu (the file `dir' in the system info directory) to contain the 51178825Sdfrappropriate node. To learn how to do this, see node: Add in the Info 52178825Sdfrdocumentation. 53178825Sdfr 54178825SdfrThe Texinfo documentation describes Texinfo in detail; among other things, 55178825Sdfrit tells how to install Info files in the usual manner. (See node: Install 56178825Sdfran Info File.) 57178825Sdfr 58178825SdfrThe `info-stnd.info' file describes the standalone Info reader in detail. To 59178825Sdfrread this file, type 60178825Sdfr 61178825Sdfr $ info -f info-stnd 62178825Sdfr 63178825Sdfr 64178825SdfrTo create a printed manual 65178825Sdfr========================== 66178825Sdfr 67233294SstasYou need: 68233294Sstas 69233294Sstas * The `tex' program, which typesets the manual using TeX. 70233294Sstas * The `texinfo.tex' definition file that tells TeX how to typeset 71233294Sstas a Texinfo file. 7272445Sassar * The `texindex' program, which sorts the unsorted index files 73233294Sstas created by TeX. 74233294Sstas * A printing program such as `lp' or `lpr', 75233294Sstas * A printer. 76233294Sstas 77233294SstasThis Texinfo distribution package contains `texinfo.tex', the C source 78233294Sstasfor `texindex', and the handy shell script `texi2dvi'. The `tex' 79233294Sstasprogram is not part of this distribution, but is available separately. 80(See `How to Obtain TeX' in the Texinfo documentation.) 81 82 * Install `tex'. (`texindex' is installed automagically by 83 `make install' in this distribution.) 84 85 * Move the `texinfo.tex' file to an appropriate directory; the current 86 directory will do. (`/usr/local/lib/tex/inputs' might be a good place. 87 See ``Preparing to Use TeX'' in the Texinfo manual, for more 88 information.) 89 90After following those instructions, type the following to make the .dvi 91files: 92 93 $ (cd doc; make dvi) 94 95You can then print the resulting .dvi files with the `lpr' or `lp' 96commands, or maybe `dvips'. 97 98For example, the command to print the texinfo.dvi file might be: 99 100 $ lpr -d texinfo.dvi 101 102The name of the printing command depends on the system; `lpr -d' is 103common, and is illustrated here. You may use a different name for the 104printing command. 105 106Please report bugs to bug-texinfo@gnu.org. 107 108Happy formatting. 109