| Getting Started with Texinfo |
| ============================ |
| |
| 25 March 1993 |
| |
| Most of the installation instructions are described in the file `INSTALL'. |
| One additional note to make is that if your info files are in a nonstandard |
| place (i.e. not in the `info' directory immediately under $prefix) you may |
| wish to change the default info path as specified via DEFAULT_INFOPATH in |
| info/Makefile.in. |
| |
| "Texinfo" is a documentation system that uses a single source file to |
| produce both on-line information and printed output. Using Texinfo, |
| you can create a printed document with the normal features of a book, |
| including chapters, sections, cross references, and indices. From the |
| same Texinfo source file, you can create a menu-driven, on-line Info |
| file with nodes, menus, cross references, and indices. |
| |
| The name of the Texinfo source documentation file is `texinfo.texi'. |
| You can produce both on-line information and printed output from this |
| source file. The documentation describes Texinfo in detail, including |
| how to write Texinfo files, how to format them for both hard copy and |
| Info, and how to install Info files. |
| |
| To get started, you need to create either a printed manual or an |
| on-line Info file from the `texinfo.texi' file. You do not need to |
| create both, although you will probably want both eventually. |
| |
| To learn how to use Info, read the info documentation. You can do this in |
| one of two ways: using the standalone `info' program, or using Info mode in |
| GNU Emacs. |
| |
| * If you want to use the `info' program, type |
| |
| $ info -f info-stnd |
| |
| * If you want to use Emacs, start up emacs and type `C-h i' [M-x info]. |
| Follow the instructions to learn how to use Info. |
| |
| After learning how to use Info, you can read the Texinfo documentation. |
| Using the standalone `info', type the following at the shell prompt: |
| |
| $ info -f texinfo |
| |
| To use read this manual in Emacs, you first need to edit the Info-directory |
| menu (the file `dir' in the system info directory) to contain the |
| appropriate node. To learn how to do this, see node: Add in the Info |
| documentation. |
| |
| The Texinfo documentation describes Texinfo in detail; among other things, |
| it tells how to install Info files in the usual manner. (See node: Install |
| an Info File.) |
| |
| The `info-stnd.info' file describes the standalone Info reader in detail. To |
| read this file, type |
| |
| $ info -f info-stnd |
| |
| If you are using GNU Emacs, you may want to install the Emacs Lisp files |
| permanently. Move them them to a directory in the load-path for Emacs; |
| otherwise Emacs will not be able to load the autoloaded support files, such |
| as `texinfmt.el'. |
| |
| The `texinfo.el' file contains the autoload commands; it is the only |
| file that needs to be loaded initially. If your Emacs does not |
| automatically load `texinfo.el', you can tell it to do so by placing |
| the following in `default.el' or in your `.emacs' file: |
| |
| (load "texinfo") |
| |
| |
| To create a printed manual |
| ========================== |
| |
| You need: |
| |
| * The `tex' program, which typesets the manual using TeX. |
| * The `texinfo.tex' definition file that tells TeX how to typeset |
| a Texinfo file. |
| * The `texindex' program, which sorts the unsorted index files |
| created by TeX. |
| * A printing program such as `lp' or `lpr', |
| * A printer. |
| |
| This Texinfo distribution package contains `texinfo.tex', the C source |
| for `texindex', and the handy shell script `texi2dvi'. The `tex' |
| program is not part of this distribution, but is available separately. |
| (See `How to Obtain TeX' in the Texinfo documentation.) |
| |
| * Install `tex'. (`texindex' is installed automagically by |
| `make install' in this distribution.) |
| |
| * Move the `texinfo.tex' file to an appropriate directory; the current |
| directory will do. (`/usr/local/lib/tex/inputs' might be a good place. |
| See ``Preparing to Use TeX'' in the Texinfo manual, for more |
| information.) |
| |
| After following those instructions, type the following to make the .dvi |
| files: |
| |
| $ make texinfo.dvi |
| $ (cd info; make info.dvi info-stnd.dvi) |
| $ (cd makeinfo; make makeinfo.dvi) |
| |
| You can then print the resulting .dvi files with the `lpr' command (on BSD |
| systems. On SysV systems the command is `lp'. Consult your man pages for |
| more information). |
| |
| For example, the command to print the texinfo.dvi file might be: |
| |
| $ lpr -d texinfo.dvi |
| |
| The name of the printing command depends on the system; `lpr -d' is |
| common, and is illustrated here. You may use a different name for the |
| printing command. |
| |
| Please report bugs to bug-texinfo@prep.ai.mit.edu. |
| |
| Happy formatting. |