Copyright (C) 1989-2006, 2008, 2009, 2012-2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc. Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification, are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright notice and this notice are preserved. This is the GNU `groff' document formatting system. The version number is given in the file VERSION. Included in this release are implementations of `troff', `pic', `eqn', `tbl', `grn', `refer', `-man', `-mdoc', `-mom', and `-ms' macros, and drivers for `PostScript', `PDF', `TeX DVI' format, `HP LaserJet 4' printers, `Canon CAPSL' printers, `HTML' and `XHTML' formats (beta status), and typewriter-like devices. Also included is a modified version of the Berkeley `-me' macros, the enhanced version `gxditview' of the X11 `xditview' previewer, and an implementation of the `-mm' macros contributed by Joergen Haegg (jh@axis.se). See the file `INSTALL' for installation instructions. You require a C++ compiler. The file `NEWS' describes recent user-visible changes to `groff'. `groff' is free software. See the file `COPYING' for copying permission. The file `PROBLEMS' describes various problems that have been encountered in compiling, installing, and running `groff'. The file `MORE.STUFF' contains information about add-on packages useful for groff. The most recent released version of `groff' is always available by anonymous ftp from `ftp.gnu.org' in the directory `gnu/groff'. The current development version of `groff' is available from a `CVS' repository. You can access it by first selecting a parent directory in which to create a working copy (call it, say, `~/cvswork'), and then executing the commands cd ~/cvswork cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.savannah.gnu.org/sources/groff -z5 co groff This creates a subdirectory, `~/cvswork/groff', with a `checked out' copy of the `CVS' repository. An update of this working copy may be achieved, at any later time by invoking the commands cd ~/cvswork/groff cvs -z5 update -dP Please read the `CVS' info pages for further details. Finally, it is possible to access the `CVS' with a web browser by pointing it to http://savannah.gnu.org/cvs/?group=groff Alternatively, you can download snapshots (which are updated twice a day). The complete `groff' source as a single file is available at http://groff.ffii.org/groff/devel/groff-current.tar.gz A diff file relative to `groff-', the latest official `groff' release, is available at http://groff.ffii.org/groff/devel/groff--current.diff.gz Assuming that `groff-.tar.gz' and `groff--current.diff.gz' are in the same directory, do the following to apply the diff file: tar xzvf groff-.tar.gz cd groff- gunzip -c ../groff--current.diff.gz | patch -p1 Depending on your requirements, you may need at least some of the following tools to build `groff' directly from its source: ghostscript the psutils package the netpbm package texinfo 4.8 bison >= 1.875b or byacc Note that `texinfo' and `bison' or `byacc' are required only for building from `CVS' sources (either a checked out working copy, or a daily snapshot). They are not required for building from a stable release tarball. Also note that the version numbers stated are the minimum supported. No version of `texinfo' < 4.8 works, and the original release of `bison' 1.875 is known not to work; you *may* find that `bison' releases < 1.875 work, but in case of difficulty, please update to a later version *before* posting a bug report. For *all* sources, you need ghostscript for creation of either `PDF' or `HTML' output; the `netpbm' and `psutils' packages are required only for `HTML' output (and for compilation from the CVS). If you don't intend to produce output in either of these formats, then these packages are unnecessary. Additionally, producing `PDF' output directly with the `gropdf' device needs a working installation of Perl. The same is true for the `chem' preprocessor. In Linux Debian, the installation of `texinfo' is dangerous. For it creates a file `install-info' that blocks the system installation. So the created `/usr/local/bin/install-info' must be renamed. The `groff' configure script searches for the X11 headers and libraries `Xaw' and `Xmu'. So the corresponding developer packages of your system must be installed, otherwise `groff' does not install `gxditview' and the `-TX*' devices. In Debian, the developer packages are `libxaw7-dev' and `libxmu-dev'. Please report bugs using the form in the file `BUG-REPORT'; the idea of this is to make sure that FSF has all the information it needs to fix the bug. At the very least, read the `BUG-REPORT' form and make sure that you supply all the information that it asks for. Even if you are not sure that something is a bug, report it using `BUG-REPORT': this enables us to determine whether it really is a bug or not. Three mailing lists are available: bug-groff@gnu.org for reporting bugs groff@gnu.org for general discussion of groff groff-commit@gnu.org a read-only list showing commitments to the CVS repository To subscribe, send a mail to -request@ (example: groff-request@gnu.org for the `groff' list) with the word `subscribe' in either the subject or body of the email (don't include the quotes). Alternatively, you may subscribe by visiting the web pages at http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/bug-groff http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/groff http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/groff-commit Each of these web pages also provides a link to a browseable archive of postings to the corresponding mailing list. GNU `groff' was written by James Clark . It is now maintained by Ted Harding and Werner Lemberg .