Re: [Groff] groff 1.15, unknown paper size in file `/etc/papersi

[Ted Harding]

On 13-Jan-00 Werner LEMBERG wrote:
> 
>> grops:/usr/share/groff/font/devps/DESC:13: unknown paper size in
>> file `/etc/papersize' 
>> 
>> I noticed that the DESC file is different in this version.  My
>> /etc/papersize has 'legal' in it. In /etc/paper.config I see
>> US-Legal.  When I tried that in /etc/papersize I still a problem.
> 
> This is a Debian specific problem, I think.  The base groff
> distribution doesn't support /etc/papersize -- Fabrizio has submitted
> a patch to do that, but I'm still hesitating to apply it.

I support Werner on this, I think. The only place "outside" troff
where papersize issues come up is in "paperlength" in the device-
specific DESC file. All the rest can be done in a "papersize"
macro (line length, page offset, margins, etc).

In any case, there's more to it than merely changing paper dimensions.
You may well find that your specific printer prints with a slight
offset (which I test by sending it a PS file which draws two lines
which nominally meet at the corner of the paper; if they meet off the
paper I change them to meet on the paper, and then measure to the corner).
This is another argument for doing it once and for all in macros.

Nor am I too sure about the value of setting paperlength in the
device-specific DESC file. There must be a way of taking this
into macros as well (especially since the device itself is
available in \*[.T] ); but I admit I have not traced through all
the consequences of taking it out of DESC. Admittedly, that's
where it always was in UNIX ditroff, so breaking with that
would also break compatibility.

Ted.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <address@hidden>
Date: 13-Jan-00                                       Time: 16:46:34
------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------