[Groff] problem with current snapshot

[Joerg van den Hoff]

hi,

I've tried to test the current snapshot (under OSX 10.4.8.). I encountered the
following problems:

1.)
contrary to earlier versions, this one did initially _not_ compile due to a 
probably 
simple problem: 
utilities such as `xpmtoppm' which are used during documentation
generation are not present under OSX und not even available via the package
systems (fink, port). I did not try to get those otherwise (where could I?), 
but 
edited the corresponding makefile, susbtituting the affected lines by using
`convert' (from ImageMagick) to achieve the apparently intended conversions.
I presume fiddling with the affected two lines does not mess up the further
compile/install run?

question: could the makefile be modified so that it checks for availability of
the conversion tools and maybe even tries whether it can use `convert' instead?

2.)
after solving(?) point 1 above compile went through. the first test of 
the installed snapshot now yields more problems:

I get _lots_ of errors: " `\E' is not allowed in an escape name"

and the formatting yields buggy output (with -ms) such  as the following:


.\"INPUT:
.\"------
.LP
For one, tomographic data are of course, first and foremost, three-dimensional
.I image
data which provide information concerning the regional variation of
.\"-------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUTPUT (ascii approximation):
=======
For one, tomographic data are of course, first and foremost, three-dimensional
imagen[par*prev-font]] data which provide information concerning the regional
variation of
================================================================================
here the switch to italic for a single word (image) fails (italic is activated
and maintained for the rest of the paragraph) and some register is not expanded
or macro not recognized, it seems ([par*prev-font]), maybe related to the
error message given above?

help! what's going on?


joerg