Subject: groff-1.17.2 import imminent
To: None <tech-userlevel@netbsd.org>
From: Thomas Klausner <wiz@danbala.ifoer.tuwien.ac.at>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 10/19/2001 11:53:13
Hi!

FYI: I'm currently working on an upgrade for our in-tree groff to the
latest version, 1.17.2.  I already updated the cross build structure,
and am currently going through the man pages in a first pass to make
the 1.17.2-formatted pages format like they currently do.

groff-1.17.2 comes with a mdoc-version that is not limited to 9
arguments for macros anymore, and which is supposed to contain all
NetBSD mdoc-specialties (so far I didn't find counter-examples).
I intend to switch from the one we currently use to the one coming
with groff-1.17.2, since the latter one seems well-maintained.

There are some man page changes to be done before this switch can
happen: E.g. ".Nm" usage changed in connection with punctuation from
``.Nm "" .'' to ``.Nm .''; 1.17.2 is also a bit pickier, and finds
more errors in man pages -- these will be fixed after the import (I
intend to follow through with that).

The structure of /usr/share/tmac will change, too: The files currently
called tmac.doc* will then be found as /usr/share/tmac/mdoc/doc*, for
easier syncing with the groff distribution.  The new files wouldn't
work with the old groffs (<1.17) anyway because of usage of features
of the new groff.

This is just a heads-up, for users the change should be nearly
invisible (except that formatting will be nicer in places).

Bye,
 Thomas

-- 
Thomas Klausner - wiz@danbala.tuwien.ac.at
War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong; and
multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses. -- Thomas Jefferson, author,
architect, and third U.S. president (1743-1826)