Re: GROFF

[Werner LEMBERG]

> I'm trying to use GROFF to replace an old XROFF package that we
> acquired in the early nineties and is now extinct.  I want to use it
> in a Solaris system, but am having difficulties.  I ftped the tar
> file, but never having used tar before, I'm not sure what command to
> use to install the groff programs.  I downloaded the groff manual,
> but the 'installation' chapter is blank.

Unfortunately, yes.

> I used the 'man' command for tar, but to no avail.  I get a tape
> error when I try to run tar.

You have used binary mode of ftp, haven't you?

> I have downloaded the 1.19 and 1.18 versions and get a tape error on
> both.  Can you help?

The canonical procedure is as follows

  1. gunzip groff-1.19.tar.gz     (this creates groff-1.19.tar)
  2. tar -xf groff-1.19.tar       (this unpacks groff-1.19.tar)
  3. cd groff-1.19
  4. ./configure                  (you probably need options here)
  5. make
  6. make install                 (you must probably be superuser to
                                   do that)

Comments:

  1. It might be possible that you have to say `gzip -d' instead of
     `gunzip'.  I'm quite sure that you can find a Solaris binary
     somewhere in the net (or on Solaris support CDs) in case it isn't
     installed on your machine.

  2. If you tar program doesn't work, try `tar xf ...' instead.  If
     that fails also, get GNU tar.  Again, I'm quite sure that
     binaries are available already somewhere.

  3. You should read the files INSTALL, INSTALL.gen, and PROBLEMS (in
     groff-1.19) before compilation.  The most important option of the
     configure script is `--prefix' if you can't become superuser or
     if you want to install to a non-standard place.


    Werner