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6. TeX directory structure

(This section obviously not really written yet; sorry. See `kpathsea/HIER'.)

By default, the bitmap font paths end with $MAKETEX_MODE, thus including the device name (i.e., the Metafont mode) in the path. This is to make it possible to distinguish two different devices with the same resolution--write/white and write/black 300dpi printers, for example.

However, since most sites don't have this complication, Kpathsea (specifically, kpse_init_prog in `kpathsea/proginit.c') has a special case: if the mode has not been explicitly set by the user (or in a configuration file), it sets `MAKETEX_MODE' to /. This makes the default PK path, for example, expand into .../pk//, so fonts will be found even if there is no subdirectory for the mode. (If your site has only one printer, for example.)

To make the paths independent of the mode, simply edit `texmf.cnf.in' before installation, or the installed `texmf.cnf'. See section 2.1 Default paths.

See section 5.2.3.2 `MakeTeX'... script arguments, for how this interacts with MakeTeXPK.


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