🚀 go-pugleaf

In case anybody out there has one of these machines and a LaserJet+,
and is interested in improving the quality of his text processing:

I have implemented TeX (version 2.0) for the HP1000 A-Series (running
RTE-A/VC+ Rev. 2440).  The implemetation is quite complete, it handles
command line arguments, asynchronous breaks, etc. It seems to work
quite right, all the TeX source files I have tested have come out as
expected.  It passes the TRIP test without problems.

I also wrote a DVI driver (called DVIplus) for the LaserJet+ printer
(using the DVItype program as a staring point, of course).  The
DVIplus program prints the pages in reverse order, downloads only
those characters actually used from each font, and transfers
extra-large characters as raster graphics.

I also have METAFONT version 1.0 up and running. (I haven't tried the
TRAP test yet.) Running a set of CM fonts corresponding to the magnifications
of the AM fonts distributed took 50 h real time on our A900 machine with
6 MB memory (during a weekend).

The implementation was easier than I first feared. The Pascal/1000
compiler didn't really cause any major problems. The obscure file
system forced some small changes in the binary file format (I added an
integer at the beginning of the files containing the file size).
I even managed to achieve a sort of preloading: Virtually all the
global variables are in `Extended Memory' (EMA), and when INITEX has
done its job, this area is dumped to a file. VIRTEX is started by a
small bootup program which first reads this file into EMA.

I sent the previous version (TeX 1.5, METAFONT 0.77, no CM sources) to
Interex, the International Association of HP Users, but I haven't got
any information from them whether they are willing to redistribute it.
If you want the whole stuff from me, send me a 600 feet CS80 cartridge
tape or a 2400 feet tape.  Please send no money, but I can put it on
your tape and mail it back. (Mail your tape as a `small packet' to
minimize the customs formalities.)

	Tor Lillqvist
	Technical Research Centre of Finland

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	Technical Research Centre of Finland
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