Document 72

Portability to Dec Alpha workstation

Version: 2.5 - Scientific WorkPlace & Scientific Word

Q. I am trying to run a file I created in SW 2.5 on a Dec Alpha workstation running LaTeX 2e. I copied over all of the files sent in the .msg file, but when I compile on the Dec Alpha I get the following error:

! Font T1/Serif/medium/upright/10=times at 10.0pt not loadable:

Metric (TMF) file not found

How do I correct this problem?

A. The immediate problem is that your Alpha workstation doesn't have the metric files for the Times font. Although you could copy them from the SW installation, you'd run into problems with not having the TrueType Times font itself. This is one of the standard Windows fonts. By default, we use the Times New Roman, Arial, and Courier New TrueType fonts in the Style Editor styles—Times New Roman is mapped to Times.

Combining everything (metrics and fonts, as well as all of the style information) into the .msg file is unfortunately not possible. Not only are the Windows TrueType fonts copyrighted, they also may not be viable on the system you're using. Additionally, the file would be huge, and you would still have the issue of installing the fonts on the target system.

If you're running Ultrix, you probably can't use TrueType fonts. If you're running NT, you probably have the TrueType fonts already, but not the .tfm (TeX Font Metric) files. Even if you copied them over, it's highly unlikely that you would have a dvi translator that is compiled for Alpha NT that uses TrueType fonts. In fact, we aren't aware of any such previewer.

All of this is the result of our using Windows TrueType fonts. This has been a very frequent and strong user demand, usually accompanied by complaints about the appearance of Computer Modern Roman fonts that are standard with TeX.

Your .tex file is portable—it's the style and fonts that are platform-specific.

You can get around the problem fairly easily if you're willing to accept the cm (Computer Modern) fonts. (The dc fonts are a recent extension of these fonts to support non-English languages.)

You could create a new file using a standard LaTeX style (Standard LaTeX Article, for example), importing the contents of your file, wrapping it, then moving it to the Alpha workstation. We suggest you try this method using a simple file. If it works to your satisfaction, try it using a larger, more complex file.

Alternatively, if you're using a Style Editor style, you could open the style in the Style Editor, then from the Advanced menu change the font scheme from Times to Computer Modern. Save the changed style under a new name, then change your document to the new style. This may require that you have the dc fonts installed on your Alpha LaTeX2e installation.

You could use the Times (and other fonts) if you have PostScript versions, know how to set up your Alpha LaTeX2e for PostScript, and can modify styles appropriately.

Your source .tex document is independent of all of this. It's the styles and the dvi translator setup that are non-portable.

Added 07/02/96

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