This is the install script I am using. It might be a starting point for you: #!/bin/bash CONTEXTVERSION="beta" CONTEXTDIRECTORY=$HOME/TeX/context/$CONTEXTVERSION rm -R $CONTEXTDIRECTORY mkdir -p $CONTEXTDIRECTORY/tex cd $CONTEXTDIRECTORY ln -s $HOME/Library/texmf tex/texmf-local #cp -R $HOME/Library/texmf/* tex/texmf-local curl -o first-setup.sh http://minimals.contextgarden.net/setup/first-setup.sh sh ./first-setup.sh >first-setup.log cd tex echo "installation context $CONTEXTVERSION minimals done" Hans van der Meer On 18 aug 2009, at 18:55, luigi scarso wrote:

On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 6:15 PM, John Culleton wrote:

...

Tried to install context minimals including the steps mktexlsr texexec --make --all No errors at this point. But when I tried to run pdftex I get the error message I can't find the format file `pdftex.fmt!' Did you source setuptex ?

Under linux I do . setuptext in tex dir

-- luigi ___________________________________________________________________________________ If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

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On Tuesday 18 August 2009 01:48:09 pm Thomas A. Schmitz wrote:

On Aug 18, 2009, at 6:15 PM, John Culleton wrote:

...

Tried to install context minimals including the steps mktexlsr texexec --make --all No errors at this point. But when I tried to run pdftex I get the error message I can't find the format file `pdftex.fmt!'

That file is not anywhere in my personal directory. It is however in my bigger texlive 2008 installation. The set command shows: TEXMFCACHE=/home/safer/context/tex/texmf-cache TEXMFOS=/home/safer/context/tex/texmf-linux TEXROOT=/home/safer/context/tex so that part is OK.

Any hints?

You are using ConTeXt minimals. You are using texexec to generate the ConTeXt formats (cont-en.fmt etc.). Why would you expect a format file for pure pdftex to be produced?

Thomas _________________________________________________________________ __________________ If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

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OK, so I can't use Context-minimals and still use pdftex. I discovered years ago that many plain pdftex files would work with texexec because Context is really an elaborate set of macros depending on pdftex. I'll try texexec on my pdftex oriented file and see if it works. I do most of my work in plain pdftex. -- John Culleton Create Book Covers with Scribus/e-book $5.95 http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html

On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 20:11, Thomas A. Schmitz wrote:

3. It should be easy to produce pdftex.fmt in the minimals; it just lacks a tool such as fmtutil. But you could try and copy over etex.ini for your texlive-installation and then run pdftex on it.

Oh ... I forgot about etex. Whenever I use plan I use it for extremely simple things. But adding etex should be no big deal. I can do it, it would only be nice to convince texexec (or context, I don't care) to generate plain pdftex format with the proper name. Mojca

On Tuesday 18 August 2009 03:02:20 pm Mojca Miklavec wrote:

On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 20:04, John Culleton wrote:

...

On Tuesday 18 August 2009 01:48:09 pm Thomas A. Schmitz wrote:

...

You are using ConTeXt minimals. You are using texexec to generate the ConTeXt formats (cont-en.fmt etc.). Why would you expect a format file for pure pdftex to be produced?

OK, so I can't use Context-minimals and still use pdftex.  I discovered years ago that many plain pdftex files would work with texexec because Context is really an elaborate set of macros depending on pdftex.  I'll try texexec on my pdftex oriented file and see if it works.  I do most of my work in plain pdftex.

pdftex should work just fine, but the format is not generated by default.

You can use texexec --make plain but then you need to convince Hans to rename the format from plain.fmt to pdftex.fmt (or you need to rename it yourself), but unless you use some obscure packages (or fonts) then pdftex should work just fine. Maybe we would need to add some font map entries, but add you requests if you need them.

Mojca

OK that works so far. Thanks! The reason I don't just use texexec for everything is that Iike to use eplain.tex and there is an obscure name conflict somewhere between eplain.tex and context. Also I find font handling easier in pdftex. Just a single statement is needed. -- John Culleton Create Book Covers with Scribus/e-book $5.95 http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html

On Tuesday 18 August 2009 03:30:36 pm Wolfgang Schuster wrote:

Am 18.08.2009 um 21:29 schrieb John Culleton:

...

Also I find font handling easier in pdftex. Just a single statement is needed.

Can you a bit more specific what do you mean with this sentence.

Wolfgang

Well if I want bitstream charter roman at 11.2pts I can say \font\rm bchr8r at 11.2pt and I am done. Or I can define something called \fontsize and make it the referent for all my font statements: \newdimen\fontsize \fontsize=11.2pt \baselineskip= 1.1\fontsize \font\rm bchr8r at \fontsize \font\bo bchbo8t at 1.1\fontsize ...and so on. If I need the book a little longer I just change \fontsize. I have even done tricks like this: \fontfam=bch \font\rm \fontfam r8r at \fontsize Introducing a new font into TeX is never simple but I find it easier if I don't have to construct (and debug) an elaborate chain of font synonyms. It may be the luatex has made life simpler (or at least more exciting!) I will examine that prospect next. But right now I am typesetting novels, memoirs and the like. The fewer variables I have to contend with the better. YMMV of course. -- John Culleton Create Book Covers with Scribus/e-book $5.95 http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html