Re: [Groff] geqn problem?

[Andrew Koenig]

>> Apparently the system-installed -ms macros aren't quite compatible
>> with groff.

Werner> They should work if you use the -C switch in groff to enter
Werner> compatilibity mode.  If problems occur please report them to me and
Werner> I'll try to fix them.

They don't work because of what is apparently an undocumented feature
in the version of troff I'm using: It sets the .P string register to
the value of what in groff would be the --prefix installation option.

So, for example, the troff I use is in /v/bin/troff and the corresponding
macros are in /v/lib/tmac.  If I give the following input:

       The .P register is \(*P

then the output is

       The .P register is /v

The -ms macros use this register to find auxiliary files:

       .ds sd \*(.P/lib/tmac

Therefore, when I try to use groff -C with this -ms version, it
complains that it can't find /lib/tmac.scover

Obviously a workaround is to set .P manually in advance, but for the
long term it might be useful to emulate this feature (perhaps even
when not in compatibility mode).