TeX Live 2009 released

After development and many weeks of testing, final bug fixing and translations the new TeX Live 2009 has been released today.

Some changes and improvements in 2009:

  • pdf(La)TeX now automatically converts included eps files to pdf, using the epstopdf package, if graphics.cfg is loaded and pdf output is chosen.
  • The execution of certain external commands, for example epstopdf, makeindex, and bibtex, using write18, is now enabled by default. The texmf.cnf file determines those commands.
  • Updated AMS Type 1 fonts are included, the Euler fonts have been reshaped.
  • The new editor TeXworks is included for Windows and MacTeX. Other distributions like Ubuntu and Debian Linux will provide this cross-platform editor with their own packaging system.
  • Asymptote is included for several platforms.
  • dvipdfm has been replaced by dvipdfmx.
  • pdf is now the default output format for Lua(La)TeX. dvi output can be achieved by using the new executables dviluatex and dvilualatex.

In my opinion it’s a big step forward because several Linux Distributions like Ubuntu and Debian Linux are clinging to TL 2007 until now. While TL 2008 has been skipped the packaging for TL 2009 for Debian and Ubuntu is in progress, thanks to the work of especially Norbert Preining and Frank Küster. Though v2008 and v2009 worked fine on Linux it’s important to provide TeX with the distribution repositories, less workarounds will be necessary.

This text is available in German. Dieser Text ist auch in Deutsch verfügbar.

09. November 2009 by stefan
Categories: LaTeX Distributions, TeX Live | 9 comments

Comments (9)

  1. Pingback: TeX Live 2009 in the press and in the blogs « schneeschmelze | texte

  2. Pingback: LuaLateX runs @ Debian unstable (“Sid”) : Granthin?m

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