New features of the ps2pk-1.5 package

  + recursive T1INPUTS path

    You can use two slashes (UNIX) or two exclamation marks (MSDOS)
    at the end or in the middle of this type1 font path. I personally
    prefer the next non-recursive method for locating PostScript
    resources.

  + PS resource databases

    Adobe has introduced a method for locating PS resources (type1
    fonts, AFM files and encoding vectors) via resource databases.
    These ASCII files can be created with mkpsres(1) or even with
    an editor because they have a very simple structure.  Mkpsres(1)
    is an enhanced version of Adobe's makepsres(1). It recognizes
    binary PFB and PFM fonts and encoding vectors when the filenames
    have extension ".enc".  To locate PS resources ps2pk-1.5 uses
    the PSres library from Adobe which is included in this package.

  + new checksum algorithm

    Ps2pk supports the new checksum algorithm introduced by the
    new psfonts on CTAN (1996/01/29). For compatibility PK fonts
    with old style checksums can still be created with the -O flag.

  + PK specials (Februari 1996 1.5 version)

    For the purpose of identification Pierre Mackay has proposed to add
    special strings to the postample of a PK file.  See the description
    of the -R option in the manual page of ps2pk(1) for more info.

  + automatic font generation with mtpk and pkfonts

    Because perl is too huge for MSDOS I rewrote my mtpk perl script
    in C. Mtpk(1) is an automatic PK font generator for METAFONT,
    ps2pk and gsftopk. It can install PK fonts on UNIX in a safe
    way in directories owned by the pseudo-user `pkcache'.

    Pkfonts(1) can generate all missing fonts from one or more DVI
    files. Written to cope with those systems where sources of DVI
    drivers are not free available or where DVI drivers still don't
    implement virtual fonts (what a shame) so that using mtpk(1) in
    combination with them could otherwise cause problems.

    Mtpk(1) and pkfonts(1) don't use any hard-wired paths except
    for the name of the configuration file itself (for security
    reason). All configurable parameters are specified in mtpk.cfg.
    Users with old fonts can set `oldfonts=1' in mtpk.cfg so that
    automatically old style checksums are generated with ps2pk.

--Piet
Februari 1996