(tds.info)Top-level directories

---

Next: Summary Prev: General Up: Top

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

3 Top-level directories
***********************

The directories under the `texmf' root identify the major components of
a TeX system (see Section Note: Summary for a summary).  A site may
omit any unneeded directories.

   Although the TDS by its nature can specify precise locations only
for implementation-independent files, we recognize that installers may
well wish to place other files under `texmf' to simplify administration
of the TeX tree, especially if it is maintained by someone other than
the system administrator.  Therefore, additional top-level directories
may be present.

   The top-level directories specified by the TDS are:

   * `tex' for TeX files (Section Note: Macros).

   * `fonts' for font-related files (Section Note: Fonts).

   * `metafont' for Metafont files which are not fonts (Section Note:
     Non-font Metafont files).

   * `metapost' for MetaPost files (Section Note: MetaPost).

   * `bibtex' for BibTeX files (Section Note: BibTeX).

   * `scripts' for platform-independent executables (Section Note:
     Scripts).

   * `doc' for user documentation (Section Note: Documentation).

   * `source' for sources.  This includes both traditional program
     sources (for example, Web2C sources go in `texmf/source/web2c')
     and, e.g., LaTeX `dtx' sources (which go in `texmf/source/latex').
     The TDS leaves unspecified any structure under `source'.

     `source' is intended for files which are not needed at runtime by
     any TeX program; it should not be included in any search path. For
     example, `plain.tex' does not belong under `texmf/source', even
     though it is a "source file" in the sense of not being derived
     from another file. (It goes in `texmf/tex/plain/base', as explained
     in Section Note: Macros).

   * `IMPLEMENTATION' for implementations (examples: `emtex', `vtex',
     `web2c'), to be used for whatever purpose deemed suitable by the
     implementor or TeX administrator.  That is, files that cannot be
     shared between implementations, such as pool files (`tex.pool')
     and memory dump files (`plain.fmt') go here, in addition to
     implementation-wide configuration files.  See Section Note:
     Example implementation-specific trees for examples of real
     `IMPLEMENTATION' trees.

     Such implementation-specific configuration files should _not_ be
     located using the main TeX input search path (e.g., `TEXINPUTS').
     This must be reserved for files actually read by a TeX engine.
     See Section Note: Extensions.

   * `PROGRAM' for program-specific input and configuration files for
     any TeX-related programs (examples: `mft', `dvips').  In fact, the
     `tex', `metafont', `metapost', and `bibtex' items above may all be
     seen as instances of this case.

Macros

Fonts

Non-font Metafont files

MetaPost

BibTeX

Scripts

Documentation