(web2c.info)Initial Metafont

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5.2 Initial Metafont
====================

'inimf' is the "initial" form of Metafont, which does lengthy
initializations avoided by the "virgin" ('vir') form, so as to be
capable of dumping '.base' files (Note: Memory dumps).  For a detailed
comparison of virgin and initial forms, see Note: Initial and virgin.

   For a list of options and other information, see Note: mf
invocation.

   The only memory dump file commonly used with Metafont is the default
'plain.base', also known as 'mf.base' (again, Note: Memory dumps).  It
is created by default during installation, but you can also do so by
hand if necessary (e.g., if a Metafont update is issued):
     mf -ini '\input plain; input modes; dump'
(The quotes prevent interpretation of the backslashes from the shell.)
Then install the resulting 'plain.base' in '$(basedir)'
('/usr/local/share/texmf/web2c' by default), and link 'mf.base' to it.

   For an explanation of the additional 'modes.mf' file, see Note:
Modes.  This file has no counterpart in TeX or MetaPost.

   In the past, it was sometimes useful to create a base file
'cmmf.base' (a.k.a. 'cm.base'), with the Computer Modern macros also
included in the base file.  Nowadays, however, the additional time
required to read 'cmbase.mf' is exceedingly small, usually not enough to
be worth the administrative hassle of updating the 'cmmf.base' file when
you install a new version of 'modes.mf'.  People actually working on a
typeface may still find it worthwhile to create their own base file, of
course.