This is the only configuration file that must be present. During installation, if LATEX can not find a file with this name then a default file |texsys.cfg|, consisting entirely of comments, is written out and used. Note that, until this file has been read, LATEX is not able to test reliably whether a given file exists on the system.
The contents of the file |texsys.cfg| allow LATEX to cope with various differences between the behaviour of different TEX systems, mainly in relation to file handling. The default version of this file contains, in its comments, possible settings that may be needed for a range of TEX systems. For more information, typeset the file |ltdirchk.dtx|.
If you have copied your LATEX installation from a computer that used a different operating system then you may well have a version of |texsys.cfg| that will make it difficult to create the LATEX format on your system. If this happens then start the process again with an empty |texsys.cfg| file; this will produce a format that should always `work' and, at least, allow you to typeset the documentation. However, it is possible be that LATEX can find only those files that are in the current directory. In that case you must set the macro | =@path| correctly for your system.
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