Complete Linux/Complete Linux.iso/gnu/descript

Text File | 1994-06-10 | 67KB | 1,410 lines

-*- text -*-  Last modified Fri Jun 10 19:03:34 1994

This is an incomplete and probably out-of-date list of all the packages
distributed on prep.ai.mit.edu with a brief description explaining what
each one is.

More information about these programs can typically be found in the GNU
Bulletin.  To receive a copy, write to [e-mail].

Problems with the contents of this file (or problems pertaining to the
packaging of these programs, e.g. if a file is corrupted) should be sent to
[e-mail].  Bug reports for the programs themselves should
go to the appropriate address indicated in the instructions to that
program.

Because the unix `compress' utility is patented (by two separate patents,
in fact), we cannot use it; it's not free software.  Therefore, the GNU
Project has chosen a new compression utility, `gzip', which is free of any
known software patents and which tends to compress better anyway.  Files
compressed with this new compression program end in `.gz' (as opposed to
`compress'-compressed files, which end in `.Z').  Gzip can uncompress
`compress'-compressed files and SVR4 `pack' files (which end in `.z').
This is possible because the various decompression algorithms are not
patented---only compression is.

The gzip program is available from any GNU mirror site in shar, tar, or
gzipped tar format (for those who already have a prior version of gzip and
want faster data transmission).  It works on virtually every unix system,
MSDOS, OS/2, and VMS.

Filenames below ending with "/" are directories.  Other entries are plain
files.


COPYING-1.0
   Version 1 of the GNU General Public License.


COPYING-2.0
   Version 2 of the GNU General Public License.


COPYING.LIB-2.0
   Version 2 of the GNU General Public Library License (there is no
   version 1).


GNUinfo/
   General files of interest about the GNU Project, most of them included in
   the GNU Emacs distribution.


MailingListArchives/
   Archives of the GNU mailing lists (most of which are also gatewayed to
   the various gnu.* newsgroups).


MicrosPorts/
   The GNU Project is not directly interested in integrating or
   maintaining ports of GNU software to many micro-computer systems, like
   Amiga's or MSDOS, because of limited resources.  However, a few files
   with pointers to people who do maintain GNU software for these other
   systems are available in this directory.

The rest of this file is the articles ``Forthcoming GNUs'' and ``GNU
Software'' from the June, 1994 GNU's Bulletin which contains
descriptions of our software.  For more infomation on FSF's tapes,
diskettes and CD-ROMs see the file
    prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/GNUinfo/ORDERS

---------------------------------------------------------------------

GNU Software
************

All our software is available via anonymous FTP; see ``How to Get GNU
Software''.  In addition we offer software on various media and printed
documentation:

   * see ``CD-ROMs''.

   * see ``Tapes''.

   * see ``MS-DOS Diskettes''.

   * see ``GNU Documentation'', which include manuals and reference cards.

We welcome all bug reports sent to the appropriate electronic mailing list
(see ``Free Software Support'').

In the articles describing the contents of each medium, the version number
listed after each program name was current when we published this Bulletin.
When you order a distribution tape or diskette, some of the programs may be
newer, and therefore the version number higher.

Key to cross reference:


    BinCD
      Binaries CD-ROM

    DjgppD
      Djgpp Diskettes

    EmcsD
      Emacs Diskettes

    EmcsT
      Emacs Tape

    LangT
      Language Tape

    LiteT
      4.4BSD-Lite Tape

    SchmT
      Scheme Tape

    SrcCD
      Source CD-ROM

    UtilD
      Selected Utilities Diskettes

    UtilT
      Utilities Tape

    VMSCompT
      VMS Compiler Tape

    VMSEmcsT
      VMS Emacs Tape

    WdwsD
      Windows Diskette

    X11OptT
      X11 Optional Tape

    X11ReqT
      X11 Required Tape

Configuring GNU Software:

We are using a uniform scheme for configuring GNU software packages in order
to compile them, which uses the `autoconf' program.  All GNU software
supports the same alternatives for naming machine and system types.  This
makes it possible to configure any and all GNU software in the same manner.

The configuration scheme also supports configuring a directory containing
several GNU packages with one command.    When the GNU system is complete it
will be possible to configure and build the entire system at once,
eliminating the need to separately configure each individual package.

The configuration scheme can also specify both the host and target system, so
you can easily configure and build cross-compilation tools.

GNU software currently available:

(For new features and coming programs, see ``Forthcoming GNUs''.)

   * `acm'       (SrcCD, UtilT)

     `acm' is a LAN-oriented, multiplayer aerial combat simulation that runs
     under the MIT X Window System.  Players engage in air to air combat
     against one another using heat seeking missiles and cannons.  Eventually
     we hope to turn this into a more general purpose flight simulator.

   * Autoconf          (SrcCD, UtilT)

     Autoconf produces shell scripts which automatically configure source code
     packages.    These scripts adapt the packages to many kinds of Unix-like
     systems without manual user intervention.    Autoconf creates a script for
     a package from a template file which lists the operating system features
     which the package can use, in the form of `m4' macro calls.  Autoconf
     requires GNU `m4' to operate, but the resulting configure scripts it
     generates do not.

     Most GNU programs now use Autoconf-generated configure scripts.

   * BASH      (SrcCD, UtilT)

     The GNU shell, BASH (Bourne Again SHell), is compatible with the Unix
     `sh' and offers many extensions found in `csh' and `ksh'.    BASH has job
     control, `csh'-style command history, and command-line editing (with
     Emacs and `vi' modes built-in, and the ability to rebind keys) via the
     readline library.    BASH conforms to the POSIX 1003.2 shell specification.

   * `bc'      (SrcCD, UtilT)

     `bc' is an interactive algebraic language with arbitrary precision.  GNU
     `bc' follows the POSIX 1003.2 draft standard, with several extensions
     including multi-character variable names, an `else' statement and full
     Boolean expressions.  GNU `bc' does not require the separate `dc'
     program.

   * BFD     (BinCD, LangT, SrcCD)

     The Binary File Descriptor library allows a program which operates on
     object files (e.g. `ld' or GDB) to support many different formats in a
     clean way.     BFD provides a portable interface, so that only BFD needs to
     know the details of a particular format.  One result is that all
     programs using BFD will support formats such as a.out, COFF, ELF &
     OSF-Rose.    BFD comes with source for Texinfo documentation (not yet
     published on paper).

     Presently BFD is not distributed separately because it is not yet
     completely stable; however, it is included with packages that use it.

   * Binutils          (BinCD, LangT, SrcCD)

     Binutils includes the programs: `ar', `c++filt', `demangle', `gprof',
     `ld', `nlmconv', `nm', `objcopy', `objdump', `ranlib', `size', `strings',
     & `strip'.

     Binutils Version 2 is completely rewritten to use the BFD library.     The
     GNU linker `ld' emits source-line numbered error messages for
     multiply-defined symbols and undefined references.     It interprets a
     superset of the AT&T Linker Command Language, which gives general control
     over where segments are placed in memory.    `nlmconv' converts object
     files into Novell NetWare Loadable Modules.  The `objdump' program can
     disassemble code for a29k, ALPHA, H8/300, H8/500, HP-PA, i386, i960,
     m68k, m88k, MIPS, SH, SPARC, & Z8000 processors, and can display other
     data such as symbols and relocations from any file format understood by
     BFD.

   * Bison       (BinCD, LangT, SrcCD, VMSCompT)

     Bison is an upwardly compatible replacement for the parser generator
     `yacc'.  Texinfo source for the `Bison Manual' and reference card are
     included.    See ``GNU Documentation''.

   * GNU C Library       (LangT, SrcCD)

     The GNU C library supports ANSI C-1989 and POSIX 1003.1-1990 and has most
     of the functions specified in POSIX 1003.2-1992.  It is upwardly
     compatible with 4.4BSD and includes many System V functions, plus GNU
     extensions.

     The C Library will perform many functions of the Unix system calls in
     the Hurd.    Mike Haertel has written a fast `malloc' which wastes less
     memory than the old GNU version.  The GNU regular-expression functions
     (regex) now nearly conform to the POSIX 1003.2 standard.

     GNU `stdio' lets you define new kinds of streams, just by writing a few
     C functions.  The `fmemopen' function uses this to open a stream on a
     string, which can grow as necessary.  You can define your own `printf'
     formats to use a C function you have written.  For example, you can
     safely use format strings from user input to implement a `printf'-like
     function for another programming language.     Extended `getopt' functions
     are already used to parse options, including long options, in many GNU
     utilities.

     Version 1.08 has just been released, adding support for Sun RPC, `mmap'
     and friends, and compatibility with several more traditional Unix
     functions.     It runs on Sun-3 (SunOS 4.1), Sun-4 (SunOS 4.1 or Solaris 2),
     HP 9000/300 (4.3BSD), SONY News 800 (NewsOS 3 or 4), MIPS DECstation
     (Ultrix 4), DEC Alpha (OSF/1), i386/i486 (System V, SVR4, BSD, SCO 3.2 &
     SCO ODT 2.0), Sequent Symmetry i386 (Dynix 3) & SGI (Irix 4).  Texinfo
     source for the `GNU C Library Reference Manual' is included (see
     ``GNU Documentation''.); the manual still needs updating.

   * GNU C++ Library         (BinCD, LangT, SrcCD)

     The GNU C++ library (libg++) is an extensive collection of C++ `forest'
     classes, a new IOStream library for input/output routines, and support
     tools for use with G++.  Among the classes supported are Obstacks,
     multiple-precision Integers and Rationals, Complex numbers, arbitrary
     length Strings, BitSets and BitStrings.  There is also a set of
     pseudo-generic prototype files for generating common container classes.
     Texinfo source for partial documentation is included (not yet published
     on paper).

   * Calc      (EmcsT, SrcCD)

     Calc (written by Dave Gillespie in Emacs Lisp) is an extensible, advanced
     desk calculator and mathematical tool that runs as part of GNU Emacs.  If
     you wish, you can use Calc just as a simple four-function calculator, but
     it provides additional features including choice of algebraic or RPN
     (stack-based) entry, logarithmic functions, trigonometric and financial
     functions, arbitrary precision, complex numbers, vectors, matrices,
     dates, times, infinities, sets, algebraic simplification,
     differentiation, and integration.    It also outputs to `gnuplot'.  Calc
     comes with Texinfo source for a reference card and the `Calc Manual',
     which serves as a tutorial and reference.    See ``GNU Documentation''.

   * GNU Chess           (SrcCD, UtilT)

     GNU Chess lets the computer play a full game of chess with you.  It runs
     on most platforms and has dumb terminal, "curses", and X terminal
     interfaces.

     GNU Chess implements many specialized features including the null move
     heuristic, a hash table with aging, the history heuristic (another form
     of the earlier killer heuristic), caching of static evaluations, and a
     database which lets it play the first several moves in the game quickly.

     Recent improvements include better heuristics, faster evaluation,
     thinking on opponent's time, Swedish and German language support, support
     for more book formats, a rudimentary Bobby Fischer clock, and bug fixes.

     GNU Chess is primarily supported by Stuart Cracraft, Mike McGann, Chua
     Kong Sian, and Tim Mann on behalf of the FSF.

    Stuart Cracraft
    25682 Cresta Loma
    Laguna Niguel, CA     92677
    USA

    Telephone: [phone]
    Electronic-Mail: `[e-mail]'

   * CLISP       (EmcsT, SrcCD)

     CLISP is a Common Lisp implementation (CLtL1 + parts of CLtL2) by Bruno
     Haible and Michael Stoll.    It mostly supports the Lisp described by
     `Common LISP: The Language (1st edition)'.     CLISP includes an
     interpreter, a byte-compiler, a subset of CLOS and, for some machines, a
     screen editor.  It has user interfaces in English & German (& French
     soon), chooseable at compile time.     Major packages that run in CLISP
     include PCL and, on Unix machines, CLX & Garnet.  CLISP needs only 1.5
     MB of memory and runs on many microcomputers (including the Atari ST,
     Amiga 500-4000, most MS-DOS systems & OS/2) & some Unix workstations
     (Linux, Sun4, Sun386, HP9000/800, SGI, Sun3 and others).

   * GNU Common Lisp         (EmcsT, SrcCD)

     GNU Common Lisp (GCL) has a compiler and interpreter for Common Lisp.
     It is very portable and extremely efficient on a wide class of
     applications.  It compares favorably in performance with commercial Lisps
     on several large theorem prover and symbolic algebra systems.  It
     supports the CLtL1 specification but is moving towards the proposed ANSI
     definition.  It is based on AKCL and KCL.    KCL was written by Taiichi
     Yuasa and Masami Hagiya in 1984, and AKCL has been developed by William
     Schelter since 1987.

     GCL compiles to C and then uses the native optimizing C compilers (e.g.
     GCC).  A function with a fixed number of args and one value turns into a
     C function of the same number of args and returning 1 value, so it cannot
     really be any more efficient on such calls.  It has a conservative GC
     which allows great freedom for the C compiler to put Lisp values in
     arbitrary registers.  It has a source level Lisp debugger for
     interpreted code, with display of source code in the other Emacs window.
     It has profiling tools based on the C profiling tools, which count
     function calls and percentage of time.  CLX works with GCL.  There is an
     Xlib interface via C.  PCL worked with earlier versions.  See
     ``Forthcoming GNUs'', for plans for about GCL.

     GCL version 1.0 is being released under the GNU Library General Public
     License.  (FTP `/pub/gnu/gcl.README' on `prep.ai.mit.edu'.)  Get source
     from `ftp.cli.com'.  For details ask `[e-mail]'.

   * `cpio'        (SrcCD, UtilD, UtilT)

     `cpio' is an alternative archive program with all the features of SVR4
     `cpio', including support for the final POSIX 1003.1 `ustar' standard.
     `mt', a program to position magnetic tapes, is included with `cpio'.

   * CVS     (SrcCD, UtilT)

     CVS, the Concurrent Version System, manages software revision and release
     control in a multi-developer, multi-directory, multi-group environment.
     It works best in conjunction with RCS versions 4 and above, but will
     parse older RCS formats with the loss of CVS's fancier features.  See
     Berliner, Brian, "CVS-II: Parallelizing Software Development,"
     `Proceedings of the Winter 1990 USENIX Association Conference'.  To find
     out how to get a copy of this report, ask `[e-mail]'.

   * `dc'      (SrcCD, UtilT)

     `dc' is an RPN calculator.     GNU `bc' does not require a separate `dc'
     program to run.  This version of `dc' will eventually be merged with GNU
     `bc'.

   * DejaGnu         (LangT, SrcCD)

     DejaGnu is a framework for testing other programs that provides a single
     front end for all tests.  The framework's flexibility and consistency
     make it easy to write tests for any program.  DejaGnu comes with
     `expect', which runs scripts to conduct dialogs with programs; and Tcl,
     which is an embeddable scripting language.     The FSF hopes to replace Tcl
     with a cleaner programming language someday.

   * Demacs, GNU Emacs for MS-DOS      (EmcsD)

     Manabu Higashida and Hirano Satoshi have released Demacs, a GNU Emacs
     port for 386/486 based MS-DOS machines.  It is compatible with XMS
     memory managers and VCPI, but not yet with Microsoft Windows extended
     mode or other DPMI managers.  Anonymous FTP it from `oak.oakland.edu' in
     `/pub/msdos/demacs' (USA) & `utsun.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp' in `/GNU/demacs'
     (Japan).  For an FTP site list and the current status of Demacs, email to
     `[e-mail]'.  For details, FTP the `README' file.

     The FSF is offering Demacs on diskette.  We will replace it with GNU
     Emacs 19, as soon as the MS-DOS port is ready.  See ``Emacs Diskettes''.

   * Diffutils           (SrcCD, UtilD, UtilT)

     GNU `diff' compares files showing line-by-line changes in several
     flexible formats.    It is much faster than traditional Unix versions.  The
     Diffutils package contains `diff', `diff3', `sdiff', and `cmp'.

     These improvements have recently been made to Diffutils: A new heuristic
     for `diff' greatly reduces the time needed to compare large input files
     that contain many differences, and produces output that is usually
     smaller rather than larger.  New `diff' options give detailed control
     over output format, e.g. to provide if-then-else output for programming
     languages other than C. Message wordings and the definition of "white
     space" have been revised for compatibility with the POSIX.2 standard
     (ISO/IEC 9945-2:1993).

   * DJGPP       (BinCD, DjgppD)

     DJ Delorie has ported GCC/G++ 2.5.7 (see the GCC item in this section) to
     the i386 MS-DOS platform.    The DJGPP package also contains a 32-bit 80386
     DOS extender with symbolic debugger; development libraries; and ports of
     Bison, `flex', GAS, and the GNU Binutils.    Full source code is provided.
     It requires at least 5MB of hard disk space to install and 512K of RAM to
     use.  It supports SVGA (up to 1024x768), XMS & VDISK memory allocation,
     `himem.sys', VCPI (e.g. QEMM, DESQview, & 386MAX), and DPMI (e.g. Windows
     3.x, OS/2, QEMM, & QDPMI).     The FSF offers it on the ``DJGPP Diskettes'',
     and on the ``Compiler Tools Binaries CD-ROM''.  Or FTP file
     `/pub/msdos/djgpp' from `oak.oakland.edu' (or another SimTel mirror
     site).  Ask `[e-mail]' to join a mailing list
     for DJGPP users.

   * `dld'       (LangT, SrcCD)

     `dld' is a dynamic linker written by W. Wilson Ho.     Linking your program
     with the `dld' library allows you to dynamically load object files into
     the running binary.  Currently supported are VAX (Ultrix), Sun 3 (SunOS
     3.4 & 4.0), SPARC (SunOS 4.0), Sequent Symmetry (Dynix), & Atari ST.

   * `doschk'          (SrcCD, UtilT)

     This program is intended as a utility to help software developers ensure
     that their source file names are distinguishable on System V platforms
     with 14-character filenames and on MS-DOS with 8+3 character filenames.

   * `ecc'       (SrcCD, UtilT)

     `ecc' is a Reed-Solomon error correction checking program, which can
     correct three byte errors in a block of 255 bytes and detect more severe
     errors.  Contact `[e-mail]' for more information.

   * `ed'      (SrcCD, UtilT)

     Ed is the standard text editor.

   * Elib      (EmcsT, SrcCD)

     This is a small library of Emacs Lisp functions, including routines for
     using AVL trees and doubly-linked lists.

   * GNU Emacs

     In 1975, Richard Stallman developed the first Emacs, an extensible,
     customizable real-time display editor.  GNU Emacs is his second
     implementation.  It offers true Lisp--smoothly integrated into the
     editor--for writing extensions, and provides an interface to the MIT X
     Window System.  In addition to its powerful native command set,
     extensions which emulate other popular editors are distributed: vi, EDT
     (DEC's VMS editor) and Gosling (aka Unipress) Emacs.  It has many other
     features which make it a full computing support environment.  Source for
     the `GNU Emacs Manual', the `GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual', and a
     reference card come with the software.  See ``GNU Documentation''.

   * GNU Emacs 18      (EmcsD, EmcsT, SrcCD, VMSEmcsT)

     GNU Emacs 18.59 runs on many Unix systems.     In hardware order: Alliant
     FX/80 & FX/2800, Altos 3068, Amdahl (UTS), Apollo, AT&T (3Bs & 7300 PC),
     DG Aviion, Bull DPX/2 (2nn & 3nn) CCI 5/32 & 6/32, Celerity, Convex,
     Digital (DECstation 3100 & 5000 (PMAXes), Mips, VAX (BSD, SysV & VMS)),
     Motorola Delta 147 & 187 Dual, Elxsi 6400, Encore (DPC, APC & XPC),
     Gould, HP (9000 series 200, 300, 700 & 800, but not 500), HLH Orion
     (original & 1/05), IBM (RS/6000 (AIX), RT/PC (4.2 & AIX) & PS/2 (AIX (386
     only))), ISI (Optimum V, 80386), Intel 860 & 80386 (BSD, Esix, SVR3,
     SVR4, SCO, ISC, IX, AIX & others (see ``MS-DOS Diskettes''. & ``Free
     Software for Microcomputers'')), Iris (2500, 2500 Turbo & 4D), Masscomp,
     MIPS, National Semiconductor 32000, NeXT (Mach), NCR Tower 32 (SVR2 &
     SVR3), Nixdorf Targon 31, Nu (TI & LMI), pfa50, Plexus, Prime EXL,
     Pyramid (original & MIPS), Sequent (Balance & Symmetry), SONY News (m68k
     & MIPS), Stride (system release 2), all Suns including 386i (all SunOS &
     some Solaris vers.), Tadpole, Tahoe, Tandem Integrity S2, Tektronix
     (16000 & 4300), Triton 88, Ustation E30 (SS5E), Whitechapel (MG1) &
     Wicat.

     In operating system order: AIX (RS/6000, RT/PC, 386-PS/2), BSD (vers.
     4.1, 4.2, 4.3), DomainOS, Esix (386), HP-UX (HP 9000 series 200, 300,
     700, 800 but not 500), ISC (386), IX (386), Mach, Microport, NewsOS
     (Sony m68k & MIPS) SCO (386), SVR0 (Vax, AT&T 3Bs), SVR2, SVR3, SVR4,
     Solaris 2.0, SunOS, UTS (Amdahl), Ultrix (vers. 3.0, 4,1), Uniplus 5.2
     (Dual machines), VMS (vers. 4.0, 4.2, 4.4, 5.5) & Xenix (386).

   * GNU Emacs 19      (EmcsT, SrcCD)

     New features in Emacs 19 include: multiple X windows ("frames" to
     Emacs), with either a separate X window for the minibuffer or a
     minibuffer attached to each X window; property lists associated with
     regions of text in a buffer; multiple fonts and colors defined by those
     properties; simplified and improved processing of function keys, mouse
     clicks and mouse movement; X selection processing, including clipboard
     selections; hooks to be run if point or mouse moves outside a certain
     range; menu bars and popup menus defined by keymaps; scrollbars; before
     and after change hooks; source-level debugging of Emacs Lisp programs;
     European character sets support; floating point numbers; improved buffer
     allocation, using a new mechanism capable of returning storage to the
     system when a buffer is killed; interfacing with the X resource manager;
     GNU configuration scheme support; good RCS support; & many updated
     libraries.

     New features in Emacs 19.23 include X toolkit support, dialog boxes,
     operation on MS-DOS, much faster text properties, keyboard equivalents
     shown automatically in menus, and text that highlights when you move the
     mouse over it.

     Unlike some other recent derivations of Emacs, Emacs 19 from the Free
     Software Foundation continues to work on character-only terminals as
     well as under the MIT X Window System.

     Emacs 19.23 is known to work on, in hardware order: Bull DPX/2 2nn & 3nn
     (SVR3) & sps7 (SVR2); Clipper; Cubix QBx (SysV); Data General Aviion
     (DGUX); DEC MIPS (Ultrix 4.2 & OSF/1, not VMS); Elxsi 6400 (SysV); Gould
     Power Node & NP1 (4.2 & 4.3BSD); Harris Night Hawk 1200 and 3000, 4000
     and 5000 (cxux); Honeywell XPS100 (SysV); HP 9000 series 200, 300, 700,
     800 (4.3BSD or HP-UX 7, 8, 9); Intel i386 & i486 (386BSD, AIX, BSDI/386,
     FreeBSD, Esix, ISC, Linux, MS-DOS, NetBSD, SCO3.2v4 with ODT, SysV,
     Xenix); IBM RS6000 (AIX 3.2); IBM RT/PC (AIX or BSD); Motorola Delta 147
     & 187 (SVR3, SVR4, & m88kbcs); National Semiconductor 32K (Genix); NeXT
     (BSD or Mach 2 w/ NeXTStep 3.0); Prime EXL (SysV); Pyramid (BSD);
     Sequent Symmetry (BSD); SGI Iris 4D (Irix 4.x & 5.x); Sony News/RISC
     (NewsOS); Sun 3 & 4, SPARC 1, 1+, 2, 10 & Classic (SunOS 4.0, 4.1,
     Solaris 2.0-2.3); Tadpole 68k (SysV); Tektronix XD88 (SVR3) & 4300
     (BSD); & Titan P2 & P3 (SysV).

     In operating system order: AIX (i386, RS6000, RT/PC); 4.1, 4.2, 4.3BSD
     (i386, Gould Power Node & NP1, HP9000 series 300, NeXT, Pyramid,
     Symmetry, Tektronix 4300, RT/PC); DG/UX (Aviion); Esix (i386); FreeBSD
     (i386); Genix (ns32k); HP-UX 7, 8, 9 (HP 9000 series 200, 300, 700, 800,
     but not 500); Irix 4 & 5 (Iris 4D); ISC (i386); Linux (i386); NetBSD
     (i386, HP9000 series 300); Mach 2 & 3 (i386, NeXT); SCO 3.2v4 (i386);
     SVR2 (Bull sps7); SVR3 (Bull DPX/2 2nn & 3nn, Motorola Delta 147 & 187,
     Tektronix XD88); SVR4 (Motorola Delta 147 & 187); Solaris 2 (SPARC 1,
     1+, 2, 10, Classic); SunOS 4.0, 4.1 (Sun 3 & 4, SPARC 1, 1+, 2, 10 &
     Classic); Ultrix 4.2 (DEC MIPS); & Xenix (i386).

     Other configurations supported by Emacs 18 should work with few changes
     in Emacs 19; as users tell us more about their experiences with different
     systems, we will augment the list.     Also see ``Forthcoming GNUs''.

   * `es'      (SrcCD, UtilT)

     `es' is an extensible shell based on `rc' that has first class functions,
     lexical scope, an exception system, and rich return values (i.e.
     functions can return values other than just numbers).  Like `rc', it is
     great for both interactive use and for scripting, particularly because
     its quoting rules are much less baroque than the C or Bourne shells.

   * `f2c'       (LangT, SrcCD)

     `f2c' converts Fortran-77 source files into C or C++, which can be
     compiled with GCC.     You can get bug fixes via FTP from `netlib.att.com'
     in the file `/netlib/f2c/changes.Z' or by email from
     `[e-mail]'.     See ``Forthcoming GNUs'', for information
     about GNU Fortran.

   * NetFax        (SrcCD, UtilT)

     NetFax is a freely-available fax spooling system originally developed in
     the MIT AI Lab.  It provides Group 3 fax transmission and reception
     services for a networked Unix system.  It requires a faxmodem which
     accepts Class 2 fax commands.  Contact `[e-mail]' for
     more information.

   * Fileutils           (SrcCD, UtilD, UtilT)

     The fileutils work on files: `chgrp', `chmod', `chown', `cp', `dd', `df',
     `dir', `du', `install', `ln', `ls', `mkdir', `mkfifo', `mknod', `mv',
     `mvdir', `rm', `rmdir', `touch', & `vdir'.     Only some of these are on the
     ``Selected Utilities Diskettes''.

   * `find'        (SrcCD, UtilD, UtilT)

     `find' is frequently used both interactively and in shell scripts to
     find files which match certain criteria and perform arbitrary operations
     on them.  Also included are `xargs', which applies a command to a list
     of files, and `locate', which scans a database for file names that match
     a pattern.

   * Finger        (SrcCD, UtilT)

     GNU Finger has more features than other finger programs.  For sites with
     many hosts, a single host may be designated as the finger "server" host.
     This host collects information about who is logged in to other hosts at
     that site.     If a user at site A wants to know about users logged on at
     site B, a single query to any machine at the site will return complete
     information.

   * `flex'        (LangT, SrcCD, UtilD)

     `flex' is a replacement for the `lex' scanner generator.  `flex' was
     written by Vern Paxson of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and generates
     far more efficient scanners than `lex' does.  Texinfo source for the
     `Flex Manual' and reference card are included.  See ``GNU Documentation''.

   * Fontutils           (SrcCD, UtilT)

     The fontutils create fonts for use with Ghostscript or TeX, starting
     with a scanned type image and converting the bitmaps to outlines.    They
     also contain general conversion programs and other utilities.

     Fontutils programs include: `bpltobzr', `bzrto', `charspace',
     `fontconvert', `gsrenderfont', `imageto', `imgrotate', `limn', and
     `xbfe'.

   * GAS     (BinCD, LangT, SrcCD)

     GAS is the GNU assembler.    Native assembly works for many systems,
     including: Sun 3, 4, & SPARC (SunOS 4.1 or Solaris 2); i386 (AIX,
     386BSD, BSDI/386, Linux, SCO, Unixware); m68k (BSD, HP-UX, Convergent
     Technologies SysV); MIPS (Ultrix, Irix); Hitachi H8/300 and H8/500; &
     VAX (BSD, Ultrix, VMS).  Cross assembling can be done for most of the
     above systems, plus: i386 (SCO, go32 MS-DOS/DJGPP); ebmon29k; Hitachi
     H8/300; i960 (b.out, COFF); MIPS ECOFF (Ultrix, Iris, MIPS Magnum);
     Nindy 960; vxworks (68k or 960); & Zilog Z8000.  See ``Forthcoming
     GNUs'', for plans for future releases of GAS.

   * GAWK      (LangT, SrcCD)

     GAWK is upwardly compatible with the System V Release 4 and POSIX
     versions of `awk'.     It also provides several useful extensions not found
     in other `awk' implementations.  Texinfo source for the `GAWK Manual'
     comes with the software.  See ``GNU Documentation''.

   * GCC     (BinCD, DjgppD, LangT, SrcCD, VMSCompT)

     Version 2 of the GNU C Compiler supports three languages: C, C++ and
     Objective-C; the source file name suffix or a compiler option selects the
     language.    The front end support for Objective-C was donated by NeXT.
     The runtime support needed to run Objective-C programs is now
     distributed with GCC (this does not include any Objective-C classes
     aside from `object').  As much as possible, G++ is kept compatible with
     the evolving draft ANSI standard, but not with `cfront' (AT&T's
     compiler), which has been diverging from ANSI.

     The GNU C Compiler is a fairly portable optimizing compiler which
     performs automatic register allocation, common sub-expression
     elimination, invariant code motion from loops, induction variable
     optimizations, constant propagation and copy propagation, delayed
     popping of function call arguments, tail recursion elimination,
     integration of inline functions and frame pointer elimination,
     instruction scheduling, loop unrolling, filling of delay slots, leaf
     function optimization, optimized multiplication by constants, a certain
     amount of common subexpression elimination (CSE) between basic blocks
     (though not all of the supported machine descriptions provide for
     scheduling or delay slots), a feature for assigning attributes to
     instructions, and many local optimizations that are automatically
     deduced from the machine description.  Function-wide CSE has been
     written, but needs to be cleaned up before it can be installed.
     Position-independent code is supported on the 68k, i386, Hitachi Slt,
     Hitachi H8/300, Clipper, 88k, SPARC & SPARClite.

     GCC can open-code most arithmetic on 64-bit values (type `long long
     int').  It supports extended floating point (type `long double') on the
     68k; other machines will follow.

     GCC supports full ANSI C, traditional C and GNU C extensions.  GNU C has
     been extended to support nested functions, nonlocal gotos, and taking the
     address of a label.

     GCC can generate a.out, COFF, ELF & OSF-Rose files when used with a
     suitable assembler.  It can produce debugging information in these
     formats: BSD stabs, COFF, ECOFF, ECOFF with stabs & DWARF.

     GCC generates code for many CPUs, including: a29k, Alpha, ARM, Convex cN,
     Clipper, Elxsi, H8300, HP-PA (1.0 and 1.1) i370, i386, i486, i860, i960,
     m68k, m68020, m88k, MIPS, ns32k, Pyramid, ROMP, RS6000, SH, SPARC,
     SPARClite, VAX, and we32k.

     Operating systems supported include: AIX, ACIS, AOS, BSD, Clix, Ctix,
     DG/UX, Dynix, Genix, HP-UX, ISC, Irix, Linux, Luna, LynxOS, Mach, Minix,
     NewsOS, OSF, OSF-Rose, RISCOS, SCO, Solaris 2, SunOS 4, SysV, Ultrix,
     Unos, & VMS.

     The old (version 1) machine descriptions for the Alliant, Tahoe and Spur
     (as well as a new port for the Tron) do not work, but are still included
     in the distribution in case someone wants to work on them.

     Using the configuration scheme for GCC, building a cross-compiler is as
     easy as building a compiler for the same target machine.  Version 2
     supports more general calling conventions: it can pass arguments "by
     reference" and can preallocate the space for stack arguments.  GCC 2 on
     the SPARC uses the SPARC conventions for structure arguments and return
     values.

     We no longer distribute or maintain version 1 of GCC, G++, or libg++.

     Texinfo source for the GCC manual, `Using and Porting GNU CC', is
     included with the compiler.

     See ``Forthcoming GNUs'', for plans for later releases of GCC.

   * GDB     (BinCD, LangT, SrcCD)

     In GDB, object files and symbol tables are now read via the BFD library,
     which allows a single copy of GDB to debug programs of multiple object
     file formats such as a.out and COFF.  Other new features include command
     language improvements, remote debugging over serial lines or TCP/IP, and
     watchpoints (breakpoints triggered when the value of an expression
     changes).    Exception handling, SunOS shared libraries and C++ multiple
     inheritance are only supported when used with GCC version 2.

     GDB comes with a command line user interface; GNU Emacs is distributed
     with a GDB mode, and `xxgdb' provides an X interface (but it is not
     distributed or maintained by the FSF; it is available for anonymous FTP
     from `ftp.x.org' in the `/contrib' directory).

     GDB uses a standard remote interface to a simulator library which (so
     far) has simulators for the Zilog Z8001/2, Hitachi H8/300, H8/500 &
     Super-H.

     GDB can perform cross-debugging.  To say that GDB *targets* a platform
     means that it can perform native or cross-debugging for it.  To say that
     GDB can *host* a given platform means that it can be built on it, but
     cannot necessarily debug native programs.    GDB can:

    * *target* & *host*: DEC Alpha (OSF/1), Amiga 3000 (Amix), DECstation
      3100 & 5000 (Ultrix), HP 9000/300 (BSD), IBM RS/6000 (AIX), i386
      (BSD, SCO, Linux, LynxOS), Motorola Delta m88k (System V), NCR 3000
      (SVR4), SGI Iris (MIPS running Irix V3 & V4), SONY News (NewsOS
      3.x), Sun-3 & SPARC (SunOS 4.1, Solaris 2.0) & Ultracomputer (29K
      running Sym1).

    * *target*, but not *host*: i960 Nindy, AMD 29000 (COFF & a.out),
      Fujitsu SPARClite, Hitachi H8/300, m68k & m68332.

    * *host*, but not *target*: Intel 386 (Mach), IBM RT/PC (AIX) &
      HP/Apollo 68k (BSD).

     GDB can use the symbol tables emitted by the compilers supplied by most
     vendors of MIPS-based machines, including DEC.  (These tables are in a
     format which almost nobody else uses.)  Texinfo source for the manual
     `Debugging with GDB' and a reference card are included.  See
     ``GNU Documentation''.

   * `gdbm'        (LangT, SrcCD, UtilD)

     The `gdbm' library is the GNU replacement for the traditional `dbm' and
     `ndbm' libraries.    It implements a database using quick lookup by
     hashing.  `gdbm' does not need sparse file formats (unlike its Unix
     counterparts).

   * Ghostscript     (SrcCD, UtilT)

     Ghostscript is GNU's graphics language which is almost fully compatible
     with Postscript (see ``Forthcoming GNUs'').

     The current version of Ghostscript is 2.6.1.  Features include the
     ability to use the fonts provided by the platform on which Ghostscript
     runs (MIT X Window System and Microsoft Windows), resulting in much
     better-looking screen displays; improved text file printing (like
     `enscript'); a utility to extract the text from a Postscript document; a
     much more reliable (and faster) Microsoft Windows implementation;
     support for Microsoft C/C++ 7.0; drivers for many new printers,
     including the SPARCprinter, and for TIFF/F (fax) file format; many more
     Postscript Level 2 facilities, including most of the color space
     facilities (but not patterns), and the ability to switch between Level 1
     and Level 2 dynamically.

     Ghostscript accepts commands in Postscript and executes them by writing
     directly to a printer, drawing on an X window, or writing to a file that
     you can print later (or to a bitmap file that you can manipulate with
     other graphics programs).

     Ghostscript includes a C-callable graphics library (for client programs
     that do not want to deal with the Postscript language).  It also supports
     IBM PCs and compatibles with EGA, VGA, or SuperVGA graphics (but please
     do *not* ask the FSF staff any questions about this; we do not use PCs).

     See ``Forthcoming GNUs'', for plans for later releases of Ghostscript.

   * Ghostview           (SrcCD, UtilT)

     Tim Theisen, `[e-mail]', has created Ghostview, a previewer
     for multi-page files that runs on top of Ghostscript.  Ghostview provides
     an X11 user interface for the Ghostscript interpreter.  Ghostview and
     Ghostscript function as two cooperating programs; Ghostview creates a
     viewing window and Ghostscript draws in it.  There is a port for
     Ghostview to MS-Windows called "GSview for Windows".  For information
     about future releases of this program, see ``Forthcoming GNUs''.

   * `gmp'       (LangT, SrcCD)

     GNU mp is a library for arbitrary precision arithmetic on signed integers
     and rational numbers.  It has a rich set of functions with a regular
     interface.

     See ``Forthcoming GNUs'', for the plans for later releases of `gmp'.

   * GNATS       (SrcCD, UtilT)

     GNATS (GNats: A Tracking System, not to be confused with GNAT, The GNU
     Ada Translator) is a bug-tracking system.    It is based upon the paradigm
     of a central site or organization which receives problem reports and
     negotiates their resolution by electronic mail.  Although it has been
     used primarily as a software bug-tracking system so far, it is
     sufficiently generalized so that it could be used for handling system
     administration issues, project management or any number of other
     applications.

   * `gnuplot'           (SrcCD, UtilT)

     `gnuplot' is an interactive program for plotting mathematical
     expressions and data.  It handles both curves (2 dimensions) and surfaces
     (3 dimensions).  Curiously, the program was neither written nor named for
     the GNU Project; the name is a coincidence.

   * GnuGo       (SrcCD, UtilT)

     GnuGo plays the game of Go (Wei-Chi); it is not yet very sophisticated.

   * `gperf'         (LangT, SrcCD)

     `gperf' is a "perfect" hash-table generation utility.  There are
     actually two implementations of `gperf', one written in C and one in
     C++.  Both will produce hash functions in either C or C++.

   * GNU Graphics      (SrcCD, UtilT)

     GNU Graphics is a set of programs which produce plots from ASCII or
     binary data.  It supports output to Tektronix 4010, Postscript & the MIT
     X Window System or compatible devices.  Features include support for
     output in ln03 and TekniCAD TDA file formats; a replacement for the
     `spline' program; examples of shell scripts using `graph' and `plot'; & a
     statistics toolkit.

     Existing ports need retesting.  Contact Rich Murphey, `[e-mail]',
     if you can help test/port it to anything beyond a SPARCstation.

   * grep      (SrcCD, UtilD, UtilT)

     This package contains GNU `grep', `egrep', and `fgrep'.  They are much
     faster than the traditional Unix versions.

   * Groff       (SrcCD, UtilT)

     Groff is a document formatting system, which includes drivers for
     Postscript, TeX `dvi' format, and typewriter-like devices, as well as
     implementations of `eqn', `nroff', `pic', `refer', `tbl', `troff', and
     the `man', `ms', and `mm' macros.    Groff's `mm' macro package is almost
     compatible with the DWB `mm' macros and has several extensions.  Also
     included is a modified version of the Berkeley `me' macros and an
     enhanced version of the X11 `xditview' previewer.    Written in C++, these
     programs can be compiled with GNU C++ Version 2.5 or later.

     Groff users are encouraged to contribute enhancements.  Most needed are
     complete Texinfo documentation, a `grap' emulation (a `pic' preprocessor
     for typesetting graphs), a page-makeup postprocessor similar to `pm'
     (see `Computing Systems', Vol. 2, No. 2; ask `[e-mail]' for
     information on obtaining a copy) and an ASCII output class for `pic' so
     that `pic' can be integrated with Texinfo.     Questions and bug reports
     from users who have read the documentation that is provided with the
     distribution can be sent to `[e-mail]'.

   * `gzip'        (DjgppD, EmcsT, LangT, SrcCD, UtilT)

     Some of the contents of our tape and FTP distributions are compressed.
     We have software on our tapes and FTP sites to uncompress these files.
     Due to patent troubles with `compress', we have switched to another
     compression program, `gzip'.  `gzip' can expand LZW-compressed files but
     uses a different algorithm for compression which generally produces
     better results.  It also uncompresses files compressed with System V's
     `pack' program.

   * `hello'         (SrcCD, UtilT)

     The GNU `hello' program produces a familiar, friendly greeting.  It
     allows non-programmers to use a classic computer science tool which would
     otherwise be unavailable to them.    Because it is protected by the GNU
     General Public License, users are free to share and change it.

     Like any truly useful program, `hello' provides a built-in mail reader.

   * `hp2xx'         (SrcCD, UtilT)

     GNU `hp2xx' reads HP-GL files, decomposes all drawing commands into
     elementary vectors, and converts them into a variety of vector and raster
     output formats.  It is also an HP-GL previewer.  Currently supported
     vector formats include encapsulated Postscript, Uniplex RGIP, Metafont
     and various special TeX-related formats, and simplified HP-GL (line
     drawing only) for imports.     Raster formats supported include IMG, PBM,
     PCX, & HP-PCL (including Deskjet & DJ5xxC support).  Previewers work
     under X11 (Unix), OS/2 (PM & full screen), MS-DOS (SVGA, VGA, & HGC).

   * `indent'          (SrcCD, UtilD, UtilT)

     GNU `indent' is a revision of the BSD version.  By default, it formats C
     source according to the GNU coding standards.  The BSD default, K&R and
     other formats are available as options.  It is also possible to define
     your own format.  GNU `indent' is more robust and provides more
     functionality than other versions, e.g., it handles C++ comments.

   * Ispell        (SrcCD, UtilT)

     Ispell is an interactive spell checker that suggests "near misses" as
     replacements for unrecognized words.  System and user-maintained
     dictionaries can be used.    Standalone and GNU Emacs interfaces are
     available.

   * JACAL       *Not available from the FSF*

     JACAL is a symbolic mathematics system for the manipulation and
     simplification of equations and single and multiple-valued algebraic
     expressions constructed of numbers, variables, radicals, and algebraic
     functions, differential operators and holonomic functions.     In addition,
     vectors, matrices, and tensors of the above objects are included.

     JACAL was written in Scheme by Aubrey Jaffer.  It comes with SCM, an IEEE
     P1178 and R4RS compliant version of Scheme written in C.  SCM runs on
     Amiga, Atari-ST, MS-DOS, OS/2, NOS/VE, Unicos, VMS, Unix, and similar
     systems.  SLIB is a portable Scheme library used by JACAL.     Get JACAL,
     SLIB and SCM sources via anonymous FTP from either `ftp.maths.tcd.ie' in
     `/pub/bosullvn/jacal', `altdorf.ai.mit.edu' in `/archive/scm', or
     `prep.ai.mit.edu' in `/pub/gnu/jacal'.

     The FSF is not distributing JACAL on any media.  To receive an IBM PC
     floppy disk with the source and executable files, send $99.00 to:

    Aubrey Jaffer
    84 Pleasant Street
    Wakefield, MA    01880
    USA

   * `m4'      (SrcCD, UtilD, UtilT)

     GNU `m4' is an implementation of the traditional Unix macro processor.
     It is mostly SVR4 compatible, although it has some extensions (for
     example, handling more than 9 positional parameters to macros).  `m4'
     also has built-in functions for including files, running shell commands,
     doing arithmetic, etc.

   * `make'        (BinCD, EmcsT, LangT, SrcCD, UtilD, UtilT)

     GNU `make' supports POSIX 1003.2 and has all but a few obscure features
     of the BSD and System V versions of `make', as well as many of our own
     extensions.  GNU extensions include long options, parallel compilation,
     flexible implicit pattern rules, conditional execution and powerful text
     manipulation functions.  Recent versions have improved error reporting
     and added support for the popular `+=' syntax to append more text to a
     variable's definition.  Texinfo source for the `Make Manual' comes with
     the program.  See ``GNU Documentation''.

     GNU `make' is on several of our tapes because some system vendors supply
     no `make' utility at all, and some native `make' programs lack the
     `VPATH' feature essential for using the GNU configure system to its full
     extent.  The GNU `make' sources have a shell script to build `make'
     itself on such systems.

   * MandelSpawn     (SrcCD, UtilT)

     A parallel Mandelbrot generation program for the MIT X Window System.

   * mtools        (SrcCD, UtilT)

     mtools is a set of public domain programs to allow Unix systems to read,
     write and manipulate files on an MS-DOS file system (usually a diskette).

   * MULE      (SrcCD)

     MULE is a MULtilingual Enhancement to GNU Emacs 18.  It can handle many
     character sets at once including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese,
     Thai, Greek, the ISO Latin-1 through Latin-5 character sets, Ukrainian,
     Russian, and other Cyrillic alphabets.  A text buffer in MULE can
     contain a mixture of characters from these languages.  To input any of
     these characters, you can use various input methods provided by MULE
     itself.  In addition, if you use MULE under some terminal emulators
     (kterm, cxterm, or exterm), you can use its input methods.     See ``GNU
     and Other Free Software in Japan'', for more information about MULE.

   * NetHack         (SrcCD, UtilT)

     NetHack is a display-oriented adventure game similar to Rogue.  Both
     ASCII and X displays are supported.

   * NIH Class Library           (LangT, SrcCD)

     The NIH Class Library (formerly known as "OOPS", Object-Oriented Program
     Support) is a portable collection of C++ classes, similar to those in
     Smalltalk-80, which has been developed by Keith Gorlen of the National
     Institutes of Health (NIH), using the C++ programming language.

   * `nvi'       (SrcCD, UtilT)

     `nvi' is a free implementation of the `vi'/`ex' Unix editor.  It has
     most of the functionality of the original `vi'/`ex', except "open" mode
     & the `lisp' option, which will be added.    Enhancements over `vi'/`ex'
     include split screens with multiple buffers, ability to handle 8-bit
     data, infinite file & line lengths, tag stacks, infinite undo & extended
     regular expressions.  It runs under BSD, Linux, NetBSD, FreeBSD, BSDI,
     AIX, HP-UX, DGUX, IRIX, PSF, PTX, Solaris, SunOS, Ultrix, Unixware &
     should port easily to many other systems.

   * Octave        (LangT, SrcCD)

     Octave is a high-level language that is primarily intended for numerical
     computations.  It provides a convenient command line interface for
     solving linear and nonlinear problems numerically.

     Octave does arithmetic for real and complex scalars and matrices, solve
     sets of nonlinear algebraic equations, integrate functions over finite
     and infinite intervals, and integrate systems of ordinary differential
     and differential-algebraic equations.  Send queries and bug reports to:
     `[e-mail]'.

     Octave is available via anonymous ftp from `ftp.che.utexas.edu' in the
     directory `/pub/octave'.  The files are in gzipped `tar' format (see the
     file `/pub/gnu/README' on `prep.ai.mit.edu').  Source is included for a
     150+ page Texinfo manual, which is not yet published by the FSF.

   * Oleo      (SrcCD, UtilT)

     Oleo is a spreadsheet program (better for you than the more expensive
     spreadsheets).  It supports the MIT X Window System and character-based
     terminals, and can output Embedded Postscript renditions of spreadsheets.
     Keybindings should be familiar to Emacs users and are configurable.
     Under X and in Postscript output, Oleo supports multiple, variable width
     fonts.  See ``Forthcoming GNUs'', for the plans for later releases of
     Oleo.

   * `p2c'       (LangT, SrcCD)

     `p2c' is a Pascal-to-C translator written by Dave Gillespie.  It
     recognizes many Pascal dialects including Turbo, HP, VAX, and ISO, and
     produces readable, maintainable, portable C.

   * `patch'         (SrcCD, UtilT)

     `patch' is our version of Larry Wall's program to take `diff''s output
     and apply those differences to an original file to generate the modified
     version.

   * PCL     (EmcsT, SrcCD)

     PCL is a free implementation of a large subset of CLOS, the Common Lisp
     Object System.  It runs under CLISP, mentioned above.

   * `perl'        (LangT, SrcCD)

     Larry Wall's `perl' combines the features and capabilities of `sed',
     `awk', `sh' and C, as well as interfaces to all the system calls and
     many C library routines.  A perl mode for editing `perl' code comes with
     GNU Emacs 19.

   * `ptx'       (SrcCD, UtilD, UtilT)

     GNU `ptx' is the GNU version of the traditional permuted index
     generator.     It can handle multiple input files at once, produce TeX
     compatible output, and produce readable "KWIC" (KeyWords In Context)
     indexes without needing to use `nroff'.  This version does not handle
     input files that do not fit in memory all at once.

   * `rc'      (SrcCD, UtilT)

     `rc' is a shell that features a C-like syntax (much more so than `csh')
     and far cleaner quoting rules than the C or Bourne shells.     It's
     intended to be used interactively, but is also great for writing
     scripts.  It inspired the shell `es'.

   * RCS     (SrcCD, UtilD, UtilT)

     The Revision Control System, RCS, is used for version control and
     management of software projects.  When used with GNU `diff', RCS can
     handle binary files (executables, object files, 8-bit data, etc).    Also
     see the item about CVS in this article.

   * `recode'          (SrcCD, UtilT)

     GNU `recode' converts files between character sets and usages.  When
     exact transliterations are not possible, it may get rid of the offending
     characters or fall back on approximations.     This program recognizes or
     produces nearly 150 different character sets and is able to
     transliterate files between almost any pair.  Most RFC 1345 character
     sets are supported.

   * regex       (LangT, SrcCD)

     The GNU regular expression library supports POSIX.2, except for
     internationalization features.  In the past, it has been included in many
     GNU programs which use regex routines.  Now it is finally available
     separately.  A faster version of this library comes with `sed'.

   * Scheme        (SchmT)

     For information about Scheme, see ``Scheme Tape''.

   * `screen'          (SrcCD, UtilT)

     `screen' is a terminal multiplexer that runs several separate "screens"
     (ttys) on a single physical character-based terminal.  Each virtual
     terminal emulates a DEC VT100 plus several ANSI X3.64 and ISO 2022
     functions.     `screen' sessions can be detached and resumed later on a
     different terminal type.

   * `sed'       (SrcCD, UtilD, UtilT)

     `sed' is a stream-oriented version of `ed'.  It is used copiously in
     shell scripts.  GNU `sed' comes with the rx library, which is a faster
     version of regex (see ``Forthcoming GNUs'').

   * Shellutils        (SrcCD, UtilT)

     Use shellutils interactively or in shell scripts: `basename', `date',
     `dirname', `echo', `env', `expr', `false', `groups', `id', `nice',
     `nohup', `printenv', `printf', `sleep', `stty', `su', `tee', `test',
     `true', `tty', `uname', `who', `whoami', and `yes'.

   * GNU Shogi           (SrcCD, UtilT)

     Shogi is a Japanese game similar to Chess; a major difference is that
     captured pieces can be returned into play.

     GNU Shogi has been created by modifying GNU Chess; GNU Shogi implements
     the same features as GNU Chess and uses similar heuristics.  As a new
     feature, sequences of partial board patterns can be introduced in order
     to help the program play a good order of moves towards specific opening
     patterns.    There are both character and X display interfaces.

     GNU Shogi is primarily supported by Matthias Mutz on behalf of the FSF.

    Matthias Mutz
    Universitaet Passau, FMI
    94030 Passau
    Germany

    Electronic-mail: `[e-mail]'

   * Smalltalk           (LangT, SrcCD)

     GNU Smalltalk is an interpreted object-oriented programming language
     system written in highly portable C.  It has been successfully ported to
     many Unix and some other platforms, including DOS (but these non-Unix
     ports are not available from the FSF).  Current features include a
     binary image save capability, the ability to invoke user-written C code
     and pass parameters to it, a GNU Emacs editing mode, a version of the X
     protocol invocable from Smalltalk, optional byte-code compilation
     tracing and byte-code execution tracing, and automatically loaded
     per-user initialization files.  It implements all of the classes and
     protocol in the Smalltalk-80 book "Smalltalk-80: The Language", except
     for the graphic user interface (`GUI') related classes.

     See ``Forthcoming GNUs'', for plans for later releases of Smalltalk.

   * Superopt          (LangT, SrcCD)

     Superopt is a function sequence generator that uses an exhaustive
     generate-and-test approach to find the shortest instruction sequence for
     a given function.    You provide the GNU superoptimizer, `gso', a
     function, a CPU to generate code for, and how many instructions you can
     accept.  Its application in GCC is described in the `ACM SIGPLAN
     PLDI'92' proceedings.  Superopt supports: SPARC, m68k, m68020, m88k, IBM
     RS/6000, AMD 29000, Intel 80x86, Pyramid, DEC Alpha, & HP-PA.

   * `tar'       (SrcCD, UtilT)

     GNU `tar' includes multivolume support, the ability to archive sparse
     files, automatic archive compression/decompression, remote archives and
     special features that allow `tar' to be used for incremental and full
     backups.  Unfortunately, GNU `tar' implements an early draft of the
     POSIX 1003.1 `ustar' standard which is different from the final
     standard.    Adding support for the new changes in a backward-compatible
     fashion is not trivial.

   * Termcap Library         (SrcCD, UtilT)

     The GNU Termcap library is a drop-in replacement for `libtermcap.a' on
     any system.  It does not place an arbitrary limit on the size of Termcap
     entries, unlike most other Termcap libraries.  Included is source for the
     `Termcap Manual' in Texinfo format.  See ``GNU Documentation''.

   * TeX     (SrcCD)

     TeX is a document formatting system that handles complicated
     typesetting, including mathematics.  It is GNU's standard text formatter.

     You can obtain TeX from the University of Washington, which maintains and
     supports a tape distribution of TeX for Unix systems.  The core material
     consists of Karl Berry's `web2c' TeX package, the sources for which are
     available via anonymous ftp; retrieval instructions are in
     `pub/tex/FTP.nwc' on `ftp.cs.umb.edu'.  If you receive any installation
     support from the University of Washington, please consider sending them
     a donation.

     To order a full distribution written in `tar' on either a 1/4inch
     4-track QIC-24 cartridge or a 4mm DAT cartridge, send $210.00 to:

    Northwest Computing Support Center
    DR-10, Thomson Hall 35
    University of Washington
    Seattle, WA   98195
    USA

    Electronic-Mail: `[e-mail]'
    Telephone: [phone]

     Please make checks payable to the University of Washington.  Checks must
     be in U.S. dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank.    Prepaid orders are preferred
     but purchase orders are acceptable; however, they carry an extra charge
     of $10.00 to pay for invoice processing.  Overseas sites: please add to
     the base cost $20.00 for shipment via air parcel post, or $30.00 for
     shipment via courier.  Please check with the above for current prices
     and formats.

   * Texinfo         (EmcsT, LangT, SrcCD, UtilD, UtilT)

     Texinfo is a set of utilities which generate both printed manuals and
     online hypertext-style documentation (called "Info").  There are also
     programs for reading online Info documents.  Version 3 has both GNU Emacs
     Lisp and standalone programs written in C or shell script.     Texinfo mode
     for GNU Emacs enables easy editing and updating of Texinfo files.
     Programs provided include `makeinfo', `info', `texi2dvi', `texindex',
     `tex2patch', and `fixfonts'.  Source for the `Texinfo Manual' is
     included.    See ``GNU Documentation''.

   * Textutils           (SrcCD, UtilT)

     The Textutils programs manipulate textual data.  They include: `cat',
     `cksum', `comm', `csplit', `cut', `expand', `fold', `head', `join', `nl',
     `od', `paste', `pr', `sort', `split', `sum', `tac', `tail', `tr',
     `unexpand', `uniq', and `wc'.

   * Tile Forth        (LangT, SrcCD)

     Tile Forth is a 32-bit implementation of the Forth-83 standard written in
     C, allowing it to be easily moved between different computers.
     (Traditionally, Forth implementations are written in assembler to use
     the underlying hardware as optimally as possible, but this also makes
     them less portable.)

   * `time'        (SrcCD, UtilT)

     `time' is used to report statistics (usually from a shell) about the
     amount of user, system and real time used by a process.  On some systems
     it also reports memory usage, page faults, and other statistics.

   * `tput'        (SrcCD, UtilT)

     `tput' is a portable way for shell scripts to use special terminal
     capabilities.  Our `tput' uses the Termcap database, instead of Terminfo
     as most others do.

   * UUCP      (SrcCD, UtilT)

     This version of UUCP was written by Ian Lance Taylor, and is GNU's
     standard UUCP system.  It supports the `f', `g' and `v' (in all window
     and packet sizes), `G', `t', `e', Zmodem and two new bidirectional (`i'
     and `j') protocols.  If you have a Berkeley sockets library, it can make
     TCP connections.  If you have TLI libraries, it can make TLI
     connections.  Source is included for a Texinfo manual, which is not yet
     published by the FSF.

   * `uuencode' and `uudecode'           (SrcCD, UtilT)

     `uuencode' and `uudecode' are used to transmit binary files over
     transmission mediums that support only simple ASCII data.

   * `wdiff'         (SrcCD, UtilT)

     `wdiff' is a front-end to GNU `diff'.  It compares two files, finding
     which words have been deleted or added to the first in order to create
     the second.  It has many output formats and interacts well with
     terminals and pagers.  `wdiff' is particularly useful when two texts
     differ only by a few words and paragraphs have been refilled.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Forthcoming GNUs
****************

Information about the current status of released GNU programs can be found in
``GNU Software''.  Here is some news of future plans.

   * `makeinfo' and the World Wide Web           (Also see ``GNU Software''.)

     `makeinfo' is being modified to translate Texinfo source files into HTML
     documents that can be displayed from the Internet's World Wide Web.

   * GNU Common Lisp         (For current status, see ``GNU Software''.)

     Planned development for GNU Common Lisp (GCL) includes moving to the ANSI
     standard, adding a byte compiler with source level debugging, and adding
     a windowing interface.  A new compiler is being tested; it will make all
     functions pass arguments on the C stack and return values in a standard
     register with additional locations when necessary.     This will speed up
     other function calls and funcalling (critical for object oriented work).
     Contributors to any of these areas would be helpful; contact
     `[e-mail]'.

   * GNU Emacs           (For current status, see ``GNU Software''.)

     Emacs is the extensible, customizable, self-documenting real-time
     display editor.  Features planned for future releases of Emacs include:
     different visibility conditions for regions and for multiple windows
     showing the same buffer; incrementally saving the undo history in a
     file, so that you can undo older changes in the history; support for
     variable-width fonts; and support for wide character sets including all
     the world's major languages.

   * C Interpreter

     The FSF is adding interpreter facilities to the GNU compiler and
     debugger.    This task is partly finished.  GCC now generates byte code
     (for all supported languages: C, C++ and Objective-C) and another package
     interprets it.

     To make this work usable, we need to add features to GDB to load the byte
     code dynamically.    We also would like C compiler support for compiling
     just a specified few functions in a file.    Due to limited resources, the
     FSF cannot fund this.  Interested volunteers should contact
     `[e-mail]'.

   * GAS     (For current status, see ``GNU Software''.)

     The GNU assembler is in the process of being rewritten to fully use the
     BFD library.  Currently BFD is used only on some platforms.  When this
     work is finished, porting the entire compiler support suite (GAS and
     Binutils) to new platforms should be easier.  Forthcoming versions will
     include support for the HP-PA, DEC Alpha (running OSF/1), RS/6000 and
     PowerPC processors.

   * GCC     (For current status, see ``GNU Software''.)

     New front ends for GCC are being developed, but they are not yet part of
     GCC.  A front end for Fortran is now in alpha test and is approaching
     completion, and a front end for Ada (GNAT: The GNU Ada Translator) is
     available via anonymous FTP from `cs.nyu.edu' in `/pub/gnat', though it
     is not yet stable.     News about GNAT is posted to the USENET newsgroup
     `comp.lang.ada'.  Volunteers are also developing a Pascal front end.

   * GNU Fortran     (For info on `f2c' & GCC, see ``GNU Software''.)

     GNU Fortran (`g77') is in "private" alpha test (testing by a small group
     of experts) and is not yet publicly released.  Until `g77' is fully
     released to the public, we ask people to use `f2c' (a Fortran-to-C
     translator) with GCC.  As `g77' uses a lot of these tools (the `f2c'
     libraries and the GCC back end), using them and reporting any problems
     you find will help speed the release of `g77'.

     The primary focus of the alpha test is to test the `g77' front end,
     since that has most of the new code.  The secondary focus of the alpha
     test is to test the integration between the front end and the back end.
     Currently, this is where most of the bugs seem to be.  The tertiary focus
     is the quality of code generated by the GNU back end for Fortran.

     We hope to have a `g77' beta release in summer 1994, as part of the
     regular compiler distribution.  A mailing list exists for announcements
     about `g77'.  To subscribe, ask
     `[e-mail]'.  To contact the author and
     maintainer of `g77', write to `[e-mail]'.

   * Ghostscript     (For current status, see ``GNU Software''.)

     Ghostscript 2.6.2, consisting of version 2.6.1 with bug fixes, will be
     released and distributed by FSF sometime in late 1994.  Ghostscript 3.0
     will be released and distributed by FSF in the second quarter of 1995; a
     future GNU's Bulletin will have a more definite date.  It will implement
     the full PostScript Level 2 language except for LZW compression, which
     can't be freely implemented because of software patents.  (Prohibitions
     like this on programming are what the League for Programming Freedom is
     fighting.    See ``What Is the LPF?'', for details.)

   * GSview for Windows and OS/2     (Also see ``GNU Software''.)

     A new version of Russell Lang's Ghostview for Windows will be released
     during the second quarter of 1994.     The name has been changed to "GSview
     for Windows" in order to avoid confusion with Tim Theisen's Ghostview.
     An OS/2 port called "PM GSview" will be released at the same time.     For
     more information, contact Russell at `[e-mail]'.

   * `gmp'       (For current status, see ``GNU Software''.)

     The GNU mp library, version 2.0, (due out soon) has arbitrary precision
     floating point arithmetic, is more portable, and is up to 4 times faster
     than previous versions.

   * Oleo      (For current status, see ``GNU Software''.)

     Volunteers are writing an Oleo manual and extensions to the Oleo
     interface.

   * rx, a faster regular expression library

     Tom Lord has written a new regular expression library which is faster
     than the current library we use.  Currently it is only being distributed
     with `sed'; eventually we will distribute it as a separate package as
     well.  This new library is nearly a drop-in replacement for the current
     regex library used by the GNU Project, but it needs a few more features
     before it can be used in Emacs.

   * Smalltalk           (For current status, see ``GNU Software''.)

     Future versions will contain significant performance improvements,
     ability to use the Smalltalk interpreter as a subroutine, better
     interfaces to the MIT X Window System, ability to represent and
     manipulate C data structures in Smalltalk, conditional compilation
     facilities, large integer support, exceptions, and weak references &
     finalization support.

----------------------------------------------------------------------