troff - typeset or format documents

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SYNOPSIS

AVAILABILITY

DESCRIPTION

troff formats text in the filenames. For historical reasons, output goes to a CAT/4 phototypesetter attached to /dev/cat, but nobody uses a CAT/4 anymore. Ordinarily, postprocessing software converts output to a form that can be printed on newer typesetters or laser printers. Default font width tables correspond to Times Roman on PostScript® printers. See also the nroff.1 manual page, which describes a formatter for typewriter-like devices.

Input to troff is expected to consist of text interspersed with formatting requests and macros. If no filename argument is present, troff reads standard input. A `-' as a filename argument indicates that standard input is to be read at that point in the list of input files; troff reads the files named ahead of the `-' in the arguments list, then text from the standard input, and then text from the files named after the `-'.

If the file /etc/adm/tracct is writable, troff keeps printer accounting records there. The integrity of that file may be secured by making troff a ``set-user-ID'' program (see chmod.1v for details on the setuid permission bit.)

OPTIONS

Options may appear in any order, but they all must appear before the first filename.

-a

Send a printable ASCII approximation of the results to the standard output.

-i

Read the standard input after the input files are exhausted.

-q

Disable echoing during a .rd request.

-t

Direct output to the standard output instead of the printer. Since this output is non-ASCII it is generally redirected to lpr -t.

-mpackage

Prepend the macro file /usr/lib/tmac/tmac.package to the input filenames. (Note that most references to macro packages include the leading ``m'' as part of the name; the man.7 macro package resides in /usr/lib/tmac/tmac.an).

-nN

Number first generated page N.

-olist

Print only pages whose page numbers appear in the comma-separated list of numbers and ranges. A range N-M means pages N through M; an initial -N means from the beginning to page N; and a final N- means from N to the end.

-raN

Set register a (one-character) to N.

Some options of troff only apply if you have a CAT/4 typesetter attached to your system. These options remain present for backward compatibility. However, this version of troff does not support this typesetter by default.

-b

Report whether the typesetter is busy or available. No text processing is done.

-f

Refrain from feeding paper out and stopping at the end of the print job on the typesetter.

-w

Wait until typesetter is available, if currently busy.

-z

Suppress all formatted output. Display only terminal messages produced by .tm requests and diagnostics.

-pN

Print all characters in point size N while retaining all prescribed spacings and motions, to reduce elapsed time on the typesetter.

-sN

Stop the phototypesetter every N pages. troff produces a trailer so you can change cassettes; resume by pressing the typesetter's start button.

FILES

/tmp/ta*

temporary file

/usr/lib/tmac/tmac.*

standard macro files

/usr/lib/term/*

terminal driving tables for nroff

/usr/lib/font/*

font width tables for alternate mounted troff fonts

/dev/cat

phototypesetter

/etc/adm/tracct

accounting statistics for /dev/cat

SEE ALSO

checknr.1 chmod.1v col.1v eqn.1 lpr.1 nroff.1 tbl.1 printcap.5 man.7 me.7 ms.7 lpd.8

[a manual with the abbreviation DOCS]
[a manual with the abbreviation TROFF]

DIAGNOSTICS

No /dev/cat: try -t or -a

The CAT/4 typesetter is not accessible from your machine. Combine the -t option of troff with the -t option of lpr.1 to get output on a laser printer or typesetter. For information on how to inform lpd.8 of a PostScript printer attached to a remote host, see printcap.5

NOTES

Created by unroff & hp-tools. © somebody (See intro for details). All Rights Reserved. Last modified 11/5/97