"mom": How to transition from two columns back to one?

[Steve Ross via]

Groff Mailing List,
I'm a new user of "groff" and "mom", so please let me know if this is not the 
appropriate forum for my question...
With version 2.4 of the "mom" macro package, and in its "document processing" 
mode (as opposed to the "typesetting mode"), I would like to put the majority 
of my document in two columns, but then exit back to one column before adding 
more text.  So, the last page would look something like this:
 __/|                           
                      ||                                                  || 
First column of text.    Second column of text.  || First column of text.    
Second column of text.  |
| First column of text.    Second column of text.  |
| First column of text.    Second column of text.  |
| First column of text.    Second column of text.  |
|                                                  || Another line of text 
which is now in one column  || rather than two.                                 
||                                                  |
|                                                  |
|__|

Is there a way in "mom" to force it to (more or less) evenly fill both columns 
with text and then exit back to a single column mode?
Thanks in advance for any direction,-- Steve Ross

Unable (?) to subscribe to

[Steve Ross via]

Hi All,
How do I subscribe to the mailing list ?
I have gone (twice over the past couple of weeks) to the subscription page at 
 and subscribed, but have not 
received any of the subsequent e-mails.
What am I missing?  Am I on the subscriber list?  (To my knowledge, I don't 
have an e-mail filters in place on my end that would filter out a post.)
Sorry to spam the list with an administrative question...
Thanks,-- Steve Ross

"mom": text on second page is overstruck

[Steve Ross via]

Groff mailing list,
I have a problem as I'm using the "mom" macro package.
I have attached the text file named "mom-overstruck.txt" to (I hope) diagram 
the issue that I see on the second page of my PDF file.  I have two columns on 
both the first and second pages.  On the first page, I expect the text at the 
bottom of the second column to continue on to the top of the first column on 
the second page.
However, the problem is that the text that should be placed on the second page 
at the top of the *first* column is appearing at the top for the *second* 
column.  So, it is overstriking other text that is "already" at the top of the 
second column.   And the location at which text should be positioned in the 
first column has only blank space.
What am I missing?


Other info--
The "groff" version is 1.22.3.The "mom" version is 2.1-c_1.The command line is: 
   $ groff -mom -Tpdf myText.mom > tmp.pdf

Thanks for any insight that you can offer.
-- Steve Ross


 Page 1
 
/   |
|This is my title   |
|   by  |
| Steve |
|   |
|   |
|This is my epigraph where I introduce my   |
|note with witty comments.  |
|   |
|   I begin my first of two  Here is the top of my  |
|   columns here.  Then I keep   second column. I am|
|   going until the end of the   starting a list now.   |
|   column.  o First point. |
|   |
   ...  ...  ...   ...
|   My first column ends at  o I am still going strong  |
|   the bottom of the page.here with this very, |
|   __  |
|   Here is my first footnote.   This is my second footnote.|
-

 Page 2
 
/   |
| x  |
| text that is in thexx XX xx XX  xxx   |
| second column> XXX xXx XxX xxx XXxx   |
|   |
|  Now my text picks up here Here is text that is   |
|  after the list ends.  not overstruck.|
|   |
   ...  ...  ...   ...
|   |
|  I have reached the end of Everything looks normal|
|  of the first column onat this point as I end.|
|  the second page. But the |
|  next text of this|
|  paragraph is overprinted |
|  at the top of the second |
|  column.  |
-

Re: "mom": text on second page is overstruck

[Steve Ross via]

 At the request of Oliver Corff, I've attached two files:
"test-macro-document-1.mom": The source file for "mom".  (Please excuse the 
random tests that fill the file.)

"test-macro-document-1.pdf": The PDF output file that shows the problem of 
overstruck text on the second page, in the second column.
The command line that I used was:    $ groff -p -mom -Tpdf 
test-macro-document-1.mom > test-macro-document-1.pdf
Thanks,-- Steve Ross

On Friday, December 18, 2020, 3:30:46 PM CST, Steve Ross wrote:  
 
 Groff mailing list,
I have a problem as I'm using the "mom" macro package.
I have attached the text file named "mom-overstruck.txt" to (I hope) diagram 
the issue that I see on the second page of my PDF file.  I have two columns on 
both the first and second pages.  On the first page, I expect the text at the 
bottom of the second column to continue on to the top of the first column on 
the second page.
However, the problem is that the text that should be placed on the second page 
at the top of the *first* column is appearing at the top for the *second* 
column.  So, it is overstriking other text that is "already" at the top of the 
second column.   And the location at which text should be positioned in the 
first column has only blank space.
What am I missing?


Other info--
The "groff" version is 1.22.3.The "mom" version is 2.1-c_1.The command line is: 
   $ groff -mom -Tpdf myText.mom > tmp.pdf

Thanks for any insight that you can offer.
-- Steve Ross
  

test-macro-document-1.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document


test-macro-document-1.mom
Description: Binary data

Re: "mom": text on second page is overstruck

[Steve Ross via]

 Peter,
Thanks very much.
I processed the same document with the 2.4-4_c macro version (as opposed to 
2.1-c_1) and confirm the correct behavior where the column text now appears as 
expected, with no overstriking.
Thanks again.

-- Steve Ross

On Friday, December 18, 2020, 10:02:36 PM CST, Peter Schaffter 
 wrote:  
 
 On Fri, Dec 18, 2020, Steve Ross via wrote:
> The "groff" version is 1.22.3.The "mom" version is 2.1-c_1.The command line 
> is:    $ groff -mom -Tpdf myText.mom > tmp.pdf

Your document builds fine with the most recent version of mom (2.4-4_c).

  https://www.schaffter.ca/mom/mom-2.4-4_c.tar.gz

-- 
Peter Schaffter
https://www.schaffter.ca

  

"mom": addition of ellipsis causes an over-strike

[Steve Ross via]

Groff mailing list,
A (second) question about "mom" and over-striking of text.

I started with the "mom" example file named "sample_docs.mom" and (only) added 
the Unicode "\[u2026]" for the ellipsis character in the middle of line 482.

In the resulting PDF output file, the ellipsis appears on page 10, as expected. 
 However, on the same line, about six characters further to the right, I also 
see about three characters being over-struck, which is unexpected.

I have attached both the input "mom" file ("sample_docs-steve.mom"), and the 
output PDF file ("sample_docs-steve.pdf").

The "groff" version is 1.22.3.The "mom" version is 2.4-4_c.

Thanks for your help,

-- Steve Ross
P.S.  Why does the mailing list software seem to remove some newlines from my 
e-mails?


sample_docs-steve.mom
Description: Binary data


sample_docs-steve.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document

Re: "mom": addition of ellipsis causes an over-strike

[Steve Ross via]

>> On Sun, Dec 20, 2020, Steve Ross via wrote:
>> In the resulting PDF output file, the ellipsis appears on page 10,
>> as expected.  However, on the same line, about six characters
>> further to the right, I also see about three characters being
>> over-struck, which is unexpected.
>> 
>> I have attached both the input "mom" file
>> ("sample_docs-steve.mom"), and the output PDF file
>> ("sample_docs-steve.pdf").
>> 
>> The "groff" version is 1.22.3.The "mom" version is 2.4-4_c.
> On Sunday, December 20, 2020, 1:36:59 PM CST, Peter Schaffter 
>  wrote: 

> There is no overstriking when your file is processed with groff
> 1.22.4 (and later).  From the age of your originally-installed mom
> and groff, it looks as if your distro hasn't kept up with groff
> development.

Peter,
Thanks.  Updating "groff" to version 1.22.4 fixed my over-strike problem.

You are correct about the non-latest software from my distribution.
Sorry for the noise on the mailing list.

-- Steve Ross

  

groff "mom": How to add vertical space around bullet items?

[Steve Ross via]

All,
I may have missed it in the "mom" documentation, but I'm looking for a way to 
adjust the vertical spacing between the ITEMs of a LIST.
So, as an example output for a list with two list items:
   o This is the first item of the list. This item wraps and spans two 
lines. ^
 |  How can I control   
  |  this spacing 
 |  between list items?
 v
   o This is the second item of the list. This item also also wraps and 
spans 
 three lines.
The PARA_SPACING macro affects the spacing of a list item only if that item 
includes subsequent paragraphs started with the PP macro.
The LISTS_STYLE macro applies (I think) only to LIST_OF_EQUATIONS, 
LIST_OF_FIGURES, and LIST_OF_TABLES.  It doesn't affect my LIST.

Thanks in advance for any insight that you can offer,-- Steve Ross

"mom": Effect of TAB character?

[Steve Ross via]

Hi,
A question on the "mom" macro set (version "mom-2.4-4_e") with "groff" 1.22.4 
with regard to the TAB character...

I have attached four files.
- "correct-author-name.mom" -- a six-line "mom" file.  This file correctly 
produces "correct-author-name.pdf".
- "correct-author-name.pdf" -- The PDF output of "mom" and "groff".
- "issue-author-name.mom" -- This file is identical to the first ".mom" file, 
except that I appended a TAB character to the end of the ".AUTHOR_COLOR coral" 
line.

- "issue-author-name.pdf"  -- The incorrect PDF output that features an 
unexpected right square brace and the author's name in the color black instead 
of the color coral.

Why does the TAB character have the unexpected effect?Should I avoid using TABs 
in favor of spaces?(I inserted the TAB for the purpose of moving to the right 
of the text AUTHOR_COLOR to add a comment to the end of the line.)
Thanks in advance for any help,-- Steve Ross




issue-author-name.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document


issue-author-name.mom
Description: Binary data


correct-author-name.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document


correct-author-name.mom
Description: Binary data

Re: "mom": Effect of TAB character?

[Steve Ross via]

 Hmmm, maybe I just stumbled on the answer myself in the "groff(7)" manual page.

That page says that the only TABs that can appear on a "control line" must come 
between the leading period in the first column, and the command.  So, I presume 
that my putting a TAB on a "mom" macro line *after* the macro name (and its 
arguments as well) is not correct.

Please let me know if I'm missing anything.  Otherwise, sorry for the noise on 
the mailing list.

-- Steve Ross

On Saturday, February 20, 2021, 9:15:32 PM CST, Steve Ross via 
 wrote:  
 
 Hi,
A question on the "mom" macro set (version "mom-2.4-4_e") with "groff" 1.22.4 
with regard to the TAB character...

I have attached four files.
- "correct-author-name.mom" -- a six-line "mom" file.  This file correctly 
produces "correct-author-name.pdf".
- "correct-author-name.pdf" -- The PDF output of "mom" and "groff".
- "issue-author-name.mom" -- This file is identical to the first ".mom" file, 
except that I appended a TAB character to the end of the ".AUTHOR_COLOR coral" 
line.

- "issue-author-name.pdf"  -- The incorrect PDF output that features an 
unexpected right square brace and the author's name in the color black instead 
of the color coral.

Why does the TAB character have the unexpected effect?Should I avoid using TABs 
in favor of spaces?(I inserted the TAB for the purpose of moving to the right 
of the text AUTHOR_COLOR to add a comment to the end of the line.)
Thanks in advance for any help,-- Steve Ross


  

Re: Devpdf on RHEL8

[Steve Ross via]

 Hi Olle,
I'm not an expert on RHEL8 repositories, but I did look for the "groff-perl" 
package for RHEL8.  (That package is available in Fedora 34 as 
"groff-perl-1.22.4-7.fc34".)  However, the only two "groff" related packages 
that I see from the RHEL8 repository are "groff" and "groff-base".
The EPEL site () for EPEL8 does not 
have the "groff-perl" package.  A search on the "RPM finder" 
() page turns up "groff-perl-1.22.2-8.el7" package for 
RHEL8/CentOS7, but nothing for RHEL8/CentOS8.
I did, however, talk to an expert.  He was confused by the fact that the 
".spec" file for the RHEL8 "groff" source RPM package shows that the build 
process for "groff" also builds the "groff-perl" package, but that package 
isn't then part of the RHEL8 repository.
Perhaps you could follow the instructions here, 
, to request 
that the Fedora package of "groff-perl" be added to the EPEL repository.
-- Steve Ross


On Tuesday, September 14, 2021, 05:45:36 PM CDT, Olle Lögdahl 
 wrote:  
 
 This may be the wrong place to ask. I'm trying to build using devpdf on
redhat enterprise linux 8. The package groff-perl, which provides
devpdf, doesn't seem to exist anymore for el8. I also tried building
from source, but the package texinfo (or rather, it's requirement
perl(Unicode::EastAsianWidth)) doesn't exist either.

Is there some rh-/el 8 user whom could guide me?

Thanks in advance,
Olle


  

How to use the "mom" '.FT' macro with a period?

[Steve Ross via]

Groffers,
Following is the content of a "mom"-formatted file that poses a question to you.

--- begin ---This is Roman font.
.br
This is a sentence ending with a word in the italic font
(by using in-line escape sequences)
before ending with a Roman font \fIperiod\fP.
.br
When using the "mom" macro of `.FT' instead of escape sequences,
I would like to end a sentence with a Roman font
.FT I
period
.FT R
.br
How would I do that?
My problem is that I cannot start the next text line with the period
that ends the sentence because "groff" would interpret that as a control 
linewith a command rather than a period.--- end ---

Thanks for any help,
-- Steve

Re: How to use the "mom" '.FT' macro with a period?

[Steve Ross via]

 My thanks to each of Thomas, Peter, and Ralph for their helpful responses and 
pointers to documentation.  -- Steve

On Sunday, April 10, 2022, 03:42:11 AM CDT, Ralph Corderoy 
 wrote:  
 
 Hi Steve,

Peter wrote:
> \& is a zero-width, non-printing character whose most usual use-case
> is to prevent groff from interpreting a period at the beginning of an
> input line as a control character.

groff's info on it:

    info groff Requests | less -j15 +/'\\\&' 

And more in §4.1 of CSTR 54: https://troff.org/54.pdf

It's also used by tbl to mark the point of alignment in text.

-- 
Cheers, Ralph.

  

Margin formatting question for "mom"

[Steve Ross via]

All,
Regarding formatting of margins using "mom"...
Is there a way to change the top and bottom margins after the first page?
I see that the macros "L_MARGIN", "R_MARGIN", "T_MARGIN" and "B_MARGIN" are 
available to set margins before the "START" macro.  Correspondingly, the 
"DOC_LEFT_MARGIN" and "DOC_RIGHT_MARGIN" macros are available to (re)set the 
left and right margins before a subsequent "NEWPAGE".  I expected to find, but 
do not, corresponding macros of "DOC_TOP_MARGIN" and "DOC_BOTTOM_MARGIN".
Given that the last two macros do not exist, what can I do to adjust the top 
and bottom margins before executing "NEWPAGE"?
Thanks,-- Steve Ross

UNDERSCORE formatting question for "mom"

[Steve Ross via]

All,

Regarding the UNDERSCORE macro of "mom"...

How do I added punctuation to the end of underscored text?

Please see the attached input file named "underscore-plus-punctuation.mom" and 
the attached output PDF file named "underscore-plus-punctuation.pdf".  The 
input file contains two of my unsuccessful attempts to follow underscored text 
with a period immediately following and no intervening space.


The command line that I used is:

    $ groff -M ~/MomDir  -mom -Tpdf underscore-plus-punctuation.mom > 
underscore-plus-punctuation.pdf
    

where "MomDir" points to the "mom-2.5_b" directory.

Thanks in advance for any help,
-- Steve Ross


underscore-plus-punctuation.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document


underscore-plus-punctuation.mom
Description: Binary data

Re: UNDERSCORE formatting question for "mom"

[Steve Ross via]

 > Peter will probably have a more elegant (and likely more correct)
> solution, but this may work for you:
>
> Replace the “\&.” with “\h'-\w' 'u'.”.  This worked for me in the one
> experiment that I tried.
>
> --Dale
Dale,

Thank you for pointing me in the direction that you did.  I learned a lot by 
parsing your suggestion.

I found that your approach worked for my simple test cases, but then failed for 
the real case.  I think the reason is that, in my real case of fully justified 
text, the width of single space between words is not constant.  So, for my real 
case, I ended up needing two spaces as the argument for "\w'" instead of a 
single space.  That two-space change gets my text looking pretty good, so long 
as I don't change the words around the underscored words.

Thank you again.

-- Steve Ross


  

Re: [platform-testers] verification instructions for groff 1.23.0.rc2

[Steve Ross via]

 On Sunday, February 19, 2023 at 11:30:49 AM CST, G. Branden Robinson 
 wrote: 
> Thanks for pointing this out.  I've used it over the past week or so to
> improve outcomes on macOS and Solaris 11 hosts.  I wasn't able to access
> the Solaris 10 system because it and my Debian bullseye system don't
> appear to have any hash algorithms in common that would enable an SSH
> connection.
>
> Regards,>
>Branden
Branden, 

At least on my Fedora system, a failed connection attempt with "ssh" suggests 
alternatives for algorithms that you can then specify to the "ssh" client on a 
second attempt:

$ ssh myserver.example.comUnable to negotiate with 1.2.3.4 port 22: no matching 
host key type found. Their offer: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss
$ ssh -o HostKeyAlgorithms=+ssh-rsa myserver.example.com
-- Steve Ross