Node:Formatting Documentation, Next:Command Line Editing, Previous:GDB Bugs, Up:Top

## Formatting Documentation

The GDB 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready for printing with PostScript or Ghostscript, in the `gdb` subdirectory of the main source directory1. If you can use PostScript or Ghostscript with your printer, you can print the reference card immediately with `refcard.ps`.

The release also includes the source for the reference card. You can format it, using TeX, by typing:

         make refcard.dvi

The GDB reference card is designed to print in landscape mode on US "letter" size paper; that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to your DVI output program.

All the documentation for GDB comes as part of the machine-readable distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which is a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info formatting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation and TeX (or `texi2roff`) to typeset the printed version. GDB includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info version of this manual in the `gdb` subdirectory. The main Info file is `gdb-5.2.1/gdb/gdb.info`, and it refers to subordinate files matching `gdb.info*` in the same directory. If necessary, you can print out these files, or read them with any editor; but they are easier to read using the `info` subsystem in GNU Emacs or the standalone `info` program, available as part of the GNU Texinfo distribution.

If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the Info formatting programs, such as `texinfo-format-buffer` or `makeinfo`.

If you have `makeinfo` installed, and are in the top level GDB source directory (`gdb-5.2.1`, in the case of version 5.2.1), you can make the Info file by typing:

         cd gdb
         make gdb.info

If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need TeX, a program to print its DVI output files, and `texinfo.tex`, the Texinfo definitions file.

TeX is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but produces output files called DVI files. To print a typeset document, you need a program to print DVI files. If your system has TeX installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise command to use depends on your system; `lpr -d` is common; another (for PostScript devices) is `dvips`. The DVI print command may require a file name without any extension or a `.dvi` extension.

TeX also requires a macro definitions file called `texinfo.tex`. This file tells TeX how to typeset a document written in Texinfo format. On its own, TeX cannot either read or typeset a Texinfo file. `texinfo.tex` is distributed with GDB and is located in the `gdb-`version-number`/texinfo` directory.

If you have TeX and a DVI printer program installed, you can typeset and print this manual. First switch to the the `gdb` subdirectory of the main source directory (for example, to `gdb-5.2.1/gdb`) and type:

         make gdb.dvi

Then give `gdb.dvi` to your DVI printing program.

#### Footnotes

1. In `gdb-5.2.1/gdb/refcard.ps` of the version 5.2.1 release.