How you can help in the TeX community

First, one way to help that we can recommend to everyone is to join TUG or another TeX user group. This helps support the infrastructure of TeX and the TeX world.

The other items on this page are specific tasks we know of that need volunteers. If you have time and willingness to help with one, please get in touch at the indicated address. Thanks.

Documentation

Email karl@tug.org if you are interested in these:

• We'd like to collect small sample documents for the standard and other popular LaTeX classes, and for ConTeXt documents too. If you have any to share, please let me know. Some samples have been written, and other templates are available on CTAN.
• We'd like to have an ‘introduction to LaTeX’ document that falls somewhere between the brevity of sample2e.tex and the completeness of A Not So Short Introduction, with a strong focus on examples rather than discursive explanations. The whole topic of fonts should perhaps be separated out, since for a large population XeTeX makes that topic a whole lot nicer.
• The hyperref manual needs a thorough updating. The present maintainer has carefully documented changes in the NEWS file and sources, but the main manual lags behind.
• The dvips manual could use a systematic description of the specials that are accepted (and examination of the source code to find out what they are). Quite a few are documented, but not all.
• The unofficial LaTeX reference manual needs much expansion and filling out.
• Additional advocacy articles are always welcome.

Fonts

• Many interesting freely available fonts lack (La)TeX support. FontForge and ttf2pt1, otftotfm, and perhaps other tools can do most of the work. Email tex-fonts@math.utah.edu.

TeX programming

• The Lucida macros and documentation need an ongoing maintainer to fix bugs and make improvements. Email lucida-admin@tug.org.

C programming

• Supporting OpenType and perhaps TrueType in the long-standing but still active dvips program would be great, i.e., at least conversion to Type42. Perhaps some of the code from pdftex could be adapted. Email tex-k@tug.org.
• Also dvips: support PDF graphics.
• Windows: port Y&Y TeX tools such as Dviwindo and Dvipsone to current Windows TeX distributions, or incorporate their features in current software. Or, conversely, revamp and update Y&Y TeX itself for current systems and TeX.

TUG web site

Email webmaster@tug.org about these:

• The TeX resources on the web page has grown wildly and haphazardly. Systematically checking links and organizing the entries would be great. This would best be done a little at a time, not in one giant effort.
• All TUG web pages need to be checked for broken links. Eventually it should be done on a regular basis, but a first time through checking and fixing the inevitable problems would be very helpful. The W3C Link Checker is the best tool we know of for this.
• The mysterious TeX errors page needs some introductory text and general organization.

If you'd like to add an item to this page, or have other questions and suggestions, mail webmaster@tug.org. For general questions and discussion about TeX and related programs, mail texhax@tug.org.