[tex-live] TL2004: Technical problems and testing

[Karl Berry]

    unprintable stuff spewed on a terminal, the terminal's status may get
    thoroughly screwed.

Indeed.

Here are my opinions:

1) for every release of Web2c TeX and TeX Live ever made, the default
   has been to use the locale-dependent isprint to determine whether to
   use ^^ notation for the log/tty output.  Am I wrong about that?
   Assuming that is correct, I don't think we should change it for TL.

1a) If the default for encTeX has always been to have 8-bit tty/log
   output, then by all means, that should remain true -- when the enctex
   extensions are enabled.  I am assuming that enctex stuff is disabled
   by default.  Is that correct?
   
2) it is highly desirable for installers to be able to change this
   default, system-wide, with a config file option.  Can they do so now?

3) it is highly desirable for users (and programs) to be able to
   override the installed default, with a config file/runtime option as
   Thomas suggests.  Can they do so now?

I do not like the idea of the output printability algorithm depending on
the interaction mode.

The question in my mind is the one te asked dak -- how was dak getting
8-bit output on the terminal with last year's release?


I guess we have to go through this stuff at least once a year, I hope
this will be the time for this year :).

k