Re: XeLaTeX and CID

[Frank Küster <frank@kuesterei.ch>]

Werner LEMBERG <wl@gnu.org> wrote:

>> If XeLaTeX needs these CMaps in order to create the PDF files, even
>> if it doesn't include them in the PDF itself, then there might be a
>> problem here, and latex-cjk-xcjk (or -xelatex, I haven't decided
>> yet) would have to be in Debian's "contrib" repository instead of
>> "main".
>
> This action would be a gross exaggeration IMHO.
>
> If you use CID-keyed fonts as input files, it is not a surprise that
> you need CMaps.  However, for ordinary Type 1, TrueType, and OpenType
> fonts, you don't.  Using a CID-keyed font with an identity mapping is
> just a convenience, I believe.  However, I suggest that you directly
> contact the author of dvipdfmx for more details.

IMO, the fact that a program which works perfectly with completely free
components is also *able* to process components (fonts) which depend on
non-free external information does not mean it cannot go into main. 

If you are able to use gcc to link your source with a non-free library,
that doesn't mean gcc needs to go to contrib.  If there would be a
compiler, itself free, which *only* works with a non-free library, then
it would have to go to contrib probably

Regards, Frank
-- 
Frank Küster
Debian Developer (teTeX/TeXLive)