Convert TEXI to DVI

Understanding the texi and dvi file formats

Texi files, commonly known as Texinfo files, are documentation source files used primarily by the GNU project. They are written in the Texinfo markup language, which is designed for writing software manuals and documentation that can be converted into various formats, including HTML, PDF, and DVI.

DVI (DeVice Independent) files are output files generated by TeX typesetting systems. They contain typeset documents in a format that is independent of any specific output device, making them suitable for further processing or printing.

How to convert texi to dvi

To convert a texi (Texinfo) file to a dvi file, you need to process the Texinfo source into a TeX file and then compile it to DVI. This is typically done in two steps:

1. Use the texi2dvi command-line tool, which automates the conversion from Texinfo to DVI.
2. Alternatively, manually convert the Texinfo file to TeX using makeinfo --tex, then compile the resulting TeX file with tex or latex to produce a DVI file.

Recommended software for texi to dvi conversion

The best and most straightforward tool for this conversion is texi2dvi, which is included in most TeX distributions such as TeX Live and MiKTeX. It handles all necessary steps automatically.

• TeX Live (cross-platform): Includes texi2dvi and all dependencies.
• MiKTeX (Windows): Also supports texi2dvi.

To convert, open a terminal or command prompt and run:

texi2dvi yourfile.texi

This will generate yourfile.dvi in the same directory.

Alternative method using makeinfo and tex

1. Run makeinfo --tex yourfile.texi to produce a TeX file.
2. Compile the TeX file with tex yourfile.tex to generate the DVI file.

Summary

Converting texi files to dvi is best accomplished using texi2dvi, which is available in major TeX distributions. This ensures accurate and efficient conversion of documentation for printing or further processing.