Debian Touts Integrated SGML Environment

March 30th, 1999

Debian's 2.1 distribution, now released, features integrated SGML, XML, and DSSSL infrastructure and packages. Debian's innovative SGML subsystem positions Debian as a premier platform for SGML and XML developers, offering a complete working tool set for documenters and markup programmers with no manual setup required.

Features:

James Clark's jade 1.2.1 and SP suite version 1.3.3, enabling validation and formatting of SGML or XML URL:http://www.jclark.com/jade/.
SGMLOpen shared system catalog integration (no need to manually register SGML Public Identifiers or set with environment variables).
docbook (v3.0) and docbook-stylesheets (v1.13) available, providing an industry-standard markup convention URL:http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/.
psgml, which in conjunction with Emacs19, Emacs20, XEmacs19, or XEmacs20, provides a professional SGML editing environment. URL:http://www.lysator.liu.se/projects/about_psgml.html.
jadetex, combined with jade, facilitates the conversion of SGML to PostScript or PDF, for high quality printed output.
a host of other SGML, XML, and DSSSL software packages are available, including but not limited to sgml-tools, expat, sdc, perlsgml, sgmlspm, and dsc.

We believe that Debian's open model of participation and commitment to system quality (as reflected in the Debian Policy URL:http://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/) puts Debian head-and-shoulders above other commercial or free systems. SGML integration efforts continue apace in the unstable distribution, including DocBook 3.1, DocBk XML, TEI, and more DTDs.