32.2 Using the m4 macro system

Editing the *.Z files is made easy by using an off-the-shelf text macro system, called M4, which constructs the *.Z files.

M4 is a standard Unix tool, used to expand short strings (macros) into longer strings. M4 was made popular as a way to manage sendmail configuration files more easily. For more information about M4, see:

http://www.cco.caltech.edu/cco/texinfo/m4/m4_1.html

M4 is included in CYGWIN, a Unix environment for Windows. Cygwin tools are useful when used in conjunction with P-Synch but are not necessary, nor are they a part of P-Synch itself. They can be used in the customization of the user interface, manipulation of the user lists during nightly processing and allow the technical support staff at M-Tech to more easily diagnose problems with the software.

For more information about CYGWIN visit: http://www.cygwin.com/docs.html

Download and install CYGWIN tools by visiting:

http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe

1. Run the executable directly from your browser or after downloading.
2. At the copyright prompt, click Next.
3. Select Install from Internet and click Next.
4. Leave the Root directory as c:\cygwin.
5. Select Default text file type: Unix
6. Select Install for: All Users
7. Click Next.
8. Select a Local Package Directory (c:\temp)
9. Click Next.
10. Select the means by which you connect to the internet. If you don't know, see your network administrator.
11. Click Next.
12. Select a download site close to your area, then click Next to download files.
13. Click View until Full is selected.
14. Look through the list of packages and click the version numbers until SKIP is displayed for each one.
    This ensures that the CYGWIN does not install any unneccessary packages on to your computer.
15. Click SKIP next to m4: A macro processing language to see the version number of the program.
    This ensures that the CYGWIN does install the M4 program.
16. Click Next to begin installation.
    This can take a long time. You may want to run it in the background.
    You do not need to add an icon to the desktop, or to create a shortcut in the Start menu.
17. Click Finish
    M4.EXE should now exist under C:\cygwin\bin\m4.exe. You can either add this directory to your Windows path, or copy the files M4.EXE and CYGWIN1.DLL into another directory in your path. If you choose the latter, then its safe to delete C:\cygwin from your harddrive.