[metapost] MetaPost 0.992 and %&latex

[Karl Berry]

    hm, i was under the impression that pdfetex produces dvi by default

Yes, pdfetex "the program" does.

    (unless one makes a format with pdfoutput=1 and sets up the

Which is exactly what happens when one runs the command "pdfetex" from
the shell.  The format setup eventually reads pdftexconfig.tex, which
sets \pdfoutput=1, and therefore pdf output is on by default.  Which is
good.

Whereas when "etex" is run from the shell, it invokes the same pdfetex
binary, but the format setup does not read pdftexconfig.tex, and
\pdfoutput remains at 0, so dvi output is on by default.  Which is good.

All of that is as intended and desired :).

    associated macro package to spit out literals instead of specials etc)

Um, what "associated macro package"?  In my blissful ignorance, I've
never heard of this.  I do not know what happens with \special when
there is pdf output, but I assume it's something reasonable.  At least,
I've never seen any complaints.

karl