According to the W3C XML specification, and to the DocBook guide at http://www.docbook.org/tdg/en/html/docbook.html , the system identifier of the DTD should be URI. Now the XML spec shows simple "hello.dtd" as example, so this is quite valid, but the DocBook suggests file://path URIs which are correct local file URIs. The attached patch makes configure use file:// when appropriate, and also fall back to internet-available DTD if no local was found, which didn't cause problem on my box (except for a bit slower testing) and is IMHO better than hard-coding already tested and non-existent path. OK to apply? Torinthiel -- Waclaw "Torinthiel" Schiller GG#: 3073512 torinthiel(at)megapolis(dot)pl gpg: 0906A2CE fpr: EE3E DFB4 C4D6 E22E 8999 D714 7CEB CDDC 0906 A2CE "No classmates may be used during this examination"