On 15/09/2010 20:36, Robin Fairbairns wrote:
>> I guess for the time being that is a good approach
>
> is there an actual reason that inserts can't start working down from
> 64k?
>
> etex.sty can't do this, because the basic set of inserts has been
> allocated by the time it gets to run, and that plainly isn't a
> constraint on latex 3.  but does it matter for expl3?
>
> (i have once spent time on thinking this issue through, but i'm not well
> -- still -- and can't remember what conclusion i came to.)
>
> robin

At a format level we don't currently have any allocation routine for 
inserts at all, as we've not used them :-) On the other hand, expl3 is 
'LaTeX3 on 2e' so has exactly the same requirements as etex. (Indeed, 
the whole reason for simply using etex for allocation in expl3 as a 
package is that it avoided making errors in the interaction with the 
LaTeX2e allocation routine.)
-- 
Joseph Wright