The LaTeX system is provided as a large number of separate modules. The interested user may process each module separately, to produce formatted documentation. Formatted documentation of the entire system, however, is a more substantial undertaking; source2e.tex provides what the user needs to produce a complete listing of the LaTeX kernel. It not only includes the relevant modules in the ‘correct’ order, but it also guides the user through the rather complex compilation process (by writing messages to the terminal and log).

A formatted copy of source2e is provided in the latex-tds bundle; the file itself is part of the LaTeX base distribution.