[tex-live] TEXINPUTS problem

[Thomas Esser]

> so, i vote against dropping {#engine,}

Assume we have the new scheme, that means that the user will get
latex.fmt in $TEXMFMAIN/web2c/pdfetex. Now, Joe User, knowing about hist
$TEXMFLOCAL tree (he is told that this has a higher precedence than the
system's trees) puts foo.fmt and a new latex.fmt to
  $TEXMFLOCAL/web2c

Joe User finds that he can use foo.fmt and latex.fmt, but to his suprise,
he gets the old latex.fmt.

How do you explain that to him?

Thomas