[tex-live] install-tl with network location, but without sneaky updates?

[Robin Fairbairns]

Marc Herbert <Marc.Herbert at gmail.com> wrote:

> Lars Madsen a écrit :
> > what exactly is "sneaky updates"?
> 
> The fact that the 2008 "release" is not a release but constantly
> evolving, as you can see here (look at the "Last modified"
> timestamps):
> <http://mirror.ctan.org/systems/texlive/tlnet/2008/archive/?C=M;O=D> 

the "release" is what you find in systems/texlive/Images

> > why can't you run install-tl on each system
> 
> This is what I tried, but it gave me different software every day. 

as expected (modulo exaggeration: there was nothing new overnight last
night -- i know because all ctan distribution comes through my archive).

tex live is a *live* system.  when it was first released, its liveness
was no more than release a year.  nowadays, after the (nominal) yearly
release, there are patches regularly available.  for some people, that's
an advantage.

> > could you please explain in a bit more details what it is you want
> > to do because I do not understand your question.
> 
> I am just trying to install some _constant_ 2008 release, so all my
> hosts run the *exact same* software. I can reach my goal by burning
> many TeX Live 2008 DVDs, shipping them to all my hosts, and ask people
> around the world to run the installer from it. Since this approach is
> neither very fast nor scriptable, I looked at the network installer
> instead. 

so take the dvd images and install from them.

> > run tlmgr to update on each
> 
> I cannot, because I do NOT want my hosts to install the random
> "software of the day". I want all my hosts (past and future) settled
> on some given software version and not move from it. 
> 
> This is a very common system administration practice to be honest. For
> instance all operating systems allow this.

and most operating system distributions come with tex live 2007, taken
from a snapshot some time back.  (there's a tl2008 rpm in the fedora
distribution, but we've not managed to get it going here, yet.)

if you can't do the obvious thing and use the os distributed tex (e.g.,
if you're not using an os distribution that provides tex), go with the
original tex live release.

in summary, if you want something static, go for something static, and
don't go in for the dynamic service.

robin