[luatex] latest 'fixes' don't fix....again.

[Robin Fairbairns]

Arthur Reutenauer <arthur.reutenauer at normalesup.org> wrote:

> > (But it would be useful to have a newer version for tests parallel
> > to the stable system).
> 
>   The infrastructure for that is already in place, in the form of
> tlcontrib that can be used as an alternative repository for TeX Live
> (http://tlcontrib.metatex.org/).  If we're serious about setting up a
> test environment it seems like a better alternative to uploading beta
> versions to CTAN.

it _is_ a convenient way.  however, don't you need to generate a tl
structure to use it?

> To be honest I've never understood that urge to upload
> everything to CTAN as soon as possible; that's not how I see its role,
> and that seems to be an unfair burden on CTAN'ers.

it's not impossibly bad; most of the people are well-acquainted with our
needs, and use a modern zipper, so that we can process the uploads
quickly and "cleanly".

the alternative is problematic, though: at the end of a development
spurt such as we see at present, how many people will remember to
package up their final version for ctan, if they've not been doing it
all along?

there are already more than enough packages that people refer to as "not
up to date on ctan -- get it from <some random site>" (happens regularly
on tex/sx, for example).

not enough of today's texies were around before ctan, when you never
heard about a package unless someone mentioned it on info-tex (or
whatever) ... they simply don't know how bad it can get to be!

robin