[tex-k] Re: web2c-7.5.4, tetex-2.99.10-beta -- patches and problem

Eddie Kohler kohler at CS.UCLA.EDU
Thu Jan 27 03:02:23 CET 2005


Hi Thomas,

> Well, we have to decide: either texconfig / fmtutil / updmap default to
> a global tree used by all users, or we choose user-individual trees.
> One thing makes it easier for the administrator, the other makes it
> easier for users.
>
> Let us discuss this a little more:
>
> default=global:
>   CON: users have to set variables in order to be able to use my tools
>   CON: TEXMFMAIN directory listed multiple times in TEXMF variable
>   PRO: "make install" and admin-use of texconfig works by default
>
> default=individual (e.g. TEXMFVAR=~/.texmf-var, 
> TEXMFCONFIG=~/.texmf-config):
>   PRO: minimal reduandancy in TEXMF variable (only 
> TEXMFVAR=TEXMFCONFIG)
>   PRO: users can use all tools without setting anything
>   PRO: since TEXMFVAR/TEXMFCONFIG != TEXMFMAIN, it now would be 
> possible
>        to search TEXMFHOME before TEXMFMAIN
>   CON: documentation needs to be changed!?
>   CON: "make install" has to be fixed
>   CON: we need a solution for "global config changes"
>
> I think that if we can eliminate the two last CON points about
> default=individual, I might switch to that. Would that make
> most people happy?

Yes!  I think that would be a great solution.

> I can even offer a possible solution for the "make install" issue.
> We could use the following in Makefile.in:
>
> install:
> ...
> 	... TEXMFVAR='$$TEXMFMAIN' TEXMFCONFIG='$$TEXMFMAIN' ... 
> $(scriptdir)/fmtutil --all
> 	... TEXMFVAR='$$TEXMFMAIN' TEXMFCONFIG='$$TEXMFMAIN' ... 
> $(scriptdir)/updmap
>
> That way, the generated files would end up in $TEXMFMAIN.
>
> Ideas for "global config changes" (i.e. admin use of texconfig / 
> fmtutil
> / updmap):
>   - tell admin to copy files from his TEXMFVAR/TEXMFCONFIG (hm... BAD)
>   - tell admin to set TEXMFVAR/TEXMFCONFIG (well, still not too good)
>   - provide wrapper scripts, e.g. texconfig-main which does
>       TEXMFVAR='$TEXMFMAIN' TEXMFCONFIG='$TEXMFMAIN' texconfig "$@"
>     (that would work, but we would hard-wire $TEXMFMAIN)
>
> MORE IDEAS?

How about just a switch like --maintainer-mode/-m?

Eddie



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