[tex-live] Re: [tug-board] Planning TeXLive6 CD

[Sebastian Rahtz]

Arthur Ogawa writes:
 > Production of the TL iso image has always proceeded rather independently
 > of TUG's manufacturing the product for the lugs (albeit is a
 > prerequisite ;-).

um, I keep saying this, but no-one takes any notice - TeX Live does
not happen unless someone asks for it. I, at least, have no timetable
of my own. Fabrice and I work on it when we have time, and when
someone says they want to make a CD, we try to come to a clean stopping
point. Currently the main driving force is Staszek, who wants a CD for
Bachotex, so my efforts are towards helping him at present. Addison
Wesley will get what I give them :-}

 > part of TUG to ensure the timely production of a golden master, but by
 > now it is clear that TL will be ready long before TUG's need is urgent.

TL is always ready, really. its kept up to date as best we can. I
would rather consider it from now on as "TeX Live of Date XXXXX",
rather than a version number.

 > As to the timing of TL in relation to "major products" it may contain,
 > TUG has left such matters in the hands of the TeX Live team. As I

last year, I wanted to get a new Omega on the CD. in the event, the
real good Omega was not finished even by August and indeed has yet to
materialize.... Of the others

 - I assume LaTeX2e is effectively moribund
 - "   "     eTeX    "    "          "
 - pdfTeX happens when it happens

are there other "major products"? there are a LOT of changed packages
since last year, but not following any pattern that I can discern.
so I cannot see it being an issue; unless NTS wants to release its pile
of Java?

If all goes well, the radical change in the release of TL to TUG
members this year will be the revised install concept. The interface
will probably be the same (nice Windows program, shell script for
Unix), but the results are very different.

To my mind, the future of TL is in decent interfaces to package
management. We have a good stable product, composed of 100s of
packages, but its management is now seriously old-fashioned.

Sebastian