[tex-live] texlive 8

[Volker RW Schaa]

 > I wonder if a dvd makes more
 > sense than grabbing the extra packages from the internet. Or rather both
 > solutions  are of equal practicability:  you may have  a dvd reader, you
 > may have an internet access, you certainly have a cd-rom. Extra packages
 > should be available from CTAN, ready to install.

sorry for responding so late (my meeting took toooo long).
Just 3.5 hours ago I sent a mail to Sebastian about new
plans for the TeXLive and CTAN CD production. I've attached
my mail so anybody will know...

Volker

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [tex-live] texlive 8
Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2003 13:17:51 +0100
From: Volker RW Schaa <v.r.w.schaa at gsi.de>
Reply-To: v.r.w.schaa at gsi.de
To: Sebastian Rahtz <sebastian.rahtz at computing-services.oxford.ac.uk>
CC: Volker RW Schaa <v.r.w.Schaa at gsi.de>
References: <1044436879.21691.56.camel at spqr>

Hi Sebastian,

I just read that work for TL8 starts.

I had a meeting with Christian Kaeder from Lehmanns about the
CD production this year (TL8 and CTAN). The number of CTAN2002
copies sold to the public dropped again (drastically -- till begin
of January ~80 compared to some 800 in 1998/9), the number TUG/LUGs
are ordering is more or less stable.

So this year we are trying a different approach. The offer (by
Lehmanns) is to produce a set consisting of

  2 CDs -- standard TeXLive like last year's edition,
  1 DVD -- TeXLive with all binaries/source/etc., maybe/if possible
                   with an extended texmf-tree (additional stuff,
                   that doesn't fit on the above CDs)
        -- CTAN as it is
[packaging: digifile package in colour,
  price:     for the LUGs this set will be 2$ or 1.95 Euro]

So there is a total of 2 x 700 MB + 4.3 GB of space.
CTAN last year took 2.6 GB, so TeXLive can use 1.7 GB.

The reason for a second TeXLive CD in this set is just psychological
(Kaeder: people without DVD player buying this set have a better
feeling if they get 2 CDs, even if they only could use one of them).

What do you think about this idea?
And, do you think it's feasible to have an extended version of TL8
material on DVD, or should we keep this idea for post-Bremen/next
year's TeXLive?

Volker