[tex-live] Ruby interpreter for Windows in the TeXLive distribution?

[David Kastrup]

Sebastian Rahtz <sebastian.rahtz at oucs.ox.ac.uk> writes:

> David Kastrup wrote:
>>
>> I still maintain that it is contraproductive to demand that every
>> Windows user of TeXLive should be required to have broadband (never
>> mind internet access).
>>   
>
> Why has this suddenly become an issue? ConTeXt has depended
> on an external scripting language for about 10 years now,
> whether it be Perl or Ruby or whatever it was that Hans
> used to favour in the 1990s.  I don't recall anyone
> moaning much about it.

I guess I am just lucky that I don't need ConTeXt.

> TeX Live is not realistically a "live" system these days, it's just
> hardly conceivable anyone would use it like that, surely?

I actually use it as a live system usually under every operating
system for starters, and install just when I need it frequently.  It
is also useful for carrying around.  While I agree that under Linux,
common utilities can be expected to be available on the installation
media of the operating system itself, the situation is different for
Windows.

Even if such executables are not provided in the live Windows tree, I
should think it reasonable to put them as installable images onto the
DVD if the licenses make that possible.

> Its a nice complete distribution on a CD or DVD ready to install,
> that's all.

Uh, last time I looked, it ran directly from the media and that's what
has given it its name.

I think we should not rule out that, say, people in Nigeria use a
TeXlive DVD for typesetting.  Also, TeXLive makes a nice carry-along
work environment.  If you are forced to install additional software
before it works, this hampers the versatility.  And having to download
it is even worse.

Now if this mainly concerns ConTeXt, I'd probably shrug my shoulders
and say "Hans' call".  I don't think it a good idea, but as long as it
only renders ConTeXt unusable for people without broadband, I can live
with that.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum