[tex-live] teTeX: no next release

[Volker Kuhlmann]

> I agree. Having rpm's is good just for a group of Redhat based systems. It
> seems to me that having such a distribution as an alternative to TeXLive
> is just a waste of human resources.

There is some truth in that. However, as the user of a bunch of
rpm-based Linux systems, any software which does not come in an rpm is a
major pain and typically goes straight to the scrap heap. rpm was
invented to fix the stellar insanity that is make install PREFIX=/usr.

> I think that it would be better to
> communicate with maintainers of Linux distributions and add TL to Linux
> installation DVD instead of teTeX.

Thanks to Thomas (and others), getting a fully functional TeXMF system
took as much as insert SUSE DVD, click button. In comparison, what's TeX
Live? A CD which contains a TeXMF system which runs off that CD? Very
useful for evaluating the software. Thing is, I did that 15 years ago.
And is installing TL to hard disk more of the make-install insanity?
Thanks but no thanks. Other platforms? None here, so not exactly a
draw-card. There wasn't anything going for TL in the past (well for me).

Anything which doesn't give an rpm-installable TeXMF system including a
useful macro package set (think teTeX) is less than acceptable. No doubt
the Debs think the same.

If distributors can package up TL then it's fine, but currently tetex is
280MB and I expect distributors might be re-evaluating inclusion of it
if it jumps up by a lot. Would it be advisable/possible to split TL
somehoe sensible?

Volker

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