[tex-live] TL's TPMs

[Karl Berry]

    I am looking for a volunteer who will explain (interactively) to me  

If email counts, you can ask me.

    the structure of the TPMs or otherwise a good document.

There is no reference document that I am aware of.  Sorry.

    I have tried to look into these myself, but I am a bit stumped. E.g.  
    the scheme-tetex says it requires TPM:Package, TPM:Documentation and  
    TPM:TLCore stuff, but I cannot see the way it references to either  
    texmf or texmf-dist. 

I'm not sure what you're asking.  Yes, TPM:Package "means" texmf-dist,
TPM:Documentation means texmf-doc, and TPM:TLCore means texmf.  Fabrice
chose the names when he created the current structure.

There is nothing in any data file which makes this association, as far
as I know.  It's just written that way in the code (Tpm.pm, primarily).

karl