[tex-live] tlmgr query

[Rowland McDonnell]

[snip]

>> It would be very stupid of me to follow that advice, because doing so
>> would certainly break my TeX installation.
>
>Most certainly not, but anyway.

I've been given that assurance before, and it was false then too.

So I don't think I'll take your word for it and I will continue in my
so-far fruitless attempt to learn enough about MacTeX that I might one
day be able to use some of the fancy tools it's got for maintenance -
all of which are pretty much useless for me.

I've been at the job for three years now and I've not really got
anywhere at all - I am almost as much in the dark now as when I started,
thanks to the uselessness of the documentation and the unhelpful
attitude of experts like you.

So I maintain my TeX setup by hand and only by hand.  If I want to add a
LaTeX package, I add it by hand to my `local additions' texmf tree,
totally separate from all the TeX Live automation.

I generally do not perform updates of parts of the TeX system - I just
leave it all as supplied until the next major release of MacTeX.  If a
TeX Live supplied package really must be updated, I'll put the new
version in my `local additions' texmf tree.  It's the only safe and sure
way.

If there's a better way, I've yet to have it explained to me in terms
that I understand.  I'm sure you'll insult me over that point.

>> I'm only really interested in the outer workings, but it seems that
>> you're not at all happy about me learning them.
>
>No, I am not happy about writing hours on emails answering questions
>only you are posing.

[snip]

Which explains why you do not answer my questions but instead fill your
emails with snidely upseting remarks and deliberate unhelpfulness.

But I think it's very odd that you think it's wrong to answer questions
that one person asks.  Back in the days when I was a teacher, all the
questions I answered in class were questions that one person asked.

I think it's a pity that you were willing to spend considerable time
writing deliberately unhelpful and upsettingly insulting emails in
response to me, but were not willing to try to help me at all.

Rowland.