[tex-live] include directories to search for additonalfileslike *.bib *.sty, etc.

[Robin Fairbairns]

Manuel Pégourié-Gonnard <mpg at elzevir.fr> wrote:

> Le 10/05/2010 22:43, Thomas Jung a écrit :
> > But had to install two packages by myself. "floatflt" and "colortab".
> > This is no problem for me, but was wondering because everybody
> > said to me tex-live is the most complete distribution.
> > Is there a reason why this two packages are not in the "main" tree?
> 
> Licences. According to the catalogue:
> - colortab: Free for use but distribution for profit only by arrangement

(straightforward no-sell licence.  definitely impossible to put this in
tex live, which can sometimes find itself being sold.)

> - floatflt: Other non-Debian licenses

"you may not modify" the source .dtx or .ins.  this is a stronger
requirement than knuth's (change name if modify), which tex live accepts
(rightly, i think, not that it's any of my business).

it's a bore, this sort of thing; but there are people who feel the need
to apply protection to their code, even if it makes life difficult for
their users.  remember, it's only with the advent of tex live and the
like that that installation has become a straightforward matter, for the
most part; when i got my first tex installation, it came on a 9-track
tape, and in those pre-ctan days, one had really to hunt for packages.
if you had to install a new package by hand, after all that.

but it was quite a while back, when things started to change.  when seb
rahtz started tex live, we agreed a uk tug grant of *several hundred
pounds* for a cd writer for him (we all had _readers_ by then, but a
_writer_...).

the last dvd writer i bought cost £17...

robin