[tex-live] Where is the root dir of my Tex Live installation

[Robin Fairbairns]

Norbert Preining <preining at logic.at> wrote:

> On Sa, 16 Nov 2013, Gerald Pechoc wrote:
> > And what is that dummy package good for?
> > Does it mean that my packager manager knows in future to look for  
> > updates, for example?
> 
> I am speaking as the maintainer of both TeX Live infra structure (i.e., tlmgr)
> and the Debian packages.
> 
> Why don't you install the TeX Live packages *directly* from Debian???
> 
> It seems that your needs are covered fully with the packages in Debian.
> 
> Only those in need for the absolutely newest thing because they are writing
> themselves new packages should need to install TeX Live form TUG on Debian.
> 
> If you are using Debian/testing or Debian/unstable, you have monthly
> updates to the current status of TeX Live, and are quite up-to-date.
> Andeven when you use Debian/stable you have TeX Live 2012 which in
> 99.99% covers your needs.
> 
> So why do you throw yourself into all this problems without even knowing
> how to deal with simple Unix items?
> 
> My recommendation: 
> 	apt-get install texlive-full
> and then use it for 2 years. If you find something that is not sufficient,
> you can *then* install TeX Live form TUG and at that time you will
> know what is necessary.

the sad thing is that ubuntu's current lts release offers tl 2009, only.
at places (such as my lab) where the ubuntu on offer is only the current
lts, the ordinary user is stuck.  as, for example, one of the professors
here who needed mdframed yesterday.  ime, it's not a good idea to tell a
professor to do a large job (apparently large, in terms of the volume of
log output).

so i explained how to make a hometexmf tree, and to install in that.
fortunately mdframed comes with a .tds.zip, so part of the job was
already done, for me.

(lots of people claim .tds.zip files are useless ["people should just
use tex live or miktex"], but ime they're invaluable.)

robin
the witterer