[tex-live] install-tl-windows.bat unavailable in Microsoft Store

[Denis Bitouzé]

Le 09/12/18 à 16h57, George N. White III a écrit :

>  I don't recall seeing a "System Requirements" section in the
> TL installation pages, perhaps because, until now,  few
> current systems couldn't support some configuration of TL.   If
> Microsoft is successful at making inroads into the Chromebook
> market, some warning that TL can't be installed will be needed.
> https://latex.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26009 mentions options,
> either a web-based TeX system or by installing a linux distro.
> It would be helpful to have a section on chromebook-class
> systems with pointers to web-based TeX systems.

With all the drawbacks of these web-based TeX systems mentioned by
Stefan on the page above.

I'm training each year more than 100 students to LaTeX and, for
a substantial proportion of them, it is complicated at least to install
(if not to use compared to word processors). If they will be facing this
extra difficulty, I guess most of them won't want to give LaTeX a try.

>> Except that, IMHO, Overleaf's editor provides too few features
>> compared to real IDEs, such as Emacs or TeXstudio.
>>
>
> Think of the MacBook Air users who use LaTeX to prepare documents
> while away from their office.  Much of this work involves basic
> editing and writing and could easily be done using a web-based system
> such as Overleaf.

If they have an Internet connection and, if so, if it is good enough.

> Web-based tools like Overleaf can be used on cheap, lightweight
> systems with longer battery life than MacBook Air.  If your system is
> damaged or stolen you can be back to work faster and at lower cost.

Other ways of storing files on the cloud are possible
(e.g. Dropbox). But okay, it is an advantage of web-based TeX systems.

> You don't have to install MacTeX

Installing MacTeX is the simpler and faster way of TeX Live.

> and your recent edits are saved in the cloud.  For many people that
> alone is worth the cost of a web-based tool like Overleaf.

I agree that, if an alternative to local TeX Live installation is
needed, it is probably the best one. But I'm agree with Stefan for all
the drawbacks of such a solution.

>> Moreover, I guess the student who encountered this problem doesn't have
>> enough money for an Internet subscription with an Internet Service
>> Provider and has only a limited Internet access with his cell phone.
>
> The systems that S-mode targets don't make sense without full-time
> connectivity.   I understand there have been problems for low-income
> students using chromebooks but only have internet access using their
> school's wifi.

In our university, the wifi is a nighmare...

> Some of those students do find a way to have linux on an old laptop
> that is considered too limited to run current Windows versions so
> costs less than a chromebook.

If you explain to students that, in order to use LaTeX (sometimes they
have no sympathy for it at a first glance), they have to resell their
current S-mode Windows computer for an old laptop on which they must
install Linux and learn how to use it, before learning how to use LaTeX,
they will merely laugh at you and will give up...
-- 
Denis