Build one package and turn it into a standard TeX Live package file installable with `tlmgr install --file`

[Karl Berry]

Hi Sergio - well, you already did the work, but since I already wrote
this reply, I'll send it anyway.

    - Is it possible to `make install` a single package?

I suppose it's possible, but more complex, and not needed here.
The "make install" writes to a destination directory under the build
tree, so there's no harm in installing everything, and lots more work to
avoid doing so.

In the case of dvisvgm, all you need is the single binary file,
which you can copy from the build directory Work/texk/dvisvgm/
(unstripped), or the Work/inst/... installed tree (stripped).

    - How will `tlmgr` deal with something installed in this way? 

It won't. You can "install" the binary by doing, for example:

cp .../bin/x86_64-linux/dvisvgm{,.dist}  # save old
cp .../Work/texk/dvisvgm/dvisvgm .../bin/x86_64-linux/dvisvgm
cp .../Work/texk/dvisvgm/dvisvgm .../bin/x86_64-linux/dvisvgm.new # second copy

    Can this lead to trouble in the long time?

No. tlmgr will not notice that this has been done.

I don't expect the dvisvgm package to be updated before TL23, but if it
is, you can just overwrite the reinstalled binary again from the "second
copy".

    - Is it possible to make a standard TeX Live package file (with 
    contained tlpobj file) that I can pass to other people and that can be 
    installed via `tlmgr install --file`?

I guess it's theoretically possible, but I wouldn't advise it. It would
be a lot simpler and more reliable to simply send your friends the
new binary.

I would also suggest asking Martin G about the current status of his
gs10 support before doing all this. Maybe he has more patches by
now. Also, once he makes a release, we can update the TL sources (not
binaries), which would simplify that much.

Sorry for the extra work, but it seems the best way available at the
moment, in this bad situation inflicted on us by others. --best, karl.

P.S. I don't suppose
  export GS_OPTIONS=-dNEWPDF=false
suffices for gs10?