Dependencies for latex/latex-bin

[Joseph Wright]

On 18/02/2024 21:46, Karl Berry wrote:
>      As such, this code should work whether or not the files are
>      available.
> 
> Then why are they being read at fmt-time?

LaTeX nowadays has file substitution. When a substitute is declared, we 
check the full name of the file, which means doing a lookup, using 
\(pdf)filesize (or with LuaTeX the Lua equivalent). We then have a 
fully-qualified and sanitized file name for the substitution. If the 
file is not found, then the name is just that given as part of the 
substitution setup.

We have file substitution for both of these packages at the kernel 
level, so the process above looks for them when this is set up.

>      I'll see if anyone else from the team disagrees.
> 
> Seems to me it's not a matter of agreement or disagreement. It just
> needs to be tested. 

The test suite for the kernel runs in an isolated environment that 
doesn't search the installation tree.  We have a few things on the path: 
largely basic stuff like Unicode data, and definitely not including 
at{begshi,veryend}.sty.

What I meant by asking others is that I've not traced through what 
happens if

- The user sets up LaTeX without at{begshi,veryend}.sty
- We build a format
- They then add at{begshi,veryend}.sty in a path that's reported
   in addition to the file name (so e.g. foo/at{begshi,veryend}.sty
   rather than just at{begshi,veryend}.sty)

However, I think that's no different to now, as they could install the 
TL packages, build a format then add a local version in some 
non-standard location, and we'd have the same confusion.

Joseph