[texhax] Help Regarding TeX works

[Uwe Lueck]

"Reinhard Kotucha" <reinhard.kotucha at web.de>, 30.12.2010 02:09:46:
>On 29 December 2010 Uwe Lueck wrote:
> > Dear Vinoth,
> > "prem kumar" , 09.12.2010 16:55:24:
> > > I am Vinoth Kumar S. tex template & perl application developer working in Chennai.
> > > I created few applications and I am interested to add/share such
> > > applications within MiKTeX or other tex utils directory 
> > > "texmf/miktex/bin/*.exe".
> > > Please note that this applications are useful for tex users
> > > which involved in LaTeX journals/Books productions.
> > > Please advise how can I add this applications to "texmf\miktex\
> > > bin\..." environment with proper approval.
> > > thanks
> > >  -vinoth-
> > 
> > please contribute via 
> > 
> >     http://www.ctan.org/upload.html
> > 
> > That is the "input" for TeX-related software addressing any TeX
> > users.
> > 
> > MiKTeX only is one "output stream" for distributing TeX-related
> > software, drawing from CTAN.
>
> Sorry, but no distribution except MikTeX can do anything with *.exe
> files. 
>
> Even the source code isn't sufficient for TeX Live, someone has to
> provide the nasty autoconf stuff in order to make it available to all
> supported platforms.

First, CTAN does store platform-dependent software, even for Windows. 
Fine for those who just look for something useful and download 
and install directly from CTAN.

Second, TeX Live is available for Windows as well,

    http://tug.org/texlive/

I do know people who work with TeX Live on Windows.

Third, what evidence do you have that other (historical) distributions 
containing *.exe are definitely dead? 

Kind of philosophical questions: 1. What if emTeX is unmaintained, 
but still used and perhaps even copied to more recent hardware?
(I know one Y&Y user.)
2. Are PCTeX etc. "distributions" or not?

    http://www.pctex.com/

Cheers, 

    Uwe.