[tlbuild] automate and localize full (support files as well) tex package build/install

[Norbert Preining]

Hi John,

On Fr, 02 Nov 2012, John Z. Bohach wrote:
> 1) does the tl-install download source code and build it on the local 
> machine?  If not, how is binary compatibility assured against a given 
> runtime environment (glibc, gcc, binutils, etc.)

No it doe snot download. Binaries are pre-compiled. Compatibility
we try to achieve by compiling on relatively old machines and linking
many things statically (as many as possible). But
still there are always some cases where it does not work out.

> 2)  if source code is downloaded, is it possible to "freeze" the 

No it is not downloaded.

> I understand that the texlive binaries can be built from the source 
> tarball, but there's a note that says they must be installed under 
> Master/arch/ of a previous tl-install area to be useful.  That's fine, 

install-tl installs both binaries and other files (the main support files).
THe distribution size is maybe 90% *NOT*-binaries.

> but where do the rest of these support files come from, and were those 
> support files built from source locally as well (see question 1) 

Which "support" files? All the other files from TeX Live? THey come
from CTAN (with a few exceptions).

> above).  At some point, those support files were built from source by 
> somebody.  Who can I thank and who I should I emulate and venerate?  

WHich support files, again? THey are taken from CTAN and installed in
the proper places, this is human job we (mostly Karl) is doing.
We have some automatization, but human intervention is still
necessary.

> Where can I get more information on building the full Master/ tree, 
> support files included, from source?  Am I insane?  Can I can get back 
> to you on that?

Building from source??? From which source? Just download what is on
CTAN, maybe run it through a variety of latex/pdflatex/makeindx/etc
invocations. THat is *building from source* for TeX/fonts/latex/context
etc files.

Maybe you spare us and yourself a lot of time and just state what you
want ot achieve?

Best wishes

Norbert
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Norbert Preining            preining@{jaist.ac.jp, logic.at, debian.org}
JAIST, Japan                                 TeX Live & Debian Developer
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