[tlbuild] running TL24 pretest on OpenBSD

[Robert Alessi]

Hi Karl!

On Thu, Feb 22, 2024 at 02:56:42PM -0700, Karl Berry wrote:
> Hi Robert,
> 
>     Might another option be to offer the binaries this year on an
>     experimental basis and see what happens?
> 
> Overall, this discussion leads me to propose the opposite: at least for
> this year, simply punt to you :). You are clearly capable,
> knowledgeable, and interested in this. So I think it would be best if
> you set up an "openbsd and native tex live" page, with whatever
> binaries, helper scripts, and other information you think best. I'll
> happily add a link to such a page on the TL web pages. Just let me know.
> 
> Given that there have been zero user requests, apart from yours, to
> (re-)include openbsd binaries in native TL in all the last years, I
> can't justify spending time and energy on incorporating it officially.
> Since, due to the openbsd policies we now all know about, it is
> complicated to do so.
> 
> If it turns out there is a user community making use of whatever you
> provide, we can reconsider including them upstream (somehow).
> 
> Hope that sounds ok. --thanks, karl.

This sounds not only ok, but also a quite sensible option.  To date, I
must admit that I have no idea how many people would be interested in
running "native" TL on OpenBSD.  I might be the only one, so I'm
better off taking the ball!

Here is what I did so far—Thank you in advance for any
comments/suggestions:

	       <https://sr.ht/~ralessi/texlive-openbsd>

>From this page, it should be easy for anyone interested to:
1. Install TeX Live from the standard install-tl command with
   --custom-bin.  The only thing do do is to run "make fetch" then
   follow the instructions displayed on the terminal and proceed with
   install-tl.
2. Update the binaries when OpenBSD releases a new version, by just
   doing "make".

I managed to include xindy, LuaMetaTeX 2.11.01 and asymptote.  (biber
is next in line, but I will follow for this the specific intructions
given in the documentation.)

There is no need to specify whether -current or -stable is used.
Moreover, the makefile is designed to download and verify the
archives, then give the user the commands to issue to complete the
update.  This way, no harm is ever done.  (I am thinking here of the
case where someone would carelessly try to use this resource to update
ported binaries installed in /usr/local/bin!)

I will have the binaries updated on a daily basis for both -current
and -stable.  I will also keep on doing this after TL2024 is out as
much as necessary, eg. in the rare cases where the binaries are
updated after TL is released or should something in -current happen to
break the operation of the released binaries.

Needless to say, I will provide new binaries every six months when
OpenBSD releases new versions.

I would be grateful in advance for any comments on how this resource
can be improved.  If you think a link to it can be added somewhere on
the TL web pages, I'd be even more grateful!  This way, I would
advertise it on misc at openbsd.org.  One never knows, it might catch on!

Thank you again for your help.  (And also to the others: Nelson,
Norbert, Mojca.)

All best, -- Robert