Notes on TL5 (Nov 16)

[Staszek Wawrykiewicz]

Some thoughts after testing TL5 (Nov 16). 

Win32: windvi simply does not work on win95. Fabrice has a better version.
As I heard many opinions, the most expected is stable version which
can be configured from the program and prints to the win printer. 
Other bells are very interesting, but not such important for everyday usage
with texts. Fabrice, I only transmit opinions...

Some of messages during installation of TL5 on Linux:

Copy files listed in fonts2
/usr/bin/gtar: Cannot add file texmf/fonts/tfm/urw/avantgar/uagro8t.tfm: No
such file or directory
/usr/bin/gtar: Error exit delayed from previous errors

/usr/bin/gtar: Cannot add file texmf/tex4ht/ht-fonts/iso88591/cm/#cmr.htf#: No
such file or directory
/usr/bin/gtar: Cannot add file
texmf/tex4ht/ht-fonts/unicode/iso88591/ams/cyrillic/#msam.htf#: No such file or
directory
/usr/bin/gtar: Error exit delayed from previous errors

install_link failed for /usr/TeX/bin/i386-linux/hugetex. File already exists.

------
texconfig run first checks installed commands in bin/.../ (like pdfelatex,
all from bin/ is installed), so after modification of fmtutil.cnf desired 
formats are not generated.   
Even fmtutil --all does not take care of modified fmtutil.cnf? Why?

By the way, please consider two things:
1. The only and natural way for normal user to have local configuration 
   (MF mode, local printer, own format etc.) is VARTEXMF set to, e.g., 
   $HOME/texmf. It can be done easily by sysadmin, so the user can just run 
   texconfig which builds a small local tree and allows to do other things.
   Such trick is rather unknown/undocumented. I would like to stress
   VARTEXMF, HOMETEXMF et al issues in the documentation. 
2. texconfig run first builds the formats. It is always strange to me,
   because I'd like to run texconfig just to decide what has to be done.
   If for some reason some packages are not installed (e.g. Omega),
   or removed by hand by sysadmin, and fmtutil.cnf has it unblocked,
   we have a mess with errors.
   The first run of texconfig by the normal user (if he has VARTEXMF set)
   builds all formats declared for the whole installation. This can be
   hardly acceptable by sysadmin or even the user.
   What do you think, Thomas?

-----------
texmf/dvips/bluesky/config.ams to be removed (we do not have map files)

-----------
Still problem what to do with texmf/fonts/pfm/ I think, it can be only 
used in win32 by ATM, but it uses different directory structure. Am I wrong?

----------- 
Sebastian, who take care on the documentation at the moment? What is its 
state?   
Would you please also gzip the iso image on the server. I can do it
only in /texlive since my HOME is too small. ;-)

The last question (silly, please reply personally): which script has to be
run if I want to update the tree. I remember your notes about updating
lists so I'd like to know the whole concept.

Thanks. 

Staszek Wawrykiewicz
email: staw@gust.org.pl