uninstalling an old version

[Denis Bitouzé]

Le 15/03/20 à 04h34, Reinhard Kotucha a écrit :

> On 2020-03-14 at 22:30:40 -0400, Bob Tennent wrote:
>
>  > That's not my scenario. I asked the 2019 tlmgr to uninstall
>  > TL-2019. I didn't ask it to remove existing symlinks to
>  > TL-2020, much less create new ones.
>
> There can only be ***one*** set of symlinks in /usr/local/bin.  They
> either point to TL2019 ***or*** to TL2020.  If you remove them, none
> of the distributions is accessible.

As said in my just previous message, no:

  ┌────
  │ /usr/local/texlive/YYYY/bin/x86_64-linux/tlmgr path add
  └────

(YYYY being either 2019 or 2020) is your friend.

> As I said before, I vote for removing the "create symlinks" option
> from the installer because it obviously creates more problems than it
> solves. When I asked Karl to keep this option I had unexperienced
> users in mind but now I see that even experienced users run into
> trouble.

I agree this should be documented. Currently, the TL Guide provides only
a few words about symlinks and nothing is said on how to deal with
multiple TL installations with this option.

Here is what I would suggest (obviously in a better English than mine):

  ┌────
  │ % Original text
  │ \item[create symlinks in standard directories:]
  │   [...]
  │   The safest and recommended approach is to leave the option unchecked.

I would remove this last sentence and would add:

  │     This method requires precautions only in following cases.
  │     \begin{description}
  │     \item[Multiple Installations:] For example, suppose you keep the \TL{} 2019
  │       along side the \TL{} 2020 in case a document that used to compile with the
  │       1st doesn't compile anymore with the 2nd. To switch from 2020 to 2019, it
  │       will be enough to run\footnote{Assuming these \TL{} were installed in the
  │         \dirname{/usr/local/texlive/} folder, subfolders \dirname{2019} and
  │         \dirname{2020}.}:
  │ \begin{alltt}
  │ > /usr/local/texlive/2019/bin/x86_64-linux/tlmgr path add
  │ \end{alltt}
  │       and then, to switch back to \TL{} 2020:
  │ \begin{alltt}
  │ > /usr/local/texlive/2020/bin/x86_64-linux/tlmgr path add
  │ \end{alltt}
  │     \item[Add Executable:] After the initial installation, you can
  │     update the \TL{} to the latest versions available with (see Section~\ref{...}):
  │ \begin{alltt}
  │ > tlmgr update --self --all
  │ \end{alltt}
  │       The updated elements are mostly packages and classes,
  │       but sometimes a new executable is added. For such a binary to be
  │     accessible to the system, it is necessary to update the symlinks,
  │     which can be done by running:  
  │ \begin{alltt}
  │ > tlmgr path add
  │ \end{alltt}
  │     \item[Dead symbolic links:] In case of installation of multiple \TL{}, it is
  │       possible that some dead symbolic links clutter the binaries folder
  │       (typically \dirname{/usr/local/bin}). To delete them, simply run:
  │ \begin{alltt}
  │ > find /usr/local/bin -xtype l -delete
  │ \end{alltt}
  │     \end{description}
  │   \end{description}
  │   % End of the added text
  │ 
  │   % Original text follows
  │ \item[after install, set CTAN as source for package updates:]
  │   [...]
  └────

>  I recognize now that my suggestion was wrong.

Don't blame you! :)
-- 
Denis