Re: no /etc/texmf directory created

> > will be in a subdirectory of /usr/local/teTeX/bin. Put that into your
> > PATH before /usr/bin.
...
> I have indeed been attempting the default installation.  Per your path advice, I
> tried executing the command:
> 
> /usr/local/teTeX/i686-pc-linux-gnu/bin/texconfig

No, my advice was to modify your PATH. texconfig is a script which
calls other commands (such as kpsewhich). If it ends up calling the
wrong kpsewhich, it won't work.

So, please
  export PATH=/usr/local/teTeX/i686-pc-linux-gnu/bin:$PATH
  texconfig

> bash-2.05b$ kpsewhich --show-path texmf.cnf

You are calling /usr/bin/kpsewhich, not
/usr/local/teTeX/i686-pc-linux-gnu/bin/kpsewhich.

> My first concern is that /usr/local/teTeX/texmf/web2c does not appear in any of
> these paths.

How should the old kpsewhich know of /usr/local/teTeX?

>  My second (and perhaps related) concern is that kpsewhich appears
> to be pointing to all kinds of junk that needn't and/or shouldn't be there.  Do
> you have any thoughts about how this might be corrected?

Call the correct version?

> I'm not sure.  A previous installation is possible.  I inherited the computer
> I'm trying to install on, and mpost was not working (and AUCTeX not installed),

You can try to
  rpm -qf /usr/bin/texconfig
and deinstall that package. But as long as the old package does not
set any environment variables, there should not be a real need to
deinstall it.

> This is good to know, thank you.  I'm very new to user lists so please let me
> know if I am committing some sort of faux pas - can you tell me if it is better
> to include you on copy or only to email the user list?

It is sufficient to write to the list or directly to me.

BTW: the installation instructions of teTeX-2.0.2 tell you to adjust
your PATH...

Thomas