Re: no /etc/texmf directory created

On Thu, Nov 18, 2004 at 10:54:26PM +0100, Reinhard Kotucha wrote:
> >>>>> "Werner" == Werner Fink <[email protected]> writes:
> 
>   > It would be a great win if teTeX would fulfill the FHS[1], in
>   > short all configuration should be placed in /etc/texmf/, all
>   > [...]
> 
> Hi Werner,

Hi Reinhard,

> one feature of teTeX is that you can put it on one machine into one
> directory, and mount this directory on an other machine anywhere else.
> This requires that all needed files are in the nfs mounted tree.

I know and this is the reason of having written the teTeX nfs script
to be able to export the texmf structure even with /etc/texmf/ and
/var/lib/texmf/.

> This also means that there shouldn't be any paths compiled into the
> binaries.  The config file and the texmf tree are searched for in a
> directory relative to the directory where the binaries are.
> 
> So the only thing you have to do is to put the latter into $PATH.
> 
> Of course, it is good if a Linux distribution complies with the FHS,
> but in this case it's better to leave it as it is.

This would break LSB, we can not do that.  The only thing I'd like
to see is a configuration where I can

> 
> What you can do is to make /etc/texmf/texmf.cnf a symlink pointing to
> the real file.  Then it's at least easier to remember where the config
> filen is.

Sorry all data provided at /usr/ should be handled as read only
data. This because FHS requires that /usr can mounted read only.

Here at SuSE I'm doing it the other way.  All configuration
data go to /etc/texmf/ and all variable data go to /var/lib/texmf/.
Then I'm using symbolic links pointing to the old location of those
data files and directories.  Clearly the compiled in configuration
and the /etc/texmf/texmf.cnf reflecting _both_ locations.


> Though you could provide symlinks to other config files as well
> (updmap.cnf, fmtutil.cnf), in my opinion it's better to convince people
> to use the program texconfig instead.
> 
> SuSE installs teTeX locally on each machine but in certain
> circumstances it is not bad to put it on a server and export it for
> nfs.  In this case you'll like teTeX as it is.

Hmmm ... the package te_nfs provides a script tetex-import
together with a README for importing the full teTeX structure
from a teTeX server.  Clearly this package conflicts with all
other teTeX packages.


> teTeX is a distribution for UNIX, not only for Linux.  If it does not
> have a negative impact on other UNIX systems I agree with you that
> at least the files which do not have to be inside the teTeX tree (for
> instance $VARFONTS) go into a directory complying with the FHS.  

FHS is not only for Linux ;^)
All what I'd like to see is the possiblity to run a configure
script with the appropiate FHS scheme instead of doing all
in a huge RPM spec file and without patching ;^)

         Werner

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