[tex-live] install-tl with network location, but without sneaky updates?

Lars Madsen daleif at imf.au.dk
Tue Mar 24 22:30:11 CET 2009


Marc Herbert wrote:
> Lars Madsen a écrit :
>> what exactly is "sneaky updates"?
> 
> The fact that the 2008 "release" is not a release but constantly 
> evolving, as you can see here (look at the "Last modified" timestamps): 
> <http://mirror.ctan.org/systems/texlive/tlnet/2008/archive/?C=M;O=D>
> 
>> why can't you run install-tl on each system
> 
> This is what I tried, but it gave me different software every day.
> 
>> could you please explain in a bit more details what it is you want to 
>> do because I do not understand your question.
> 
> I am just trying to install some _constant_ 2008 release, so all my 
> hosts run the *exact same* software. I can reach my goal by burning many 
> TeX Live 2008 DVDs, shipping them to all my hosts, and ask people around 
> the world to run the installer from it. Since this approach is neither 
> very fast nor scriptable, I looked at the network installer instead.
> 
> 
>> run tlmgr to update on each
> 
> I cannot, because I do NOT want my hosts to install the random "software 
> of the day". I want all my hosts (past and future) settled on some given 
> software version and not move from it.
> 
> This is a very common system administration practice to be honest. For 
> instance all operating systems allow this.
> 

TeX Live is not an operating system.

As I said ealier, install on one system and use is as a master, on that 
system you install for all architectures you need.

update it to the level you need.

that is your master, this you install on all your systems and don't 
update it.

On my Linux server I host binaries for i386-linux, x64-linux, windows, 
and MAC

Since you have to install this on many servers round the world, you will 
not benefit form the mirrors (only if you are lucky), the mirrors vary a 
great deal in quality and speed.

So I would simply install it on one, zip it (or some other compression 
that can be read by all systems) and then copy it to all your systems.



/daleif




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