[tex-live] script for LuaTeX font database updating

Khaled Hosny khaledhosny at eglug.org
Fri Feb 26 18:33:56 CET 2010


On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 11:32:26AM +0000, T T wrote:
> On 26 February 2010 04:27, Khaled Hosny <khaledhosny at eglug.org> wrote:
> > On Thu, Feb 25, 2010 at 11:44:52PM +0000, T T wrote:
> >> On 25 February 2010 23:10, Khaled Hosny <khaledhosny at eglug.org> wrote:
> >> > On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 12:03:01AM +0100, Reinhard Kotucha wrote:
> >> >> On 26 February 2010 Khaled Hosny wrote:
> >> >>  >
> >> >>  > I consider a "different behaviour based on executable name" a wrong
> >> >>  > design decision and hence, IMHO, a mistake.
> >> >>
> >> >> Then good luck with something like
> >> >>
> >> >>   dos2unix --unix2dos
> >> >
> >> > $ iconv -f "windows-1256" -t "utf-8"
> >> >
> >> > (Just an example of how executable name "hack" is very limited compared
> >> > to standard practices).
> >>
> >> Following this reasoning further we should use:
> >>
> >>   pdftex -fmt=latex ...
> >
> > Yes, I do actually propose that (and ConTeXt has been doing this for
> > ages), I for example strongly disliked the idea of having separate
> > luatex/lualatex binaries just to change the output format, to me this is
> > plain stupidity, but whom I to complain, younger than TeX being I.
> 
> I think your age has nothing to do with your arguments. I'm rather a
> newcomer to TeX myself and have fairly radical views on some aspects
> of TeX ecosystem but I simply don't find your arguments (or the lack
> thereof) convincing.
> 
> If tex engines wouldn't act on argv[0] then we would soon enough have
> wrapper scripts/programs for the same purpose (and ConTeXt too comes
> with a fair share of those). Your example with inconv is really
> ill-contrived -- the main reason to introduce command shortcuts (and
> argv[0] trick is just that) is convenience, not flexibility. It is
> easier for people to associate a particular name with a particular
> piece of functionality than to remember the right combination of often
> cryptic switches of a general tool. I sure find it easier to use
> ps2pdf than directly call gs with all the switches required (which I
> don't remember anyway).

Considering my comments again, I think I was a bit exaggerating, I'd
even classify it as trolling :) Anyway I was just expressing my, may be
unreasoned, deep dislike of the "argv[0] trick". It isn't really that
critical issue.

And Elie even went ahead implementing '-sys' support, disregarding my
concern :P

Regards,
 Khaled


-- 
 Khaled Hosny
 Arabic localiser and member of Arabeyes.org team
 Free font developer


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