[tex-live] Where is the root dir of my Tex Live installation

Axel E. Retif axel.retif at mac.com
Mon Nov 18 11:14:44 CET 2013


On 11/18/2013 03:31 AM, Gerald Pechoc wrote:


> With compatibility I meant for all, that the same components are
> installed on both my computers, so that a document should be rendered on
> both sides almost identically without additional installation of
> software components.

I think you are right in trying to achieve that. But you'll have to be 
patient, and risk making mistakes (so, backup).

> Important question for me now:
> How can I deinstall the existing versions of TEX on my Ubuntu machine?

The most important thing is *you don't have to*. As you obviously have 
installed programs that depend on TeXLive, you would have to uninstall 
them first..., and when you want to reinstall them, apt-get, aptitude or 
synaptic will tell you you need to install TeXLive. Really, *you don't 
have to*. (See George's email, especially the first paragraph.)

> I want to reinstall with the Tex Live dvd from tug.

To uninstall TeXLive (if you want a clean install)

     cd /usr/local/texlive/

With

     ls -al

you should see a ` 2013 ' directory (that is, if you have installed 
TeXLive 2013). Now,

     sudo rm -r 2013

Now (re)install TeXLive from the DVD *without telling the installer to 
put symlinks in system directories*.

After installation is finished, you have to set the PATH. What *I* do 
(but I've been criticized for this method) is to put it in 
/etc/environment like this:

     PATH="/usr/local/texlive/2013/bin/x86_64-linux:/usr/local/sbin: ..."

That is, I just *prepend*

     /usr/local/texlive/2013/bin/x86_64-linux:

to the PATH already there (don't forget the semicolon!); that also means 
that you have 64 bit installation; check in .../2013/bin if you have 64 
bit or 32 bit.

Now restart and ` which tex ' should point to

     /usr/local/texlive/2013/bin/x86_64-linux/tex

The reason I'm criticized for this method is that then I have to

     sudo su

in Terminal to update my distribution with

     tlmgr update --self --all

Others can tell you other methods to prepend TeXLive PATH in order for 
it to take precedence over the one from Ubuntu repositories. But the 
important thing is just that: prepend TeXLive PATH.

Even if you don't have TeXLive from Ubuntu repositories, *you have to 
set TUG's TeXLive PATH*.


Best

Axel



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