TeX-LIVE bug reports

Peter Flynn pflynn@imbolc.ucc.ie
Wed, 28 Jun 2000 16:11:27 +0100 (BST)


Sebastian writes:
> Michal Sevcenko SITE writes:
>  >  1) if I install the distribution to the directory, whose name contains 
>  > space(s) (e.g. "C:\Program Files\TeX"), distribution does not work 
>  > properly. E.g. typing "kpsewhich latex.fmt" does not report any occurence 
>  > of such a file. If I use MS-DOS equivalent name (e.g. "C:\Progra~1\TeX"), 
>  > it works OK.
> I thought that this was documented somewhere? its a well-known problem

I don't remember where it's documented (although I warn against it in
our local install docs for TL4). I raised this last year, I think FP
wanted to know how MikTeX gets around this, which it does) but I don't
think anyone found an answer.

What is important for the user is (a) NEVER install fpTeX into a
directory containing spaces in the name, and (b) NEVER save document
files into such directories either, as they will not be processable
from within (eg) WinEdt.

Spaces in file/dir names are evil anyway, they make your teeth fall
out and cause premature baldness, senile decay, and they perpetuate
the disease by creating an uncontrollable desire to include spaces in
every file and directory name on the system.

>  >  2) some batch files in $(TEX)\bin\win32 (e.g. amstex.bat) use UNIX line 
>  > breaks (line feeds only). This is OK under NTs, but 98s (and maybe 95s too) 
>  > cannot run such batchfiles. If I fix these files manually, they work OK.
> yes, this was embarassing. we found it a couple of weeks ago. its OK
> now

It's getting harder to catch these things now that Emacs and PFE both
silently elide the differences...

Where is the final final ISO image now? I'd like to start rewriting
the local install docs...

///Peter