[tex-live] mktexlsr and directory permissions

[Norbert Preining]

Hi Thomas!

I just found out that mktexlsr in version 1.46 (as in TeX live) has a
new `feature' which makes me a bit unhappy: If the directory where the
ls-R file is located is not actually writeable, the ls-R will not be
updated, *EVEN* if the ls-R file is indeed writeable!

Now in the debian tetex packages this is no problem, as there is still
1.45 of mktexlsr, but in the texlive packages we got a problem:

We (Frank and me) would like to give the option that a certain group is
allowed to create/update ls-R files, eg in /var/cache/fonts or
/usr/local/share/texmf. But users are not allowed to write to
/var/cache/fonts, only to /var/cache/fonts/{pk,tfm,mf}, so with this
change the update of ls-R files is broken.

Is there a chance that this will be reverted, or is there a deeper
reason why the temporary ls-R file is not anymore generated with
	db_file_tmp=`tempfile -p ls-R`
but with
	db_dir_tmp="$db_dir/lsR$$.tmp"
?

Thanks a lot and all the best

Norbert

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Dr. Norbert Preining <preining AT logic DOT at>             Università di Siena
sip:preining at at43.tuwien.ac.at                             +43 (0) 59966-690018
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