[tex-live] trouble starting context on latest tl2008 developer snapshot

[Taco Hoekwater]

Hi again,

Taco Hoekwater wrote:
> Step 1. After install, the installer would have to create a texmfcnf.lua
> file alongside the installed texmf.cnf.
> 
> texmfcnf.lua:
>   local conf = {}
>   conf.TEXMFCACHE = <the-var-tex-folder-install-decided-on>
>   return conf
> 
> The <the-var-tex-folder-install-decided-on> has to be an actual
> path, it cannot be "$VARTEXMF" because the cache is used to find
> texmf.cnf (not the other way around). Assuming
> 
>   local conf = {}
>   conf.TEXMFCACHE = "/usr/local/texlive/2008/texmf-var"
>   return conf
> 
> this will create the cache below
> 
>   /usr/local/texlive/2008/texmf-var/luatex-cache/context

Just a quick extra note:

I do realise that in many installations this won't work properly.
Multi-user systems would actually want context to support something
like "~/.texlive/2008/texmf-var" or a combination of SYS,USER settings
to work properly because otherwise there will be permission conflicts
(unless the umasks are set up just right) as well as privacy concerns
(for any downloaded http files).

But at this moment, context mkiv is still a very experimental system,
and there is not enough time to remedy the TEXMFCACHE subsystem before
texlive2008, so I will stick with the /usr/local/texlive/2008/texmf-var
proposal for this year. I expect context mkiv to be much more mature
next year.

Best wishes,
Taco