[tex-live] include directories to search for additonal fileslike *.bib *.sty, etc.

[Robin Fairbairns]

Thomas Jung <thomas.jung at public-files.de> wrote:

> > There is no command line option, unfortunately.  Maybe someday there
> > will be.  To date, you have to set environment variables.  In Windows
> > syntax (I think):
> >
> > set TEXINPUTS=sty:
> > set BIBINPUTS=bib:
> >
> > latex ...
> > bibtex ...
> >
> > Putting the files in the TEXMFHOME tree is another possibility.  See the
> > TL/kpathsea documentation about that, and the file texmf.cnf.
> 
> Yes, I thought this will work, but it's a little bit strange. Because
> if I don't define these vars, then I get the error that the bib data and
> the style files cannot be found. ok. But if I set these vars as:
> 
> set BIBINPUTS=.;bib
> set TEXINPUTS=.;tex\sty

note, this is _not_ what karl recommended.

> then bibtex find my bib data but latex doesn't find the class book.cls ???
> Strange. Isn't it?

not at all.  your .;bib is a complete path, as is .;tex\sty

given a complete path, the program will use just that, whereas you want
it to use its built-in values *as* *well* *as* what you've told it.

this is what the trailing ";" in karl's suggestion was about: so you
want

set BIBINPUTS=bib;
set TEXINPUTS=tex\sty;

the programs replace that trailing empty path component with the
built-in values.

> btw: The setup-process of TeX-Live (tlmgr) doesn't set any var in the
> systems or user environment. Even if I start tlmgr as an elevated
> Adminstrator (which is similar to the root account on unix/linux)

indeed not.  the programs "know" from the hash files where to look for
inputs, by default.  (this is the "built-in values" i mentioned above.)

robin