[tex-live] tlmgr working despite laptop wifi off ?!

[Reinhard Kotucha]

On 2018-12-29 at 23:42:47 +0100, jfbu wrote:

 > Hi,
 > 
 > tonight (European time) something very weird happened.
 > 
 > I had turned off the wifi on my laptop to spare batteries,
 > but had forgotten that and decided to update my TL2018,
 > 
 > here is how it started (as one can see in transcript I hit Ctrl-C quickly)
 > 
 > $ tlmgr update --all
 > cannot contact mirror.ctan.org, returning a backbone server!
 > 
 > ^CNo connection to the internet.
 > Unable to download the checksum of the remote TeX Live database,
 > but found a local copy so using that.
 > 
 > You may want to try specifying an explicit or different CTAN mirror;
 > see the information and examples for the -repository option at
 > http://tug.org/texlive/doc/install-tl.html
 > (or in the output of install-tl --help).
 > 
 > 
 > BUT lo and behold it then continued....:
 > 
 > tlmgr: package repository http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/systems/texlive/tlnet (not verified: unknown)
 > tlmgr: saving backups to /usr/local/texlive/2018/tlpkg/backups
 > [1/9, ??:??/??:??] update: dtxgallery [345k] (15878 -> 49504) ... ^CTLPDB::_install_package: downloading did not succeed
 > 
 > 
 > (I hit CTRL-C in panick as seen above, as some aetheral power had taken control of my laptop)
 > 
 > (then I hit CTRL-C again on each package update:)
 > 
 > tlmgr: Installation of new version of dtxgallery failed, trying to unwind.
 > tlmgr: Restoring old package state succeeded.
 > done
 > [2/9, 00:19/29:19] update: ketcindy [15118k] (49309 -> 49502) ... ^CTLPDB::_install_package: downloading did not succeed
 > tlmgr: Installation of new version of ketcindy failed, trying to unwind.
 > tlmgr: Restoring old package state succeeded.
 > done
 > [3/9, 00:21/00:43] update: lstfiracode [58k] (49462 -> 49503) ... ^CTLPDB::_install_package: downloading did not succeed
 > tlmgr: Installation of new version of lstfiracode failed, trying to unwind.
 > tlmgr: Restoring old package state succeeded.
 > done
 > [4/9, 00:23/00:47] update: pdfx [5000k] (49333 -> 49487) ... ^CTLPDB::_install_package: downloading did not succeed
 > tlmgr: Installation of new version of pdfx failed, trying to unwind.
 > tlmgr: Restoring old package state succeeded.
 > done
 > [5/9, 00:26/00:40] update: pstricks [7001k] (49437 -> 49486) ... ^CTLPDB::_install_package: downloading did not succeed
 > tlmgr: Installation of new version of pstricks failed, trying to unwind.
 > tlmgr: Restoring old package state succeeded.
 > done
 > [6/9, 00:27/00:31] update: tablvar [173k] (49214 -> 49493) ... ^CTLPDB::_install_package: downloading did not succeed
 > tlmgr: Installation of new version of tablvar failed, trying to unwind.
 > tlmgr: Restoring old package state succeeded.
 > done
 > [7/9, 00:29/00:33] update: texlive-docindex [242k] (49466 -> 49490) ... ^CTLPDB::_install_package: downloading did not succeed
 > tlmgr: Installation of new version of texlive-docindex failed, trying to unwind.
 > tlmgr: Restoring old package state succeeded.
 > done
 > [8/9, 00:32/00:36] update: texlive-scripts [3965k] (49475 -> 49498) ... ^CTLPDB::_install_package: downloading did not succeed
 > tlmgr: Installation of new version of texlive-scripts failed, trying to unwind.
 > tlmgr: Restoring old package state succeeded.
 > done
 > [9/9, 00:33/00:33] update: xurl [45k] (49441 -> 49488) ... ^CTLPDB::_install_package: downloading did not succeed
 > tlmgr: Installation of new version of xurl failed, trying to unwind.
 > tlmgr: Restoring old package state succeeded.
 > done
 > tlmgr: action update returned an error; continuing.
 > running mktexlsr ...
 > done running mktexlsr.
 > tlmgr: package log updated: /usr/local/texlive/2018/texmf-var/web2c/tlmgr.log
 > tlmgr: An error has occurred. See above messages. Exiting.
 > 
 > 
 > Then, I turned on the wifi and tried again, and much to my
 > surprise, indeed the very same packages as listed above got updated
 > (about the timings, I moved my laptop to the more favourable
 > location in the room during ketcindy download which was more or
 > less stalled)
 > 
 > ~$ tlmgr update --all
 > tlmgr: package repository http://ctan.tetaneutral.net/systems/texlive/tlnet (verified)
 > tlmgr: saving backups to /usr/local/texlive/2018/tlpkg/backups
 > [1/9, ??:??/??:??] update: dtxgallery [345k] (15878 -> 49504) ... done
 > [2/9, 00:07/10:48] update: ketcindy [15118k] (49309 -> 49502) ... done
 > [3/9, 02:20/04:49] update: lstfiracode [58k] (49462 -> 49503) ... done
 > [4/9, 02:21/04:50] update: pdfx [5000k] (49333 -> 49487) ... done
 > [5/9, 02:40/04:09] update: pstricks [7001k] (49437 -> 49486) ... done
 > [6/9, 03:00/03:28] update: tablvar [173k] (49214 -> 49493) ... done
 > [7/9, 03:03/03:31] update: texlive-docindex [242k] (49466 -> 49506) ... done
 > [8/9, 03:05/03:31] update: texlive-scripts [3964k] (49475 -> 49509) ... done
 > [9/9, 03:17/03:17] update: xurl [45k] (49441 -> 49488) ... done
 > running mktexlsr ...
 > done running mktexlsr.
 > tlmgr: package log updated: /usr/local/texlive/2018/texmf-var/web2c/tlmgr.log
 > 
 > 
 > 
 > How is it possible that my mac book air could let tlmgr
 > simultaneously report no connection to the Internet and at the very
 > same time still find out which packages could get updated ?

As far as I understand, your first approach was to start tlmgr with
WIFI turned off and your second approach was to start tlmgr with
WIFI turned on.  What exactly do you mean with "simultaneously"?

It's a matter of fact that you can't update your TeX Live installation
if the internet is not accessible. 

Regards,
  Reinhard

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Reinhard Kotucha                            Phone: +49-511-3373112
Marschnerstr. 25
D-30167 Hannover                    mailto:reinhard.kotucha at web.de
------------------------------------------------------------------