On Jan 10, 2009, at 2:19 PM, Martin Görg wrote:
...
on my pursuit of happiness (install LyX) I bumped into something
most inconvenient. When I try to install LyX using aptitude, apt-
get, a .deb package, or the Synaptic Package Manager - just to name
a few - the whatever manager does not realize that I already have a
pretty and working installation of Texlive 2008 on my system. I'm
inclined to assume this is true even for an existing Texlive 2007
installation. Granted, I did not use any package manager to install
Texlive 2008. I used the network installation provided by
Texlive...I think when installing LyX, it should be aware that most
parts needed are there, already. LyX should just install the
remainder.
But just how is it supposed to do that? Package managers have to
consult a database of installed packages in order to know what is on
your system; they can't just go out searching aimlessly to see if
you've got all the necessary binaries, libraries, config files etc
that are required by a given piece of software that you want to
install. So if you don't install TexLive via the package management
system for your distribution, the package managers (which all consult
the same database) won't know it's there. A disadvantage of this, of
course, is that you don't typically get bleeding edge versions of your
favorite software. (Notably, Ubuntu and other Debian-based Linux
distros are still waiting for TexLive 2008.) The advantage is that it
works. ;-)
Am I being too naive having this wish? Should I just compile and
install my own LyX?
You should be able to do this quite easily. With Debian-based
distributions (as well as most (?) others) you can always use the /usr/
local hierarchy to install your own software, and my hunch is that
that is where your TeXLive 2008 installation resides. Just set the
prefix for your LyX compilation to /usr/local and then point LyX to
your TeXLive hierarchy in the appropriate settings.
On an additional note:
I also installed texmaker and it, too, installed some texlive stuff.
Now I have texmf and texmf-texlive in /usr/share/. I don't like it.
Why can't I have one central texlive and all other apps use it?
You can, if you install it via the package mgt system. (Yeah yeah,
it's not the current super ultra whizziest version...)
I just came from Windows to Linux because I thought this whole
business of interrelated apps just worked.
Done right, it does. :-)
Chris Menzel
