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Diffstat (limited to 'Master/tlpkg/doc/w32client.txt')
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diff --git a/Master/tlpkg/doc/w32client.txt b/Master/tlpkg/doc/w32client.txt new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..cc583323e39 --- /dev/null +++ b/Master/tlpkg/doc/w32client.txt @@ -0,0 +1,87 @@ +CREATING A LAN INSTALLATION OF TEX LIVE FOR WINDOWS CLIENTS + +You can copy a TeX Live installation to a read-only network drive +and tell your users to add the <root>\bin\win32 directory to their +searchpath. However, this is not how things are done on the Windows +platform. + +The w32client.bat/w32client script pair modifies the searchpath, +creates shortcuts and creates file associations. It also registers +an uninstaller script which will show up under Add/Remove Programs. + +Consider these scripts prototypes. You may want to add a GUI which +lets the user choose whether [s]he wants any of those things. + +As it stands, all changes are made for the user, not for the +workstation. This implies that in a roaming profile setup the +configuration is available from any computer on the network, and +that the user needs no particular rights on the workstation. + +REQUIREMENTS OF THE NETWORK INSTALLATION + +The prototype script assumes a standard directory layout: +<parent>---<year> + | | + | +---bin---win32 + | +---texmf + | +---texmf-dist + | +---texmf-config + | +---texmf-var + | +---tlpkg + | + +---texmf-local + +The w32client- and w32unclient scripts assume that they are in the +root of the installation, i.e. in <parent>\<year>. + +Sticking to this default directory layout minimizes configuration +hassles. Still, there may be some: + +XETEX + +For XeTeX to support system fonts, it needs some information about +those fonts. For Windows, this information normally is collected by +a utiltity fc-cache during installation of XeTeX. + +If all computers on the network have the same set of fonts, and if +the installation was created from such a computer, then XeTeX font +support might work perfectly without additional action. + +However, it is better not to count on this, and to run fc-cache from +the client script. Since users don't have write access to +TEXMFSYSVAR, or <parent>\<year>\texmf-var, we need to use TEXMFVAR, +or <user profile>\.texlive<year>\texmf-var. This can be accomplished +with a file <parent>\<year>\texmf.cnf with the lines + +FONTCONFIG_PATH=$TEXMFVAR/fonts/conf +FC_CACHEDIR=$TEXMFVAR/fonts/cache + +The file should already exist, but would still be empty apart from +some comments. Settings here override settings in the main +texmf.cnf, in <parent>\<year>\texmf\web2c. + +Users may need to rerun fc-cache if they move to another workstation +with a different set of fonts. + +SEARCH PATH + +If a workstation already has a locally installed TeX and if its +binaries are on the system path, then the locally installed TeX will +be found first. The demo script safeguards against this by +prepending the searchpath with the TeX Live binaries for individual +shortcuts. Wrapper scripts also do this, so the TeXworks shortcut +will always find our TeX Live first. + +In addition, w32client adds a command-prompt shortcut with such a +locally patched searchpath. + +VISTA + +Under some circumstances, Vista needs to be told that a program or +batchfile doesn't require admin privileges. This can be done with a +manifest file, which has the name of the program, including +extension, with `.manifest' appended. In my own tests, I had to +create a manifest file w32unclient.bat.manifest for the uninstaller. + +If you need additional manifest files, just copy this manifest file +and replace the program name in it. |