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% don't use \TL so the \uppercase in the headline works.  Also so
% tex4ht ends up with the right TeX.  Likewise the \protect's.
\section{Overview of \protect\TeX\protect\ Live}
\label{sec:overview-tl}

This section describes the structure and contents of \TL{} and the
\TK{} of which it is a part.

\subsection{Multiple distributions: \protect\pkgname{live},
            \protect\pkgname{protext},
            \protect\pkgname{Mac\TeX}}
\label{sec:multiple-dist}

The \TK{} \DVD{} comprises the following:

\begin{description}

\item [live] A complete \TeX{} system which can be run live or
  installed to disk. It is too large for \acro{CD}.

\item [CTAN] A snapshot of the \CTAN{} repository

\item [protext] An enhancement of the \MIKTEX\ distribution for Windows,
\ProTeXt\ adds a few extra tools to \MIKTEX, and simplifies
installation.  It is entirely independent of \TL{}, and has its own
installation instructions.  It can be run live, or installed to disk.
The \ProTeXt\ home page is \url{http://tug.org/protext}.

\item [Mac\TeX] for \MacOSX is independent of but based on \TL{}.

\item [\texttt{texmf-extra}] A directory with assorted additional packages.

\end{description}

\CTAN{}, \pkgname{protext}, Mac\TeX, and \texttt{texmf-extra} do not follow
the same copying conditions as \TL{}, so be careful when redistributing or
modifying.

\noindent You can tell which type of distribution you're in by
looking for a \texttt{release-texlive.txt} file at the top of the
\TL{} directory.  This file also contains the \TL{} release date.

Naturally, each user group chooses what to distribute to its own members.

\subsection{Top level directories}
\label{sec:tld}

Here is a brief listing and description of the top level directories in
the \TL{} distribution.  On the \pkgname{live} \DVD, the entire \TL{}
hierarchy is in a subdirectory \dirname{texliveYYYY}, not at the top
level of the disc.

%\smallskip
%\begingroup
%  \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.3}  % open up interrow spacing
%\begin{tabular}{>{\ttfamily}lp{.78\hsize}}
\begin{ttdescription}
\item[bin] The \TeX{} system programs, arranged by platform.
%
\item[readme.html] Readme html pages in various languages, with a quick
introduction and useful links
%
\item[source] The source of all programs, including the main \Webc{}
  \TeX{} and \MF{} distributions. These are stored in
various compressed archives.
%
\item[support] Various auxiliary packages and programs.  These are
  \emph{not} installed automatically.  This includes
  assorted editors and \TeX\ shells.
%
\item[texmf] Tree for the programs, along with their support files and
  documentation.  Does not include \TeX\ formats and packages.
  (\texttt{TEXMFMAIN} in the next section.)
%
\item[texmf-dist] The main tree of formats and packages.
  (\texttt{TEXMFDIST} in the next section.)
%
\item[texmf-doc] Tree for self-contained pure documentation, arranged by
  language.
%
\item[texmf-var] This is not strictly part of the distribution, but will
  be located next to the above texmf trees in a default
  installation; it can be located elsewhere. This tree contains
  files which are automatically generated and stored.
  (\texttt{TEXMFSYSVAR} in the next section.)
%
\item[tlpkg] Scripts, programs and data for managing the
  installation. It also contains private copies of
  Perl and Ghostscript for Windows, which are invisible outside \TL,
  and a new Windows PostScript viewer PSView.
\end{ttdescription}
%\end{tabular}
%\endgroup

%\smallskip

In addition to the directories above, the installation scripts and
\filename{README} files (in various languages) are at the top level of
the distribution.

The \dirname{texmf-doc} directory contains only documentation, but
it does not contain all the documentation.  The documentation for the
programs (manuals, man pages, Info files) is in \dirname{texmf/doc},
since the programs are in \dirname{texmf}.  Similarly, the documentation
for \TeX\ packages and formats is in \dirname{texmf-dist/doc}.  You can
use the \cmdname{texdoc} or \cmdname{texdoctk} programs to find any
documentation wherever it's located.  The comprehensive links in the
top-level file \OnCD{doc.html} may also be helpful.


\subsection{Overview of the predefined texmf trees}
\label{sec:texmftrees}

This section lists all predefined variables specifying texmf trees
used by the system, and their intended purpose, and their default
layout. The command \texttt{texconfig conf} shows you the values of
these variables, so that you can easily find out how they map to
directory names in your installation.

\begin{ttdescription}
\item [TEXMFMAIN] The tree which holds vital parts of the system
  such as helper scripts (e.g., \verb+web2c/mktexdir+) and
  other support files.
\item [TEXMFDIST] The tree which holds the main set of macro packages,
  fonts, etc., as originally distributed.
\item [TEXMFLOCAL] The tree which administrators can use for system-wide
  installation of additional or updated macros, fonts, etc.
\item [TEXMFHOME] The tree which users can use for their own individual
  installations of additional or updated macros, fonts, etc.
  The expansion of this variable depends on \verb+$HOME+ by default, % $
  which dynamically adjusts for each user to an individual
  directory.
\item [TEXMFCONFIG] The tree used by te\TeX's utilities
  \verb+texconfig+, \verb+updmap+, and \verb+fmtutil+ to store modified
  configuration data.  Under \verb+$HOME+ by default. %$
\item [TEXMFSYSCONFIG] The tree used by te\TeX's utilities
  \verb+texconfig-sys+, \verb+updmap-sys+, and \verb+fmtutil-sys+ to
  store modified configuration data.
\item [TEXMFVAR] The tree used by \verb+texconfig+, \verb+updmap+ and
  \verb+fmtutil+ to store (cached) runtime data such as format files and
  generated map files.  Under \verb+$HOME+ by default. %$
\item [TEXMFSYSVAR] The tree used by \verb+texconfig-sys+,
  \verb+updmap-sys+ and \verb+fmtutil-sys+ to store (cached) runtime
  data such as format files and generated map files.
\end{ttdescription}

\noindent
The default layout is:
\begin{description}
  \item[system-wide root] can span multiple \TL{} releases
  \begin{ttdescription}
    \item[2007] A previous release
    \begin{ttdescription}
      \item [] ...
    \end{ttdescription}
    \item[2008] the current release
    \begin{ttdescription}
      \item [TEXMFMAIN] \textit{i.e.} \texttt{texmf}
      \item [TEXMFDIST] \textit{i.e.} \texttt{texmf-dist}
      \item [TEXMFDOC] \textit{i.e.} \texttt{texmf-doc}
      \item [TEXMFSYSVAR] \textit{i.e.} \texttt{texmf-var}
      \item [TEXMFSYSCONFIG] \textit{i.e.} \texttt{texmf-config}
    \end{ttdescription}
    \item [TEXMFLOCAL] \textit{i.e.} \texttt{texmf-local}, can be
      retained from release to release
  \end{ttdescription}
  \item[user's home] \textit{i.e.} \texttt{\$HOME} or
      \texttt{\%USERPROFILE\%}
    \begin{ttdescription}
      \item[.texlive2007] Private generated and configuration data
        for a previous release
      \begin{ttdescription}
        \item [] ...
      \end{ttdescription}
      \item[.texlive2008] Private generated and configuration data
        for the current release
      \begin{ttdescription}
        \item [TEXMFVAR] \textit{i.e.} \texttt{texmf-var}
        \item [TEXMFCONFIG] \textit{i.e.} \texttt{texmf-config}
      \end{ttdescription}
    \item[TEXMFHOME] \textit{i.e.} \texttt{texmf} Private macros
      \textit{etc.}
  \end{ttdescription}
\end{description}

For more discussion of \texttt{texconfig} and related utilities, please
see section~\ref{sec:texconfig}, \p.\pageref{sec:texconfig}.


\subsection{Extensions to \protect\TeX}
\label{sec:tex-extensions}

\TeX{} itself is frozed, apart from rare bug fixes. It is still
present in \TL, and will remain so in the foreseeable future.  \TL{}
contains several extended versions of \TeX:

\begin{description}

\item [\eTeX] adds a set of new primitives
\label{text:etex} (related to macro expansion, character scanning,
classes of marks, additional debugging features, and more) and the
\TeXXeT{} extensions for bidirectional typesetting.  In default mode,
\eTeX{} is 100\% compatible with ordinary \TeX. See
\OnCD{texmf-dist/doc/etex/base/etex_man.pdf}.

\item [pdf\TeX] builds on the \eTeX\ extensions, adding support for
writing \acro{PDF} output as well as \dvi{}.  See
\OnCD{texmf/doc/pdftex/manual/} for the manual, and
\OnCD{texmf/doc/pdftex/manual/samplepdf/samplepdf.tex}.  This is the
default program for all formats except plain \TeX.

\item [Lua\TeX] (see \url{http://www.luatex.org/} and
  \OnCD{texmf-dist/doc/luatex/luatexref-t.pdf}) is the designated
  successor of pdf\TeX, with which it should be
  backward-compatible. It should also supersede Aleph, see
  below. The incorporated Lua interpreter (see
  \url{http://www.lua.org/}) enables elegant solutions for many
  thorny \TeX{} problems. When called as \texttt{texlua}, it
  functions as a standalone Lua interpreter, and is already used as
  such within \TL.

\item [Xe\TeX] adds support for Unicode input, OpenType- and system
  fonts, using third-party libraries.  See
  \url{http://scripts.sil.org/xetex}.

\item [\OMEGA\ (Omega)] is based on Unicode (16-bit characters), thus
supports working with almost all the world's scripts simultaneously. It
also supports so-called `\OMEGA{} Translation Processes' (\acro{OTP}s),
for performing complex transformations on arbitrary input. See
\OnCD{texmf-dist/doc/omega/base/doc-1.8.tex} (not completely up-to-date).

\item [Aleph] combines the \OMEGA\ and \eTeX\ extensions.
See \OnCD{texmf-dist/doc/aleph/base} for some minimal documentation.

\end{description}


\subsection{Other notable programs in \protect\TL}

Here are a few other commonly-used programs included in \TL{}:

\begin{cmddescription}

\item [bibtex] bibliography support.

\item [makeindex] index support.

\item [dvips] convert \dvi{} to \PS{}.

\item [xdvi] \dvi{} previewer for the X Window System.

\item [dvilj] \dvi{} drive for the HP LaserJet family.

\item [dv2dt, dt2dv] convert \dvi{} to/from plain text.

\item [dviconcat, dviselect] cut and paste pages
from \dvi{} files.

\item [dvipdfmx] convert \dvi{} to \acro{PDF}, an alternative approach
to pdf\TeX\ (mentioned above).  See the \pkgname{ps4pdf} and
\pkgname{pdftricks} packages for still more alternatives.

\item [psselect, psnup, \ldots] \PS{}
utilities.

\item [lacheck] \LaTeX{} syntax checker.

\item [texexec / texmfstart] Con\TeX{}t and \acro{PDF} processor.

\item [tex4ht] \TeX{} to \acro{HTML} converter.

\end{cmddescription}