On Sunday 28 October 2007 02:12:19 James Sparenberg wrote: > On Saturday 27 October 2007 06:58:19 Peter Flynn wrote: > > James Sparenberg wrote: > > [alternate install location] > > > > > No easy method no. On the other hand one of the first things a deb > > > installer does is check to see if it can install. (meaning it has > > > enough space) and then bomb out if it doesn't. > > > > That'll do nicely. > > > > > I might be possible to unpack the deb and do some hand manipulation > > > (also involves a chicken bone and eye of newt at midnight.) but no > > > easy way I know of. > > > > That's not a problem. I'm accustomed to passing dead chickens over the > > keyboard, and I know the "right" directory structure (TDS) and where to > > put it. > > Then look into google and methods for cracking open a deb. It's pretty > straight forward BUT you loss all install scripts. > > > > Problem here is that the creators of deb/rpm/etc haved intentionally > > > pushed this function to the side to maintain ease of use for the > > > greatest number of users. Those of us who dare try the chicken bone > > > ritual are on our own. > > > > Absolutely. It's the one area where the otherwise intolerable Windows > > installation nov^H^H^Hwizards score: they *ask* where you want it put, > > which is precisely what most Unix users *don't* want to have to bother > > with. The problem only really arises on systems with very restricted > > internal (/usr/share, /usr/local) space (PDAs) but with potentially > > large volumes off to one side like /media. Perhaps it's time to suggest > > that .debs could provide installation parameters like > > > > filetree: texmf > > default-install-location: /usr/share > > alternate-install-location: /usr/local/share > > alternate-install-location: /mnt/* > > alternate-install-location: /media/* > > > > (the * meaning "prompt user"). Purists will hate the idea of initiating > > a dialog during an install, but for applications which have a very large > > data footprint like TeX, I think it's justifiable. > > But allowing files all over the place violates the FHS. and there is the > nasty little problem of removal. Even in windows land if you put it in > the "wrong" place you pay a removal tax. Linux doesn't (unless you a a > gnomey) have a registry ... (thank god) and so when we remove things they > are really gone not just removing a letter in a file name. > > The other option is to not use debs. Build it from source and tarball it > over. then you get it where you want. (I do ti all the time. on my > laptop.) > > > > oh and you can't execute a binary from the mmc cards by default either. > > > File system mount thing. > > > > Ah. But presumably you can > > $ ln -s /media/disk1/texmf/bin/latex /usr/local/bin/ > > (it certainly worked on the Zaurus). > > Hence the word default.... It was meant as a heads up. By defautl the > dosFS is mounted ro not rw. > > And I'm tired that should have been noexec not exec. They are mounted rw.... *sigh* Sorry for the error there. James
