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I am attempting to participate in Pretesting TeX Live 2022. I realize the testing in not for beginners, so with only a few years with TeX, I may be over my head. But I've read that "The entire TeX Live community greatly benefits from all testing before the official release." so I'd like to give it a try.

I've read the Pretesting TeX Live 2022 page, but my UNIX knowledge is limited. I am unable to execute the rsync -a --delete --exclude="mactex*" somemirror::/some/path/ /your/local/dir with any success. Instead I downloaded the mactex-20220301.pkg file directly and followed the instructions to install MacTeX-2022.

After installing the mactex-20220301.pkg, I am wondering if I also need to follow-up the mactex-20220301 installation by running install-tl, which I have not succeeded in doing so far (nothing seems to happen).

When I attempt to run TeXShop, I see a number of errors about how downloading requires a "list of files".

Obviously, I need to do more. My question is must I absolutely run the full rsync command, e.g. rsync -a --delete --include="mactex-2*" --exclude="*" somemirror::/some/path/ /your/local/dir?

If so, I'd appreciate any pointers anyone can provide to do so. If not, I can wait a few weeks until the official 2022 version is released. Thanks.

Update: I have tried 3 different versions of the rsync command (to no avail), each attempting to download files from the www.math.utah.edu server which is listed as one of the mactex-2022 TeX sites at the status of texlive-pretest mirrors :

  • rsync -a --delete --include="mactex-2*" --exclude="*" http://www.math.utah.edu::/pub/tlpretest/ /usr/local/texlive/2022 (note double colon, w http://)

  • rsync -a --delete --include="mactex-2*" --exclude="*" www.math.utah.edu::pub/tlpretest/ /usr/local/texlive/2022/ (note double colon, no http://)

  • rsync -a --delete --include="mactex-2*" --exclude="*" www.math.utah.edu:/pub/tlpretest/ /usr/local/texlive/2022/ (note single colon, no http://)

None of the above attempts were successful.

Update 2: Completed the update as per Answer 1. (Total runtime ~8hrs.) At the end of the install-tl.log file, there are two comments:

Add /usr/local/texlive/2022/texmf-dist/doc/man to MANPATH.

Add /usr/local/texlive/2022/texmf-dist/doc/info to INFOPATH.

How do I add the above pathways to MANPATH and INFOPATH respectively?

From looking at the log file, mactex-2022 is an impressive accomplishment by the TeX community. Thanks again.

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    well I don't have a mac, but I would expect that simply installing the pkg should work. On windows the installation is quite similar to a normal installation. The main difference is that you have to use a special repository for updates and further downloads. The pretest files exist only in special mirrors (that is the "somemirror" in the instruction above), see tug.org/texlive/mirmon for a list.
    – Ulrike Fischer
    Commented Mar 7, 2022 at 8:25
  • For rsync remember to use the correct rsync URL, ftp.math.utah.edu::tlpretest , slso remember that you'll need write access if you want to test the pretest in /usr/local/texlive/2022/ (I would not install the pretest into an official local like that, I'd put it in a subfolder at my own user)
    – daleif
    Commented Mar 7, 2022 at 10:55
  • @daleif - Thanks for the comment. Did not see it until after I started Answer 1. I have r/w on 2022. Do I need to add r/w access for all the 2022 subfolders? Right now only system has r/w on subfolders. If so, should I add r/w for Administrators, or just myself, or both? Thks!
    – Fenote
    Commented Mar 7, 2022 at 21:32

1 Answer 1

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You have two options: use the MacTeX pretest images, or install using the standard Unix tools

MacTeX

There is a MacTeX image available from the pretesting sites: you can just download that and install it 'as normal'. This will set your standard TeX system to TL'22, so be mindful of that (or use the TeX Live Utility to set another system if required).

Command line

You can install the standard TeX Live setup using the command line (Terminal on the Mac, but much the same on other operating systems)

  • Download install-tl-unx.tar.gz from one of the pretest mirrors (I use http://ftp.cstug.cz/pub/tex/local/tlpretest/)

  • Extract the archive (you can do that by double-clicking it in Finder)

  • Open the Terminal, do cd Downloads/install-tl-<the date in the name>

  • Run sudo ./install-tl -repository <mirror> (so for me sudo ./install-tl -repository http://ftp.cstug.cz/pub/tex/local/tlpretest/). This will use a GUI installer: I tend to go with the terminal version by using the -gui text option

  • Accept the defaults (or not) and let the installation run

This will not add the testing TeX Live to your PATH, so for example in a GUI editor you'll need to select /usr/local/texlive/2022/bin/universal-darwin as the place to find binaries. Or at the Terminal you can do

export PATH=/usr/local/texlive/2022/bin/universal-darwin:$PATH

which will then mean that this particular Terminal session will find the new binaries before the standard MacTeX ones.

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  • Thanks for your answer ... I'm a bit sleep deprived, so I'd like to have a look at what you've suggested and get back to you if I have any questions. It may be a simple fix, but UNIX is not my strong suit and I may need to do a bit of research. Thank you for the effort to lay out what I'll need to do. I'm looking forward to install the MacTeX 2022 files, and I'm hoping your code will get me there. Thanks!
    – Fenote
    Commented Mar 7, 2022 at 9:24
  • So much for getting sleep ... I thought I'd try your code b4 going to sleep. The TeX Live Installer is RUNNING! Yes! The only change I had to make to your Command line code (I'm on a Mac) was to the 'cd' command ... I had to use 'chdir' instead, e.g. chdir Downloads/install-tl-<the date in the name>. This is going to run for a WHILE ... now at 0125/4336, so I'll need a bit more time b4 I can run your export code. Then I'll test the install just to be sure there isn't anything else I need to do, at which point I'll be able to accept your answer. Thank you.
    – Fenote
    Commented Mar 7, 2022 at 10:01
  • If you downloaded the mactex-20220301.pkg and installed it there is nothing more to do.
    – Herb Schulz
    Commented Mar 7, 2022 at 14:40
  • @Herb Schulz - Thanks for the comment. I downloaded and installed the mactex-20220301.pkg earlier and encountered errors, hence the reason for this question, e.g. did I also need to run install-tl. I should know in a short while whether I see any other errors using Joseph Wright's technique.
    – Fenote
    Commented Mar 7, 2022 at 21:16
  • I've been able to get TeX Live Utility working by using math.utah.edu/pub/tlpretest as the repository with 'No Updates Available' as a response. TeXShop appears to run, but now I have a memory error unrelated to the 2022 installation: TeX capacity exceeded, sorry [main memory size=5000000]. This is further than I've be able to go prior to Joseph Wright's Answer. Looks like I have some research to do though. Thank you everyone for all your assistance.
    – Fenote
    Commented Mar 7, 2022 at 22:37

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