[tex-live] using depot

[Karl Berry]

    I want don't want to put any
    created files like `latex.fmt' into the TeXLive workspace.

So, you mean a separate srcdir/builddir combination?  Have a "readonly"
srcdir (coming from the repository), but do builds and installs into
other directories?

I don't think this is possible.  At least, I'd be very surprised if all
the scripts and Makefiles in TL have that level of fortitude, although
the base Web2c (and maybe teTeX) does.