[tex-live] tpm files, function="buildFormat"

[Karl Berry]

    norbert> TPM:Execute function="buildFormat"
    >Is there a reason why this is not used, and can this be put into the the
    >respective tpm files easily? That would be a big help for me!

I had no memory that this existed, but I guess Seb has explained.  

    >Having this information in the buildFormat would be nice.

I gather you don't need the information in a TPM:Execute specifically,
just would like it somewhere in the tpm.  Right?  I suppose it's doable,
but I have no idea what the relevant packages and formats are, BTW
... do you?

On a somewhat related subject, I wouldn't mind adding some more fields
to the tpm schema, not for use by the actual installers like
install-tl.sh, but for our utilities which try to update packages from
CTAN to TL.  Right now I have a bunch of special cases embedded in the
scripts, but having it all data-driven from the tpm seems like it would
be cleaner.  Not that this is high on my priority list.  And I expect it
would tie into the catalogue and CTAN dtd projects ...

(Turns out comments get eradicated by tpm-factory, BTW.)

    >For now I am using the standard fmtutil.cnf without any modifications,
    >even if some engine is not installed.

Is this a problem?

    Seb> why do you want to precreate formats? 

I have been pondering the idea of precreating some common formats in
order to make the DVD truly "live" (for some users), ie, no writable
local directories required.  It seems to me this would be a good thing.

I haven't actually tried it, so I don't know if there are other issues
with doing so.  I don't think the amount of space would be impossible,
especially since it's only relevant to the DVD these days anyway.

karl