[tex-live] tl09 release status: coming up

[Philip TAYLOR]

Robin Fairbairns wrote:

>> Surely the responsibility for the enforcement of
>> system policies lies with the system administrator,
>> not with the software supplier ?
> 
> certainly, in my view.
> 
> every step that tex live takes to make installation difficult for users
> in managed environments, makes life even more difficult for users who
> want to install on their home machines.

There is also the point that one administrator's policies
may be complete anathema to another, so it is unrealistic
(as well as unfair) to expect a software suite such as
TeX Live to meet the demands of both.  Rather, as Reinhard,
Robin and Victor have already argued, TeX Live should
be as easy to install as possible (even, perhaps especially,
for unprivileged mortals).

In my experience, system policies can work in only two
possible scenarios :

1) The military-style scenario : "transgress, and you
face a court-martial"

2) Genuine mutual agreement : The system management
propose policies, these are debated by the users,
and agreement is reached after each side has explained
his/her point of view and a  mutually-agreeable
compromise is reached.

Where neither of these obtain, there is likely to be
considerable user dissatisfaction, and the more techno-
literate members of the user community will successfully
circumvent whatever policies are getting in the way
of them doing their jobs properly.

** Phil.