nov 15 tds...

[TWG-TDS@SHSU.edu]

Although installing TeX software packages might seem complicated, other
packages do exist, and installing different concurrent versions is often
also quite tricky.  Here, at CERN, one of my colleagues, Philippe Defert,
has developed a distributed system, where he can test, introduce on some
systems, or on all supported platforms a package, so that it can be released
to some subscribers for testing, for instance, before making it available
to a wider audience. At CERN (as, I am sure in many other places), we are
running a distributed AFS-based filebase, where thousands of machines,
at CERN or outside, get their software. They can copy (part of) it locally,
for efficiency, or run from the central servers.

For more information on this system, point your WWW browser at

http://wwwcn.cern.ch/dci/asis  or http://consult.cern.ch/writeups/asis

and/or get more information from Philippe himself (defert@cern.ch).

Michel

PS. I use this system all the time to release new version of TeX-related
    software, and, although it might seem overkill in a few cases, in a
    complicated distributed production environment it is a must.