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Running TeXLive 2009 on Ubuntu 10.4, a vanilla install. I used to be able to get updates for TeXLive 2009, I'm sure. But for months now it just tells me:

sudo /usr/local/texlive/2009/bin/i386-linux/tlmgr update --list
tlmgr: package repository http://www.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/systems/texlive/tlnet
tlmgr: no updates available

I have a large TeXLive installation, with lots of packages. I would expect dozens of updates weekly to CTAN. Wouldn't 'tlmgr' normally get them? Or do I misunderstand things.

I also tried the tlmgr GUI, with the same result. My net connection is working. Any ideas?

ScoBe
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1 Answers1

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We are currently 'between versions' of TeX Live. TeX Live 2009 is now 'frozen', which means there will be no further updates. Once TeX Live 2010 is released you'll be able to install it and update that. As I understand it, there are good technical reasons why TeX Live 2009 can't use the TeX Live 2010 packages (even though most of them do not contain binaries).

This question comes up quite a bit in one way or the other as MiKTeX has a different approach, with each version able to use its immediate predecessor's non-binary packages. So the TeX Live developers are well-aware that many users would like a more 'flexible' approach. As I say, I believe that there are good reasons why this is not currently the case.

Joseph Wright
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  • Until they get to that stage, maybe tlmgr should be able to detect such a freeze and send out a msg? – Leo Liu Aug 28 '10 at 06:53
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    It's easy to suggest things: I guess if you send the TL team a patch then it will happen :-) – Joseph Wright Aug 28 '10 at 08:03
  • I'm running a pretest version of TeXLive 2010, but I also find with tlmgr (and what I believe to be a correct repository) that no updates are available. Is this also the expected behaviour? – José Figueroa-O'Farrill Aug 28 '10 at 19:03
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    If I may answer my own question... I just came across a thread in the tex-live mailing list which seems to suggest that TeXLive 2010 pretest is also frozen prior to release. – José Figueroa-O'Farrill Aug 28 '10 at 19:16
  • Thanks, Joseph for the answer. I'm with Leo that it would be nice to know that that was the case. I assumed that perhaps my TeXLive install was set to use a mirror that had stopped updating, or that I had some other problem which was misreported as 'no updates available.' – ScoBe Aug 29 '10 at 22:22
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    @Leo (and Joseph and ScoBe): the embarrassing truth is, there is support in tlmgr for such a message, but we forgot about that and remembered too late to activate it. We'll try to do better next year. – mpg Oct 31 '10 at 01:34
  • These things happen – Joseph Wright Oct 31 '10 at 08:51