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In order to get a fixed version of another package, I need to upgrade expl3. As I am sharing this project, I’d prefer to put the new version next to the document.

I extracted the l3kernels.tds.zip in a subdirecotry l3kernels.tds/ of the directory with my document test.text, which is simply

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{expl3}
\begin{document}
Hello \LaTeX
\end{document}

but when I run it as follows, it does not work:

/tmp/test $ TEXINPUTS=./l3kernel.tds//: pdflatex test.tex
This is pdfTeX, Version 3.141592653-2.6-1.40.22 (TeX Live 2021/nixos.org) (preloaded format=pdflatex)
 restricted \write18 enabled.
entering extended mode
(./test.tex
LaTeX2e <2021-11-15> patch level 1
L3 programming layer <2022-02-24>
(/nix/store/lw99xzbz6hw1mzg1zh9n1wxzpa497s25-texlive-combined-full-2021-final/s
hare/texmf/tex/latex/base/article.cls
Document Class: article 2021/10/04 v1.4n Standard LaTeX document class

(/nix/store/lw99xzbz6hw1mzg1zh9n1wxzpa497s25-texlive-combined-full-2021-final/s
hare/texmf/tex/latex/base/size10.clo))
(./l3kernel.tds/tex/latex/l3kernel/expl3.sty


! LaTeX3 Error: Mismatched LaTeX support files detected.
(LaTeX3)        Loading 'expl3.sty' aborted!
(LaTeX3)
(LaTeX3)        The L3 programming layer in the LaTeX format
(LaTeX3)        is dated 2022-02-24, but in your TeX tree the files require
(LaTeX3)        at least 2023-02-22.


For immediate help type H <return>.
 ...


l.77      \ExplLoaderFileDate{expl3.sty}}
                                         %
?

Should this not work? Am I misunderstanding how these .tds.zip files can be used?

Joachim Breitner
  • 2,870
  • expl3 is now part of the format, so you need to rebuild the format files. – Ulrike Fischer Feb 26 '23 at 16:35
  • Sorry, but I’m a bit lost what that means. What is “the format”? I am not rebuilding anything, merely trying to use the .tds.zip file, as suggested as an easy way to upgrade expl3 in https://tex.stackexchange.com/a/489649/15107 – Joachim Breitner Feb 26 '23 at 16:40
  • you need to run fmtutil-sys --byfmt pdflatex (with your texinputs setting) so that the pdflatex format is rebuilt and uses the new files too. – Ulrike Fischer Feb 26 '23 at 16:46
  • Hmm, I see. I fear that this may be quite annoying to get every collaborator (including those on Overleaf) to do properly. Nevertheless, thanks! – Joachim Breitner Feb 26 '23 at 16:48
  • why don't you switch to texlive 2022? it is on overleaf too. – Ulrike Fischer Feb 26 '23 at 16:49
  • Would that help? The message says “the files require at least 2023-02-22.” – Joachim Breitner Feb 26 '23 at 17:03
  • depends on which expl3 version/function your package needs. It is imho quite probable that it will work with the version in texlive 2022 – Ulrike Fischer Feb 26 '23 at 17:06
  • The package in question is siunitx, and the latest version seems to ask for expl3 2022-11-09 … anyways, I can try once I am off the shaky train wifi :-) – Joachim Breitner Feb 26 '23 at 17:09
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    could get difficult. siunitx really wants a newer version to use the new \codepoint_generate:nn function. – Ulrike Fischer Feb 26 '23 at 17:32
  • are you sure you want to do this? if you install a pakage-specific expl3, you will need to build a custom latex command for that package, and it will be incompatible with the rest of your tex input tree. It is not impossble, but a lot of work for almost no gain. – David Carlisle Feb 26 '23 at 18:44
  • Probably not… but I would like to get a bug-fixed siunitx version somehow to not get my results formatted wrongly :-). But I have a work-around (round in python, not in LaTeX), so not pressing. – Joachim Breitner Feb 26 '23 at 18:53

0 Answers0