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References: <199707080127.LAA19021@flash.anu.edu.au>
            <E0wlVa9-0003ap-00@heaton.cl.cam.ac.uk>
Message-ID:  <199707081042.UAA21153@flash.anu.edu.au>
Reply-To: Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project
              <LATEX-L@RELAY.URZ.UNI-HEIDELBERG.DE>
In-Reply-To:  <E0wlVa9-0003ap-00@heaton.cl.cam.ac.uk>
Date:         Tue, 8 Jul 1997 20:42:35 +1000
From: Richard Walker <Richard.Walker@CS.ANU.EDU.AU>
Sender: Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project
              <LATEX-L@RELAY.URZ.UNI-HEIDELBERG.DE>
To: Multiple recipients of list LATEX-L
              <LATEX-L@RELAY.URZ.UNI-HEIDELBERG.DE>
Subject:      Re: discussing relation of LaTeX to TeX successors
Status: R

Robin Fairbairns writes:
 > Richard Walker writes:
 > > Clearly the reason we do not have this for CTAN is the fact that TDS
 > > is still only a `draft' standard.
 >
 > What an astounding logical leap.  You suppose that the CTAN team (who
 > have to provide the steering scripts on the archive sites) have
 > nothing to do with the matter?

Of course not!  What lies behind my comment is that the reason (OK, I
take back `the' reason!) that the CPAN/CPAN.pm system `works' is that
(a) all packages contain the necessary files to work with CPAN.pm, and
(b) any Perl user is guaranteed (?) to have the `correct' directory
structure.

In the TeX world, the CTAN team and package writers can deliver only
part (a).  Until an individual TeX site addresses part (b) by
conforming to TDS, it will not be able to take advantage of that
wonderful work.

Of course, a system administrator who is willing to use a pre-packaged
system such as teTeX or the TeX Live CD has a head start.  But there
are a lot of `legacy' TeX systems . . . .

OK, now I'm stating the obvious, so I'll stop right here.

 > People, on the whole, pay no attention to the LaTeX team[*], any more
 > than they do to the CTAN team or any other well-meaning group of
 > individuals.

Hence my comment in reply to Rainer:

 Maybe the availability of a CTAN.pm would encourage wide
 acceptance of TDS?

 > Roughly speaking, if you want something done, you have
 > to do it yourself.  Don't imagine that (in the free software world)
 > highly desirable things are going to happen simply because it would be
 > nice if they did...

Oh, I am under no such delusions!  Maybe a revised vol-task.tex would
help.  (The version on CTAN dates back to 1994.)  On the other hand,
perhaps experience tells you that it wouldn't (or worse, that revising
it would be a waste of time)?

In any case, keep letting us all know what you guys are up to.
Otherwise I (and others not in the know) will have to keep guessing.

 > [*] This mailing list is, of course, an exception to this rule -- one
 > might expect it to consist largely of people who have a general
 > respect for the team, and a willingness to accept their suggestions.
 > But it's not exclusive even among our numbers, and in the world at
 > large...

Grapefruit for breakfast this morning? :-)