On 3/17/2026 10:13 AM, Max Chernoff wrote:
Hi Hans,
On Sun, 2026-03-15 at 17:18 +0100, Hans Hagen via ntg-context wrote:
Well, tex live kicks out files that reference non free fonts
That's not _quite_ true (but is fairly close). A file that exists only
for the purpose of using other non-free software (including fonts) isn't
allowed, with the exception that files that only reference non-free by
name (and not by content/structure) are allowed:
https://tug.org/texlive/pkgcontrib.html#requirements
Ha, sure, because if 'by name' was not permitted one could not include
for instance luatex binaries as they contain non free names (i wonder if
one can find filenames / names in oither tools in tex distributions,
engines, dvi processors, etc).
So maybe when we'd ship byte-compiled lfg files it would fall through.
The wording is a little confusing there (sorry), but I pushed for that
policy change to specifically allow including all the type-imp-* files,
including the ones that reference non-free fonts (since this wasn't
allowed prior to last May).
The *.lfg files for non-free fonts still aren't allowed though. Since
ConTeXt (understandably) gets confused when the goodie files are
missing, I've chosen to also exclude the corresponding type-imp-* files.
That is the strange thing: why does the policy permit filenames in tex
files but not in lua files ... baffles me. And we both know that there
are non-context files that relate to non free fonts but they can't be
left out because otherwise some free stuff doesn't work.
Anyway, I've given up understanding all this. It doesn't help making tex
more popular or even remaining popular or relevant. It's already a niche
anyway and this kind of things make it even more niche.
Currently, this means that the TL package excludes the following
type-imp-* files:
type-imp-cambria.mkiv
type-imp-koeielettersot.mkiv
type-imp-lucida.mkiv
type-imp-lucida-typeone.mkiv
type-imp-mathtimes.mkiv
type-imp-minion.mkiv
type-imp-mscore.mkiv
All the other files (even the ones that refer to non-free fonts) are
still included in TL.
I wonder if anyone would really bother if they were there. But if it
really matters I'll check my next linux update and wipe out all programs
that refer to something non-free, like browsers / css etc.
so these users are toast anyway.
Not quite "toast", just not installed by default. All these files are
available in the tlcontrib repo
https://contrib.texlive.info/
Poor users, who have to cope with all this.
so installing them only needs two commands:
$ tlmgr repository add https://mirror.ctan.org/systems/texlive/tlcontrib
tlcontrib
$ tlmgr install context-nonfree
That second line kind of indicates the weirdness. When I update the way
larger programs in an linux / windows installations I never have to do that.
After that, *all* of the files contained in the Standalone Distribution
but excluded from the default installation of TL will be available in
their standard locations, and will automatically update with the rest of
the packages.
Apart from the fact that some configurations are adapted wrt locating
files.
(I'm aware that this is still somewhat inconvenient, and that most users
won't do this, but this is the best/only option available to me.)
Sure, I know you somehow have to cope with it. Just hopew that no own
ask some chat to help with this as it can be halucinating.
Hans
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Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
tel: 038 477 53 69 | www.pragma-ade.nl | www.pragma-pod.nl
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