I may be wrong but my understanding of the discussion is that we are moving towards a situation where LyX can only be installed if the latest MikTeX is or has been installed. If this is so, then I have some doubts whether this is wise and practical:
2018-05-14 11:08 GMT+02:00 Bernt Lie <bernt....@usn.no>: > A slight update on my indicated procedure in #2: I am, of course, no > developer and no computer scientist. So let me indicate some understanding > also for decisions made on things I don't understand. > > Suppose... updating MikTeX leads to the following: > * the latest MikTeX is not backwards compatible, i.e., documents that used > to work stop working -- that would be a pain for the guy who provides the > Windows installation, > * installing the latest MikTeX leads to wiping out currently installed > templates, etc. for journals, conferences, etc., so that these must be > reinstalled -- probably something that some people would find a pain, and > bitch about, > * installing the latest MikTeX has proved to be problematic for some > versions of Windows (e.g., some users tend to prefer Windows 7 and refuse > to update to Windows 10, etc., etc.). > > Precisely for these and similar reasons, it is not wise to require updating MikTeX to the latest one. The latest one is usually not the one that was current at the time LyX was compiled and the installer created. So we can never guarantee that LyX works with the latest MikTeX, and therefore we should not require updating to the latest one. Instead the procedure followed until 2.2.3 works always. That is: there are two installers. The first one installs only LyX, and it is up to the user to ensure that he has a working and compatible TeX installation, whether that is the latest MikTeX, an earlier MikTeX, TeX Live, or another one. The second one installs LyX + MikTeX; users choosing this installer should be warned that LyX may cease to work correctly, if they update or otherwise change the MikTeX installation, and that MikTex should remain frozen. Moreover there is now a TeX Live distribution for Windows, and if we require MikTeX (that is, if the installer refuses to install unless MikTeX is installed), this would be a great barrier to users who favor TeX Live. > In summary: I understand some caution if the guy who provides the Windows > installation may come in a situation that makes many users "mad". That is > never a good situation. > I agree. Requiring to update to the latest MikTeX could possibly lead to a lot of questions to the maintainer. Cheers, Kees
