How to net install TeXLive under Linux

A little preface

TeXLive is one of the most complete distribution for LaTeX.
It's better not to use the Linux commands for TeXLive installing, as the following: "sudo dnf install texlive-scheme-full" in Fedora or "apt-get install texlive" in Ubuntu and derivated. The best installation tool is the original TexLive distribution. It's very easy (if I could do it, everyone can do it). For a complete description of the various installing tools for TexLive you can read the Tex Live availability page.

Installing from the net

In this post I describe only the first installation method: the network installation

First Steps

1. Download the launch file: the file named install-tl-unx.tar.gz (3.3mb) is perfect for Linux.
2. Unpack the file and enter in the folder
3. Run (as Super User) ./install-tl (remember the "./")
4. FIRST STOP: pay attention to the following screen:

 ======================> TeX Live installation procedure
        <===================== 
        ======> Letters/digits in <angle brackets> indicate
        <======= 
        ======> menu items for commands or options <======= 
        Detected platform: GNU/Linux on x86_64 
        <B> binary platforms: 1 out of 17 
        <S> set installation scheme (scheme-full) 
        <C> customizing installation collections 
        47 collections out of 48, disk space required: 4382 MB 
        <D> directories: 
        TEXDIR (the main TeX directory): 
        /usr/local/texlive/2016 
        TEXMFLOCAL (directory for site-wide local files): 
        /usr/local/texlive/texmf-local 
        TEXMFSYSVAR (directory for variable and automatically generated data): 
        /usr/local/texlive/2016/texmf-var 
        TEXMFSYSCONFIG (directory for local config): 
        /usr/local/texlive/2016/texmf-config 
        TEXMFVAR (personal directory for variable and automatically generated
        data): 
        ~/.texlive2016/texmf-var 
        TEXMFCONFIG (personal directory for local config): 
        ~/.texlive2016/texmf-config 
        TEXMFHOME (directory for user-specific files): 
        ~/texmf 
        <O> options: 
        [ ] use letter size instead of A4 by default 
        [X] allow execution of restricted list of programs via write18 
        [X] create all format files 
        [X] install macro/font doc tree 
       [X] install macro/font source tree 
       [ ] create symlinks to standard directories 
     <V> set up for portable installation 
       Actions: 
       <I> start installation to hard disk 
       <H> help 
       <Q> quit     
       Enter command: 
       

An important option

At this point you must take a decision for the option: <[ ] create symlinks to standard directories&gt. If you do not want to modify the PATH by hand it's best to select this option.

The symlink configuration

Press the letter to get the following screen: ===============================================================================
Options setup:

<P> use letter size instead of A4 by default: [ ]
<E> execution of restricted list of programs: [X]
<F> create format files: [X]
<D> install font/macro doc tree: [X]
<S> install font/macro source tree: [X]
<L> create symlinks in standard directories: [ ]
binaries to:
manpages to:
info to:

Actions: (disk space required: 4382 MB)
<R> return to main menu
<Q> quit

Enter command:

Now press and confirm the three progressive rows appearing gradually: Enter command: L
New value for binary directory [/usr/local/bin]:
New value for man directory [/usr/local/man]:
New value for info directory [/usr/local/info]:

The links are now added to the options setup: <L> create symlinks in standard directories: [X]
binaries to: /usr/local/bin
manpages to: /usr/local/man
info to: /usr/local/info



Start the installation in your pc

Now you can press the <I> letter and wait for the installation process. There are 3272 files to install. So you must wait a little and take a cup of coffee.

Fig. 1: Waiting for the installation process...

The installation is ended

Did you like your coffee? Now it's time to see the screen:

/usr/local/texlive/2016/index.html
for links to documentation. The TeX Live web site
contains updates and corrections: http://tug.org/texlive.

TeX Live is a joint project of the TeX user groups around the world;
please consider supporting it by joining the group best for you. The
list of user groups is on the web at http://tug.org/usergroups.html.

Add /usr/local/texlive/2016/texmf-dist/doc/info to INFOPATH.
Add /usr/local/texlive/2016/texmf-dist/doc/man to MANPATH
(if not dynamically found).

Most importantly, add /usr/local/texlive/2016/bin/x86_64-linux
to your PATH for current and future sessions.

Welcome to TeX Live!
Logfile: /usr/local/texlive/2016/install-tl.log



Wow! It seems that everything is OK!

Let's try the installation

To try the installation you can use the string specified in the instructions page: latex small2e:

This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.17 (TeX Live 2016) (preloaded format=latex)
restricted \write18 enabled.
entering extended mode
(/usr/local/texlive/2016/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/small2e.tex
LaTeX2e <2016/03/31> patch level 2
Babel <3.9r> and hyphenation patterns for 83 language(s) loaded.
(/usr/local/texlive/2016/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/article.cls
Document Class: article 2014/09/29 v1.4h Standard LaTeX document class
(/usr/local/texlive/2016/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/size10.clo))
No file small2e.aux.
(/usr/local/texlive/2016/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/omscmr.fd) [1]
(./small2e.aux) )
Output written on small2e.dvi (1 page, 1780 bytes).
Transcript written on small2e.log.


If all it's OK you find a small2e.dvi file in the same install folder If we try to see it with the command <okular small2e.dvi> we get:

Fig. 2: If you see this document it's all right!

Everything is fine. End of the story. You can enjoy your TeXLive distribution.

And now?

But how can I enjoy it? We still have an important step: we must choose and install an editing tool.
But this is another story... to be continued.
Thank you for reading this post and for visiting my blog.