FS#59094 - [texlive-bin] Unable to set default page size, because tlmgr is missing

Attached to Project: Arch Linux
Opened by Moabit (Moabit) - Thursday, 21 June 2018, 02:45 GMT
Last edited by Antonio Rojas (arojas) - Monday, 29 May 2023, 22:03 GMT
Task Type Bug Report
Category Packages: Extra
Status Closed
Assigned To Rémy Oudompheng (remyoudompheng)
Architecture All
Severity Low
Priority Normal
Reported Version
Due in Version Undecided
Due Date Undecided
Percent Complete 100%
Votes 3
Private No

Details

Description: it is impossible to set a default page size, because texlive-bin removes tlmgr, as per this forum thread [a]. In this thread, it was suggested that Arch mimics Debian's policy. Apparently, in Debian you can use `paperconfig` [b]. I tested in Arch, and `$ paperconfig -p a4` wrote `a4` to `/etc/papersize`. However, this did not affect paper size when rendering to PDF.

[a] https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1792611
[b] https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/389931/setting-default-paper-size-for-texlive-on-debian

Additional info:
* texlive-bin 2018.47465-2

Steps to reproduce:
* Attempt to set default paper size with tlmgr or paperconfig
* Render LaTeX document to PDF
This task depends upon

Closed by  Antonio Rojas (arojas)
Monday, 29 May 2023, 22:03 GMT
Reason for closing:  Fixed
Additional comments about closing:  texlive-bin 2023.66984-2
Comment by Bruno Pagani (ArchangeGabriel) - Thursday, 21 June 2018, 09:32 GMT
This is kind of a workaround, but not that much: if you use a4 as the default size, you should probably use KOMA-Script classes instead of standard ones.
Comment by Stefan Husmann (stefanhusmann) - Friday, 22 June 2018, 15:44 GMT
The problem has nothing todo with certain classes. The problem is that texconfig obviously now needs a working tlmgr, and the Arch Linux packages do not provide one. I guess this was to avoid mangling between files coming with official packages and those coming from tlmgr, so it was made by design. But when that decision was made, texconfig did not need tlmgr.
Comment by Bruno Pagani (ArchangeGabriel) - Friday, 22 June 2018, 15:47 GMT
I know, I was just saying that regarding setting A4 as the default, the real solution is to switch to classes that were made with A4 in mind, as opposite to default ones made with US letter as the standard. When changing papersize, a lot of things need to be adjusted to keep following typography best practices.

I do agree that texconfig needs to be fixed one way or another, maybe by patching it.
Comment by Stefan Husmann (stefanhusmann) - Saturday, 23 June 2018, 14:10 GMT
Maybe texconfig should not be fixed but abandoned. It seems almost every configuration option texconfig was used for in former days should now be done by tlmgr.
Comment by Moabit (Moabit) - Sunday, 13 September 2020, 08:46 GMT
Happy bug-wrangling day! I tested again, and this issue is still present, with tlmgr missing.

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