#257 Which directory should I choose for TeX?

[andreafc]

During "configure" it tells me it wants to install TeX files to /usr/local/share/texmf/tex/latex/gnuplot. However I have TeXLive 2020 installed and it's in a different directory. I don't know exactly which directory I should choose with --with-texdir=DIR because there is no texmf directory under /usr/local/texlive/2020. There is a texmf-dist a texmf-var and a texmf-config.

There is already a gnuplot directory under

/usr/local/texlive/2020/texmf-dist/doc/context/third/gnuplot /usr/local/texlive/2020/texmf-dist/doc/latex/bodegraph/gnuplot /usr/local/texlive/2020/texmf-dist/metapost/context/third/gnuplot /usr/local/texlive/2020/texmf-dist/tex/context/third/gnuplot

but none of this makes much sense to me. Any suggestion?

[Ethan Merritt]

Install it wherever you like and tell TeXLive to look there in addition to the default places.
TeXLive 2020 recommends using a new configuration tool tlmgr to do this. I am not familiar with this new tool but the man page seems clear enough. Here is one section:

MULTIPLE REPOSITORIES
The main TeX Live repository contains a vast array of packages. Nevertheless,
additional local repositories can be useful to provide locally-installed resources,
such as proprietary fonts and house styles. Also, alternative package repositories
distribute packages that cannot or should not be included in TeX Live, for whatever
reason.
The simplest and most reliable method is to temporarily set the installation source
to any repository (with the "-repository" or "option repository" command line
options), and perform your operations.
When you are using multiple repositories over a sustained length of time, however,
explicitly switching between them becomes inconvenient. Thus, it's possible to
tell "tlmgr" about additional repositories you want to use. The basic command is
"tlmgr repository add". The rest of this section explains further.

[andreafc]

Ooops, thanks to you and shame on me!

I have been using tlmgr for at least 4 years and I have to admit that I never rtfm.