texlive_base @2007_7 fails to build xdv2pdf, hamstringing xelatex

[stephen@…]

This is due to r52085. xdv2pdf simply won't build if have_carbon is no. See texk/xdv2pdf/configure.in.

[jmr@…]

is this still a problem with texlive-bin @2009_2?

[stephen@…]

It's hard to be sure because I've got multiple texlive installations, and xdv2pdf is on PATH at least once, but the answer seems to be no. /opt/local/bin/xetex (to which xelatex is a symlink) refers to xdvipdfmx, not to xdv2pdf. I think this was a transitional issue in TeX Live itself, not in MacPorts. I'm pretty sure "modern" TeX Live prefers xdvipdfmx anyway.

There was a minor glitch in the "upgrade -u" however, texlive_base did not get uninstalled "because texlive depends on it", which prevented texlive_texmf-{minimal,full} from uninstalling. With disk sizes these days I guess that's not a major problem, but it's a lot of MB that "upgrade -u" is supposed to help save. This would seem to be a port bug.

[dports@…]

As far as I understand xetex (I'm not an expert) this isn't a problem anymore. xdv2pdf isn't normally used by xetex anymore.

If you do want xdv2pdf, though, you can get it with the +atsui variant, although you'll then be stuck in 32-bit land.

[dports@…]

Replying to stephen@…:

There was a minor glitch in the "upgrade -u" however, texlive_base did not get uninstalled "because texlive depends on it", which prevented texlive_texmf-{minimal,full} from uninstalling. With disk sizes these days I guess that's not a major problem, but it's a lot of MB that "upgrade -u" is supposed to help save. This would seem to be a port bug.

I ran into this once too and it does sound like a possible bug in base. Filed a new ticket #25355 about it.

In the meantime, port -f uninstall texlive_base texlive_texmf-minimal texlive_texmf-full should get rid of the old ports (which are not needed for TL 2009)