MiKTeX: Synchronize local and remote package repository

[Manuel Collado]

After downloading a full MiKTeX system into a local repository, it seems
appropriate to update it from time to time. The goal is to synchronize
the local repository with a remote MiKTeX repository, not to update a
MiKTeX installation.

After a careful reading of the documentation and several unsuccessful
attempts, it seems that neither the setup nor the package manager
utilities provide the required functionality. Right?

A general purpose mirroring tool, like wget or rsync could probably be
used, but before reinventing the wheel it would be nice to know if there
is a better way of achieving the task.

Has anybody already faced and solved the problem? Any recommendation?

Thanks in advance.
--
Manuel Collado - http://lml.ls.fi.upm.es/~mcollado

[José Carlos Santos]

On 24-11-2011 17:14, Manuel Collado wrote:

> After downloading a full MiKTeX system into a local repository, it seems
> appropriate to update it from time to time. The goal is to synchronize
> the local repository with a remote MiKTeX repository, not to update a
> MiKTeX installation.
>
> After a careful reading of the documentation and several unsuccessful
> attempts, it seems that neither the setup nor the package manager
> utilities provide the required functionality. Right?
>
> A general purpose mirroring tool, like wget or rsync could probably be
> used, but before reinventing the wheel it would be nice to know if there
> is a better way of achieving the task.
>
> Has anybody already faced and solved the problem? Any recommendation?

Yes. Post your questions at the MiKTeX mailing list.

Best regards,

Jose Carlos Santos

[José Carlos Santos]

I forgot to post the link:

https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/miktex-users

[KF Leong]

On Nov 25, 1:14 am, Manuel Collado <m.coll...@domain.invalid> wrote:
> After downloading a full MiKTeX system into a local repository, it seems
> appropriate to update it from time to time. The goal is to synchronize
> the local repository with a remote MiKTeX repository, not to update a
> MiKTeX installation.
>
> After a careful reading of the documentation and several unsuccessful
> attempts, it seems that neither the setup nor the package manager
> utilities provide the required functionality. Right?
>

Use the setup utility to update your local repository by "downloading"
again...

Start the setup utility and let it know the local repository folder
name, and choose "download" from the option screen, not install. It
will update the necessary files from the mirror.

HTH,
KF

[Manuel Collado]

My setup utility is located in the same directory of the downloaded
packages. When I execute the setup utility one more time after the first
download only the "install" option is offered, not the "download".

The "download" option is only available if the setup utility is executed
in a directory of its own, without already downloaded packages.

I'm I missing something?

Thanks,

[KF Leong]

On Nov 25, 4:37 pm, Manuel Collado <m.coll...@domain.invalid> wrote:
> My setup utility is located in the same directory of the downloaded
> packages. When I execute the setup utility one more time after the first
> download only the "install" option is offered, not the "download".
>
> The "download" option is only available if the setup utility is executed
> in a directory of its own, without already downloaded packages.

Copy the setup utility in another directory and start it from there.

HTH,
KF

[Manuel Collado]

Thanks for the hint. I've already tried this, but didn't realize that is
was possible to change the default suggestion for "where to download"
(initially, the directory where setup is located).

In any case, It seems weird that the "download" option is not available
in some cases. I would expect to always have a choice between "download"
and "install", and perhaps the availability of an already downloaded
package set be used only to preset the default option in the dialog panel.

Thanks, again.

[Josef Kleber]

Am 24.11.2011 18:14, schrieb Manuel Collado:
> After downloading a full MiKTeX system into a local repository, it seems
> appropriate to update it from time to time. The goal is to synchronize
> the local repository with a remote MiKTeX repository, not to update a
> MiKTeX installation.
>
> After a careful reading of the documentation and several unsuccessful
> attempts, it seems that neither the setup nor the package manager
> utilities provide the required functionality. Right?
>
> A general purpose mirroring tool, like wget or rsync could probably be
> used, but before reinventing the wheel it would be nice to know if there
> is a better way of achieving the task.
>
> Has anybody already faced and solved the problem? Any recommendation?

I once wrote a bash (-> cygwin) script
(http://www.ctan.org/pkg/miktex_update) for not just that task.

miktex_update -lbui -r C:/Repository

should do what you want. Using both -u and -i is undocumented, but will
switch off both updating and installing new packages. So just the
repository will be synchronized.

OTOH, the above call will be boiled down to just a rsync call. Therefore
the script might be overkill! ;-)
Also use the other features!

Josef

[Manuel Collado]

Thank you very much for your help. I've been told that the MiKTeX setup
utility can in fact do what I want, but in a somehow weird way. In any
case, a non-interactive tool to do routine tasks is certainly useful and
probably better.

Thanks, again.