[Tex/LaTex] Installing TeXlive on Windows is a security problem

installingtexlivewindows

I have a "security agent" on my computer which impedes texlive install:

  1. There are packages with file names ending with .doc.tar.xz.
  2. The
    installer decompresses the archives, which normaly results in an
    executable file, ending with .doc.
  3. Apparently this triggers my
    Windows "security agent" and it removes executable permissions
    from these files.
  4. With the executable permissions removed, the
    installer is unable to untar the archive, resulting in an error and the end of the installation attempt.

I encounter similar problems when there is a .win32 in the file name, but not always. For instance the package luatex.win32 will always fail to untar, but bibtex.win32 untar-ed without errors.

I must now find a way to manually, pre-untar all the archives and then trigger the installer. How can this be done? It appears the -in-place option can be used for that but I wouldn't know how to proceed.

Best Answer

If your "security agent" is blocking TeXLive and you are not allowed to accommodate TeXLive (which could theoretically open doors to other untrusted programs or viruses), then TeXLive may still be run on your Windows machine using a couple of workaround approaches. They don't, however, fix the underlying cause of why you can't install TeXLive in the firstplace. So if you can't fix that conveniently, these will work:

One Approach: From TeXLive, download the full TeXLive Distribution ISO and "burn" that to DVD or external memory card, like a thumbdrive or SD card. ["burn" means you use special software to copy an iso, so that it's "binary" format stays intact. A regular "copy" will not work, as it rearranges the "bits" from one file format to the destinations file format]. So, this may also involve you downloading another app designed to "burn" iso files to their target destinations, unless you already have such a tool installed.]

Another Approach: [much more Laborious, put potentially more convenient after it's done] Use a Virtual Machine, with Linux running within, and TeXLive running within Linux... all on your Windows Machine.

[A virtual machine allows you to run an alternate operating system within Windows, but everything is "sandboxed" within the virtual machine, and software run within the virtual machine is isolated and kept from interfering with Windows operating system functions]

--Download a Virtual Machine like VirtualBox

--Download a Linux operating system like Ubuntu or Kubuntu (they install as iso files into the virtual machine as a later step)

--Install the virtual machine. With Virtualbox you will be warned that it will disrupt your network connections during the install. You can click NO if you want don't want to allow the VirtualBox a network connection, and then you can configure that later as desired, or use a manually downloaded texlive-full iso to install within the Virtual Box. ALSO make sure you serve 4GB or more RAM for Kubuntu (2GB minimum). Windows will be left with the remainder RAM reserved for itself (make sure it has at least an equal amount of RAM left).

-- click NEW from Virtualbox taskbar, and Create Virtual Machine select the operating system you want the Virtual Machine to Run As, NAME:whatever; TYPE:Linux; VERSION:Kubuntu. [at this point you will need to select your Ubuntu or Kubutu iso file from Virtualbox]

--If you setup the network connection, apply all updates to your Virtualbox Kubuntu operating system first, then with Kubuntu fully up-to-date, you can just open up the terminal-console window and issue this one command, which will download and install the full TeXLive distribution into VirtualBox. This command will work on Ubuntu or Kubuntu: sudo apt install texlive-full from the terminal window.

BUT, I hope you find a more convenient answer than that lengthy workaround.

Related Question