Implementation Issues

Contents
5Adoption of the TDS
8Expediting the Process
BRecursive Subdirectory Searching
?Subdirectory Searching Syntax
6Mixed Case Filenames

HWe believe that the TDS has the potential to bring a great deal of order8to the current anarchic state of many TeX installations.6In addition, by providing a common frame of reference,<it will ease the burden of documenting administrative tasks.8Finally, it is a necessary part of any reasonable system2of true ``drop-in'' distribution packages for TeX.;

Adoption of the TDS

EWe recognize that adoption of TDS will not be immediate or universal.FMost TeX administrators will not be inclined to make the switch until:

Clear and demonstrable benefits can be shown for the TDS.
TDS-compliant versions of all key programs are availablecin ported, well-tested forms.
A ``settling'' period has taken place, to flush out problems. TheGpublic release of this document is the first step in this process.

1Consequently, most of the first trials of the TDS,will be made by members of the TDS committee*and/or developers of TeX-related software.KIndeed, some of this has taken place during the course of our deliberationsr(see Section C, Related References for a sample tree available electronically).HThese trials may result in minor modifications to the TDS specification.,They will certainly result in the production2of a substantial number of TDS-compliant packages.

IOnce installable forms of key TDS-compliant packages are more widespread,8some TeX administrators will set up TDS-compliant trees,8possibly in parallel to existing production directories.:This testing will flush out problems that were not obvious2in the confined settings of the developers' sites.GIn particular, it should help to flush out OS and package dependencies,5package interdependencies, and other esoteric details*that were not considered by the committee.

,Finally, after most of the dust has settled,Aeven conservative TeX administrators will begin to adopt the TDS.?Eventually, most TeX sites will have adopted the new structure,Iand most common packages will be readily available in TDS-compliant form.