From looking at texexec.rb and tex.rb, the destination for texexec is
# mkdir /usr/local/share/texmf # cd /usr/local/share/texmf # unzip /path/to/fresh/cont-tmf.zip # chmod 755 scripts/context/ruby/texmfstart.rb # texexec --make # mv conte-en.fmt cont-nl.fmt metafun.mem mptopdf.fmt web2c/ # texhash I don't understand how the 'mv' worked. I'm experimenting here with it and similar methods, and the formats go into ~/.texmf-config/web2c/pdfetex/ whereas in the commands above, it looks like they went into /usr/local/share/texmf/ ? the first non-. path in "kpsewhich --engine=pdfetex --show-path=fmt" Oh wait, maybe the old texexec does something different (for example, put the formats in the current directory)? From your logs, you are using: texexec : TeXExec 5.4.3 - ConTeXt / PRAGMA ADE 1997-2005 which is the old, Perl version. But now the python, sorry I mean ruby version will be installed and used for the next update. Here's what texexec (v6, i.e. ruby) did here: TeXExec | TeXExec | tex engine path: /home/sanjoy/.texmf-config/web2c/pdfetex TeXExec | mps engine path: /home/sanjoy/.texmf-config/web2c TeXExec | TeXExec | tex: 04/10/2006 23:27:43 > /home/sanjoy/.texmf-config/web2c/pdfetex/cont-en.fmt (7041446) etc. So will the formats from that update go into the per-user .texmf-config/ tree or into a system-wide tree? A related point, but probably not essential, is that the formats, or maybe only the non-mpost ones, should go into web2c/pdfetex/ in case there's a different, incompatible engine some day (e.g. luatex). All this bootstrapping point is what I've had a hard time figuring out, so I'm never sure that my installation method is robust. For example, I want a method that one can repeat and it keeps working. So I thought the easiest is solution to let ctxtools --updatecontext do the work, with some help from environment variables (I would set TEXMFLOCAL to ~/texmf while running it).
"If you have already followed the *following* steps" (my emphasis) which seems a little odd to some non-native speakers,
That's okay language wise ('following' meaning here upcoming) -- a common usage before a colon (:). Though it is a bit confusing here because of the followed and following nearby. -Sanjoy `Never underestimate the evil of which men of power are capable.' --Bertrand Russell, _War Crimes in Vietnam_, chapter 1.