I'm just following some of the standalone installation instructions as per the wiki alongside a TeX Live installation, but there are a few things that don't add up or I can't seem to add them up :). first, while I was trying to mtxrun --generate it returned /usr/bin/env texlua no such file or directory So I thought heck, perhaps by creating a symbolic link we'll call it a day, but that wasn't enough, nope. This is is circa 21st century ladies and gentlemen! so I thought, alright, since there seems ot be a a problem with texlua, let's also add it to path somehow. So with that out of the way, we'll move on to the next step and change to a directory and try to call out mtxrun --generate again It returns: mtxrun --generate resolvers | resolving | variable 'SELFAUTOLOC' set to '/home/ce/context/bin' resolvers | resolving | variable 'SELFAUTODIR' set to '/home/ce/context' resolvers | resolving | variable 'SELFAUTOPARENT' set to '/home/ce' resolvers | resolving | variable 'TEXMFCNF' set to '' resolvers | resolving | variable 'TEXMF' set to '' resolvers | resolving | variable 'TEXOS' set to 'context' resolvers | resolving | resolvers | resolving | using configuration specification 'home:texmf/web2c;{selfautoloc:,selfautoloc:/share/texmf-local/web2c,selfautoloc:/share/texmf-dist/web2c,selfautoloc:/share/texmf/web2c,selfautoloc:/texmf-local/web2c,selfautoloc:/texmf-dist/web2c,selfautoloc:/texmf/web2c,selfautodir:,selfautodir:/share/texmf-local/web2c,selfautodir:/share/texmf-dist/web2c,selfautodir:/share/texmf/web2c,selfautodir:/texmf-local/web2c,selfautodir:/texmf-dist/web2c,selfautodir:/texmf/web2c,$SELFAUTOGRANDPARENT/texmf-local/web2c,selfautoparent:,selfautoparent:/share/texmf-local/web2c,selfautoparent:/share/texmf-dist/web2c,selfautoparent:/share/texmf/web2c,selfautoparent:/texmf-local/web2c,selfautoparent:/texmf-dist/web2c,selfautoparent:/texmf/web2c}' resolvers | resolving | resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf/web2c' from specification 'home:texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on weird path '/home/ce/context/bin' from specification 'selfautoloc:' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on weird path '/home/ce/context' from specification 'selfautodir:' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '$SELFAUTOGRANDPARENT/texmf-local/web2c' from specification '$SELFAUTOGRANDPARENT/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on weird path '/home/ce' from specification 'selfautoparent:' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf/web2c' from specification 'home:texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on weird path '/home/ce/context/bin' from specification 'selfautoloc:' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on weird path '/home/ce/context' from specification 'selfautodir:' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '$SELFAUTOGRANDPARENT/texmf-local/web2c' from specification '$SELFAUTOGRANDPARENT/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on weird path '/home/ce' from specification 'selfautoparent:' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | resolvers | resolving | warning: no lua configuration files found resolvers | resolving | no texmf paths are defined (using TEXMF) resolvers | resolving | mtxrun | mtxrun | elapsed lua time: 0.038 seconds But this is the catch. I don't have texmfcnf.lua anymore . Not on the TeX Live installation anyway if that might've ever materialize as a question If I were to invoke an mtxrun --script cache --erase it follows it would return something as mtxrun --script cache --erase mtxrun | forcing cache reload resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf/web2c' from specification 'home:texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on weird path '/home/ce/context/bin' from specification 'selfautoloc:' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on weird path '/home/ce/context' from specification 'selfautodir:' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '$SELFAUTOGRANDPARENT/texmf-local/web2c' from specification '$SELFAUTOGRANDPARENT/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on weird path '/home/ce' from specification 'selfautoparent:' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf/web2c' from specification 'home:texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on weird path '/home/ce/context/bin' from specification 'selfautoloc:' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on weird path '/home/ce/context' from specification 'selfautodir:' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '$SELFAUTOGRANDPARENT/texmf-local/web2c' from specification '$SELFAUTOGRANDPARENT/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on weird path '/home/ce' from specification 'selfautoparent:' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf-local/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf-dist/web2c' resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf/web2c' resolvers | resolving | resolvers | resolving | warning: no lua configuration files found resolvers | resolving | no texmf paths are defined (using TEXMF) resolvers | resolving | mtxrun | the resolver databases are not present or outdated resolvers | resolving | using suffix based filetype 'scripts' resolvers | resolving | remembering file 'mtx-cache.lua' using hash 'lua::mtx-cache.lua' resolvers | resolving | using suffix based filetype 'scripts' resolvers | resolving | remembering file 'mtx-caches.lua' using hash 'lua::mtx-caches.lua' resolvers | resolving | remembered file 'mtx-cache.lua' resolvers | resolving | using suffix based filetype 'scripts' resolvers | resolving | remembering file 'mtx-t-cache.lua' using hash 'lua::mtx-t-cache.lua' resolvers | resolving | using suffix based filetype 'scripts' resolvers | resolving | remembering file 'mtx-t-caches.lua' using hash 'lua::mtx-t-caches.lua' resolvers | resolving | remembered file 'mtx-t-cache.lua' resolvers | resolving | using suffix based filetype 'scripts' resolvers | resolving | remembering file 'cache.lua' using hash 'lua::cache.lua' mtxrun | unknown script 'cache.lua' or 'mtx-cache.lua' Of course and going solely by the above the part whenever it says resolvers | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/context/bin/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf/web2c' wont' find it anywhere because that dir does not exist. But remember that earlier, adding bin to path was necessary to avoid /usr/bin/env texlua no such file or directory message But even now while trying to find plain.tex I've come to the conclusion that it needs it or else fails altogether The problem is that I don't have plain.tex though. As a matter of fact the TeX Live installation I currently have, plain tex is nowhere to be seen, heck, not even latex but only a handful set of fmtutil fmtuitl-sys mktexfmt and updmap updmap-sys and the whole remainder of kpathsea but then again this in practice would not even be needed if at all. In other words, only the TeX Live infrastructure needed which shouldn't be a problem, right? But itis: a problem that is. Besides. The reason I mentioned it is only to serve reference material , but that's it. to recap, mtxrun looks for a texmfcnf.lua (which I don't have) and also for a plain.tex which I don't have either, and also presumably for a contextcnf.lua (which I have) but the script concept is not so smart, and finishes off with a final note that says warning: no lua configuration files found. No shit Sherlock! Of course it can't find it, because it doesn't exist, resolvers | resolving | looking for fallback 'contextcnf.lua' on given path '/home/ce/texmf/web2c' from specification 'home:texmf/web2c' But at this point and without sugar coating it, the standalone installation of context proves to be a chore more problematic than waiting to install over 5gb of TeX Live alone. The only thing that the installation instructions got right from the start was the part about running the script with all modules. I'll probably… and eventually will try to install the whole TeX Live. But going solely by what the current TeX Live on my machine looks like, , with just the infrastcucture, while anything mtx was dropped like a hot potato really, it's a predicament... -- Systems programmers are the high priests of a low cult. -- R.S. Barton -- Real computer scientists don't write code. They occasionally tinker with `programming systems', but those are so high level that they hardly count (and rarely count accurately; precision is for applications). -- FORTRAN is not a flower but a weed -- it is hardy, occasionally blooms, and grows in every computer. -- A.J. Perlis