Using the tlmgr backup command (with examples)
1: Making a backup of one or more packages
Use Case:
Often, when managing TeX Live packages, it is necessary to create backups to ensure that previous versions of the packages can be restored if needed. By using the tlmgr backup command, you can easily create backups of one or more packages.
Code:
tlmgr backup package1 package2 ...
Explanation:
In this example, package1, package2, and so on represent the names of the packages you want to backup. You can specify multiple packages by separating their names with spaces.
Example Output:
Creating backup for package1...
Backup created successfully for package1.
Creating backup for package2...
Backup created successfully for package2.
...
2: Making a backup of all packages
Use Case: Sometimes, you may want to create backups of all installed packages in TeX Live. This can be useful in case you need to restore the entire TeX Live installation to a previous state.
Code:
tlmgr backup --all
Explanation:
The --all option tells the tlmgr backup command to create backups of all installed packages.
Example Output:
Creating backup for package1...
Backup created successfully for package1.
Creating backup for package2...
Backup created successfully for package2.
...
3: Making a backup to a custom directory
Use Case:
By default, TeX Live stores backups in a specific directory. However, in some cases, you may want to specify a different directory for storing the backups. The tlmgr backup command allows you to do this by using the --backupdir option.
Code:
tlmgr backup package --backupdir path/to/backup_directory
Explanation:
In this example, package represents the name of the package you want to backup, and path/to/backup_directory represents the custom directory where you want to store the backup.
Example Output:
Creating backup for package...
Backup created successfully for package and stored in path/to/backup_directory.
4: Removing a backup of one or more packages
Use Case:
Over time, backups of packages may accumulate and take up unnecessary disk space. To clean up these backups, you can use the tlmgr backup clean command to remove specific backup files.
Code:
tlmgr backup clean package1 package2 ...
Explanation:
In this example, package1, package2, and so on represent the names of the packages for which you want to remove the backups. You can specify multiple packages by separating their names with spaces.
Example Output:
Removing backup for package1...
Backup removed successfully for package1.
Removing backup for package2...
Backup removed successfully for package2.
...
5: Removing all backups
Use Case:
In certain situations, you may want to delete all backups of TeX Live packages to free up disk space or start with a clean backup directory. The tlmgr backup clean --all command allows you to easily remove all backups.
Code:
tlmgr backup clean --all
Explanation:
The --all option tells the tlmgr backup clean command to remove all backups of TeX Live packages.
Example Output:
Removing backup for package1...
Backup removed successfully for package1.
Removing backup for package2...
Backup removed successfully for package2.
...
In conclusion, the tlmgr backup command provides an easy way to manage backups of TeX Live packages. Whether you need to create backups of specific packages, all packages, or remove backups, these different use cases will help you efficiently manage your TeX Live installation.
