tlmgr-dump-tlpdb

Dump the local package database

Dump the remote package database
Dump the local package database as JSON

tlmgr-dump-tlpdb

This command is primarily an internal script of the TeX Live system and is typically invoked without any direct user-provided arguments. Its behavior is often influenced by environment variables set by the calling tlmgr process.

The `tlmgr-dump-tlpdb` command is an internal utility script primarily used by the TeX Live Manager (tlmgr) to generate a comprehensive dump of the TeX Live Package Database (tlpdb). This database contains information about all installed and available TeX Live packages, including their versions, dependencies, and file lists.

While tlmgr provides user-friendly commands like `tlmgr dump` to access this information, `tlmgr-dump-tlpdb` is the underlying Perl script responsible for parsing the `tlpdb` file and outputting its contents in a machine-readable format to standard output. It is not generally intended for direct invocation by end-users, but rather as a backend component of the TeX Live package management system. Its output is crucial for tlmgr operations such as updates, installations, and consistency checks.

Not for Direct User Use: This command is an internal component of TeX Live and is not designed for direct invocation by end-users. Running it manually might produce raw, complex output that is difficult to interpret without understanding the `tlpdb` format.

Environment Dependency: Its proper functioning heavily relies on the correct TeX Live environment being set up (e.g., via `PATH` and `TEXMFCNF` environment variables).

Output Format: The output is highly structured and machine-readable, intended for parsing by tlmgr or other scripts, not for human readability.

For users wishing to inspect the TeX Live package database, the recommended command is `tlmgr dump`. This command offers various options (e.g., `--json`, `--machine-readable`, `--list-options`) to control the output format and content, making it much more user-friendly than directly invoking `tlmgr-dump-tlpdb`. It effectively acts as a wrapper around this internal script.

`tlmgr-dump-tlpdb` is an integral part of the TeX Live distribution's package management system. As TeX Live evolved its robust tlmgr (TeX Live Manager) tool for managing installations, updates, and package information, specialized internal scripts like `tlmgr-dump-tlpdb` were developed to handle specific backend tasks, such as parsing and dumping the crucial `tlpdb` (TeX Live Package Database). Its development runs in parallel with the ongoing evolution of tlmgr itself, aiming to provide a reliable and efficient mechanism for querying package data programmatically.

tlmgr(1), kpsewhich(1), tex(1)