tlmgr-info

List all available TeX Live packages, prefexing installed ones with i

$ tlmgr info

$ tlmgr info collections

$ tlmgr info scheme

$ tlmgr info [package]

$ tlmgr info [package] --list

$ tlmgr info --only-installed

$ tlmgr info [package] --data "[name],[category],[installed],[size],[depends],[...]"

$ tlmgr info --json

tlmgr info [option]... [package|scheme|collection]...

package|scheme|collection...
    Specifies one or more names of TeX Live packages, schemes, or collections for which to display detailed information. If no names are provided, tlmgr info outputs general information about the TeX Live installation.

--list
    Lists all currently installed TeX Live packages, one per line. This option cannot be combined with specific package names and provides a simple list rather than detailed information.

--only-installed
    When displaying information for specified packages, this option restricts the output to only those packages that are currently installed on your system. It is useful for filtering results when a package might exist both locally and remotely.

--only-remote
    When displaying information for specified packages, this option restricts the output to only those packages that are available in the configured remote repositories but are not currently installed on your system. Useful for discovering available packages.

--data
    Outputs the information in a simple, machine-readable format, typically as key=value pairs. This format is useful for scripting and programmatic access to TeX Live data, although --json is generally preferred for new developments.

--json
    Outputs the information in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format. This is the recommended machine-readable output format, providing a structured and easily parseable representation of the TeX Live information.

--config
    Displays detailed configuration information about the current TeX Live installation, including paths, repository URL, and other environment-specific settings. This acts as a specific type of query for installation-wide settings rather than package-specific details.

The tlmgr-info command, part of the TeX Live Manager (tlmgr) suite, is used to display comprehensive information about TeX Live packages, schemes, collections, or the entire TeX Live installation. When invoked without specific arguments, it provides an overview of your TeX Live setup, including the version, installation path, and configured repositories. When used with one or more package, scheme, or collection names, it furnishes detailed data for those specific items, such as their version, dependencies, installation status (installed or remote-only), size, and description.

It's an invaluable tool for users to verify installations, troubleshoot issues, check package versions, and understand the contents of their TeX Live environment. The command supports various options to filter the displayed information and control the output format, making it suitable for both human readability and machine processing.

The accuracy and completeness of the information displayed by tlmgr-info depend on the integrity of your local TeX Live installation database and the accessibility of the configured remote TeX Live repositories. Network issues can affect information retrieval for remote packages. Using --data or --json will drastically change the output format, making it unsuitable for direct human reading unless parsed by a dedicated tool.

When tlmgr info is executed without any package names or specific filtering options (like --list or --config), it provides a high-level summary of the current TeX Live installation. This includes the TeX Live version, the installation directory, the primary repository being used, and other general configuration details.

For individual packages, tlmgr info typically provides comprehensive details such as: the package name, version, tag (e.g., 'installed', 'remote'), a short description, a more extensive long description, a list of dependencies, its installation status (whether it's installed locally or only available remotely), its size, and the repository it originates from. The exact fields may vary slightly depending on the package type and the chosen output format (e.g., default, --data, or --json).

The tlmgr utility, which includes the info subcommand, was introduced as the successor to older TeX Live management tools like install-tl's command-line interface. Its development aimed to provide a unified, robust, and extensible system for managing TeX Live installations. The info subcommand has been a core part of tlmgr since its inception, serving as a fundamental diagnostic and informational tool for TeX Live users and administrators.

tlmgr(1), tlmgr-install(1), tlmgr-update(1), tlmgr-remove(1)