TeXLive 2023 Windows Installer doesn't start post-download/-installation config (no tlmgr, texworks etc.)...?

[epsilon at int.pl]

/Answers and update below, in the quoted email. J.K./

Topic: Re: TeXLive 2023 Windows Installer doesn't start post-download/-installation config (no tlmgr, texworks etc.)...?
Sent: 2023-05-02 10:19
From: "Siep Kroonenberg" <siepo at bitmuis.nl>
To: "epsilon at int.pl" <epsilon at int.pl>; 
Cc: tex-live at tug.org; 

> Does the TeX Live directory tree look basically complete?
 
Basically, yes (with some exceptions), as the \texlive and \texlive\2023 directory tree looks basically fine and everything seems to be split in the right places (e.g., I think all downloaded bibtex styles are in place, and the only exception is that [additional?] folders named "texlive2023" and "texmf" are not in the user's home directory), BUT there is one problem: a number of applications seem to be missing from the \texlive\2023\bin\windows folder. The folder itself contains 47 files (~43MB in total), when on another device with a smaller installation of TeXLive 2019 the corresponding folder has 395 files (~128MB). In addition, many essential applications, such as bibtex, kpsewhich, latex, tex, tlmgr, tlshell, texworks and many others, are missing from the bin\windows folder (compering to TeXLive 2019).

> If so, you can manually add C:\texlive\2023\bin\windows to the
> searchpath. Other important postprocessing can be done from tlshell,
> via the items in the Actions submenu, i.e. generating the filename
> database and generating formats and fontmaps.

I have added the path to \windows. But (a) as I mentioned above, tlshell is still not recognised as a proper command; (b) running any of the programs that are in \bin\windows I get one of the possible errors like "The launcher should be in the root of TeXLive or in the bin\windows subdirectory" or "runscript.dll not found"/"MSVCR100.dll not found".

> You would still miss out on file associations, and TeXworks may
> require manual configuration.

Ok, so how should I create the correct file associations later? What are the standard associations created by the installer, with which files, using what? Also, in this hypothetical situation, I understand that I should install TeXworks separately and configure it -- is the configuration with TeXLive somehow non-standard in this case and needs attention/tutorial?

> Also: do you have cygwin somewhere on the searchpath? This may have
> caused problems.
 
I don't. Cygwin is not installed, nor is it on the paths (unless it installed itself during the TeXLive installation, but there is no sign of Cygwin or reason why it would interfere during the installation discussed above).

> -- 
> Siep Kroonenberg
> 

Kind regards,
Jan Kaput