Hi,

I'm having a problem with TeXLive 2021 in conjunction with MkIV.
Basically, executing context results in:

	% context
	mtxrun          | unknown script 'context.lua' or 'mtx-context.lua

I researched this and found that probably there is a path problem.
LaTeX seems to be using kpathsea and /etc/texmf.cnf while context uses
texmfcnf.lua.

Looking into this file, it defines nearly all paths relative to "home:"
or "selfautoparent:". Home is self explaining. I have no clue what
selfautoparent is and also did not find an explanation in the internet.

Anyway, selfautoparent seems not to be resolved correctly. I figured
this by running `mtxrun --variables`. Here is a little excerpt:

	resolvers       | lists | TEXMF
	resolvers       | lists |   env: {$TEXMFCONFIG,$TEXMFHOME,!!$TEXMFSYSCONFIG,!!$TEXMFSYSVAR,!!$TEXMFPROJECT,!!$TEXMFFONTS,!!$TEXMFLOCAL,!!$TEXMFDIST}
	resolvers       | lists |   var: TEXMF
	resolvers       | lists |   exp: {home:.texlive2020/texmf-config,home:texmf,!!selfautoparent:texmf-config,!!selfautoparent:texmf-var,!!selfautoparent:texmf-project,!!selfautoparent:texmf-fonts,!!.,!!selfautoparent:texmf-dist}
	resolvers       | lists |   res: {/home/gerion/.texlive2020/texmf-config,/home/gerion/texmf,!!./texmf-config,!!./texmf-var,!!./texmf-project,!!./texmf-fonts,!!.,!!./texmf-dist}
	...
	resolvers       | lists | TEXMFSYSVAR
	resolvers       | lists |   env: selfautoparent:texmf-var
	resolvers       | lists |   var: TEXMFSYSVAR
	resolvers       | lists |   exp: selfautoparent:texmf-var
	resolvers       | lists |   res: ./texmf-var
	resolvers       | lists | TEXMFVAR
	resolvers       | lists |   env: unset
	resolvers       | lists |   var: TEXMFVAR
	resolvers       | lists |   exp: home:.texlive2020/texmf-var
	resolvers       | lists |   res: /home/gerion/.texlive2020/texmf-var

"home:" seems to be resolved correctly to "/home/gerion". "selfautoparent"
seems to be resolved to "." (the current directory?).
My context (and TeXLive) installation is in /usr/share/texmf-dist.
So running mtxrun --generate in exactly this directory and running
context after that works:

	% mtxrun --generate
	resolvers       | resolving | variable 'SELFAUTOLOC' set to '/usr/bin'
	resolvers       | resolving | variable 'SELFAUTODIR' set to '/usr'
	resolvers       | resolving | variable 'SELFAUTOPARENT' set to '.'
	resolvers       | resolving | variable 'TEXMFCNF' set to ''
	resolvers       | resolving | variable 'TEXMF' set to ''
	resolvers       | resolving | variable 'TEXOS' set to 'usr'
	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/gerion/texmf/web2c' from specification 'home:texmf/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on weird path '/usr/bin' from specification 'selfautoloc:'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/usr/bin/share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf-local/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/usr/bin/share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf-dist/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/usr/bin/share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/share/texmf/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/usr/bin/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf-local/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/usr/bin/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf-dist/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/usr/bin/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoloc:/texmf/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on weird path '/usr' from specification 'selfautodir:'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/usr/share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf-local/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/usr/share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf-dist/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | found regular configuration file '/usr/share/texmf-dist/web2c/texmfcnf.lua'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/usr/share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/share/texmf/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/usr/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/texmf-local/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/usr/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautodir:/texmf-dist/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path '/usr/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 '.' from specification 'selfautoparent:'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path './share/texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf-local/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path './share/texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf-dist/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path './share/texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/share/texmf/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path './texmf-local/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf-local/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path './texmf-dist/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf-dist/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving | looking for regular 'texmfcnf.lua' on given path './texmf/web2c' from specification 'selfautoparent:/texmf/web2c'
	resolvers       | resolving |
	resolvers       | resolving | loading configuration file 'selfautodir:/share/texmf-dist/web2c/texmfcnf.lua'
	resolvers       | resolving |
	resolvers       | resolving | locating list of 'home:.texlive2020/texmf-config' (runtime) (tree:///home:.texlive2020/texmf-config)
	resolvers       | methods | resolving, method 'locators', how 'uri', handler 'tree', argument 'tree:///home:.texlive2020/texmf-config'
	resolvers       | trees | locator 'home:.texlive2020/texmf-config' not found
	resolvers       | resolving | locating list of 'home:texmf' (runtime) (tree:///home:texmf)
	resolvers       | methods | resolving, method 'locators', how 'uri', handler 'tree', argument 'tree:///home:texmf'
	resolvers       | trees | locator 'home:texmf' not found
	resolvers       | resolving | locating list of 'selfautoparent:texmf-config' (cached)
	resolvers       | methods | resolving, method 'locators', how 'uri', handler 'file', argument 'selfautoparent:texmf-config'
	resolvers       | files | file locator 'selfautoparent:texmf-config' not found
	resolvers       | resolving | locating list of 'selfautoparent:texmf-var' (cached)
	resolvers       | methods | resolving, method 'locators', how 'uri', handler 'file', argument 'selfautoparent:texmf-var'
	resolvers       | files | file locator 'selfautoparent:texmf-var' not found
	resolvers       | resolving | locating list of 'selfautoparent:texmf-project' (cached)
	resolvers       | methods | resolving, method 'locators', how 'uri', handler 'file', argument 'selfautoparent:texmf-project'
	resolvers       | files | file locator 'selfautoparent:texmf-project' not found
	resolvers       | resolving | locating list of 'selfautoparent:texmf-fonts' (cached)
	resolvers       | methods | resolving, method 'locators', how 'uri', handler 'file', argument 'selfautoparent:texmf-fonts'
	resolvers       | files | file locator 'selfautoparent:texmf-fonts' not found
	resolvers       | resolving | locating list of '.' (cached)
	resolvers       | methods | resolving, method 'locators', how 'uri', handler 'file', argument '.'
	resolvers       | files | file locator '.' found as '.'
	resolvers       | resolving | hash '.' appended
	resolvers       | resolving | locating list of 'selfautoparent:texmf-dist' (cached)
	resolvers       | methods | resolving, method 'locators', how 'uri', handler 'file', argument 'selfautoparent:texmf-dist'
	resolvers       | files | file locator 'selfautoparent:texmf-dist' not found
	resolvers       | resolving |
	resolvers       | methods | resolving, method 'generators', how 'uri', handler 'file', argument '.'
	resolvers       | expansions | scanning path '.', branch '.'
	resolvers       | globbing | confusing filename, name: 'custMatTransform.py', lower: 'custmattransform.py', already: 'CustMatTransform.py'
	resolvers       | globbing | confusing filename, name: 'setCustomAnchor.py', lower: 'setcustomanchor.py', already: 'SetCustomAnchor.py'
	resolvers       | globbing | confusing filename, name: 'widg_addLabel.py', lower: 'widg_addlabel.py', already: 'Widg_addLabel.py'
	resolvers       | globbing | confusing filename, name: 'widg_addPolyOpt.py', lower: 'widg_addpolyopt.py', already: 'Widg_addPolyOpt.py'
	resolvers       | globbing | confusing filename, name: 'widg_editBezier.py', lower: 'widg_editbezier.py', already: 'Widg_editBezier.py'
	resolvers       | expansions | 126789 files found on 6128 directories with 72213 uppercase remappings
	resolvers       | resolving |
	resolvers       | resolving | saving tree '.'
	resolvers       | caches | hashing tree '.', hash '5058f1af8388633f609cadb75a75dc9d'
	resolvers       | caches | hashing tree 'selfautodir:/share/texmf-dist/web2c/texmfcnf.lua', hash '0399a8df3aef8d154781d0a9c2b8e28d'
	resolvers       | caching | preparing 'files' for '.'
	resolvers       | caching | category 'files', cachename '.' saved in '/home/gerion/.texlive2020/texmf-var/luatex-cache/context/0399a8df3aef8d154781d0a9c2b8e28d/trees/5058f1af8388633f609cadb75a75dc9d.lua'
	system          | lua | compiling '/home/gerion/.texlive2020/texmf-var/luatex-cache/context/0399a8df3aef8d154781d0a9c2b8e28d/trees/5058f1af8388633f609cadb75a75dc9d.lua' into '/home/gerion/.texlive2020/texmf-var/luatex-cache/context/0399a8df3aef8d154781d0a9c2b8e28d/trees/5058f1af8388633f609cadb75a75dc9d.luc'
	system          | lua | dumping '/home/gerion/.texlive2020/texmf-var/luatex-cache/context/0399a8df3aef8d154781d0a9c2b8e28d/trees/5058f1af8388633f609cadb75a75dc9d.lua' into '/home/gerion/.texlive2020/texmf-var/luatex-cache/context/0399a8df3aef8d154781d0a9c2b8e28d/trees/5058f1af8388633f609cadb75a75dc9d.luc' stripped
	resolvers       | caching | 'files' compiled to '/home/gerion/.texlive2020/texmf-var/luatex-cache/context/0399a8df3aef8d154781d0a9c2b8e28d/trees/5058f1af8388633f609cadb75a75dc9d.luc'
	mtxrun          |
	mtxrun          | elapsed lua time: 1.427 seconds
	% context --version
	mtx-context     | ConTeXt Process Management 1.03
	mtx-context     |
	mtx-context     | main context file: tex/context/base/mkiv/context.mkiv
	mtx-context     | current version: 2020.03.10 14:44
	mtx-context     | main context file: tex/context/base/mkiv/context.mkxl
	mtx-context     | current version: 2020.03.10 14:44

However, this is specific to exactly that directory. Running context or
mtxrun anywhere else does not work.

Can you help me fixing that? Do I need to edit texmfcnf.lua or is there
a correct place for setting the tex installation directory?

My distribution is Gentoo. I use the texlive packages from there. Also,
this Gentoo bug is related: https://bugs.gentoo.org/740442
So probably, this is a Gentoo packaging problem. However, I'm asking
here because I think that you know best about the search path internals.

My main problem is to understand the path and variable resolving of
context. Which files does it look at and what is selfautoparent?

Best,
Gerion