Can't install tinytex properly via install_prebuilt()

[Tristan]

My understanding is that tinytex's install_prebuilt() command is supposed to help the unfortunate souls like me who work in an organization without enjoying administrative privileges. (I'm on Windows 7.)

When I try installing tinytex with the above command, the first bump I encounter is a pop-up window that tells me that texhash doesn't work "anymore":

After that, the script runs quite smoothly for a while; at the end I receive the following warning:

Warning message:
In download.file(url, output, ..., method = method) :
URL 'https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/yihui/tinytex/artifacts/TinyTeX.zip': status was 'Couldn't connect to server'

tinytex as such was installed:

tinytex:::is_tinytex()
#> [1] TRUE

Now, whenever I try to knit a pdf document, I receive output such as this:

Output created: mydoc.pdf
Fehler in abs_path(output_file) : The file 'mydoc.pdf' does not exist.
Ruft auf: <Anonymous> -> abs_path
Zusätzlich: Warnmeldung:
LaTeX Warning: Command \texteuro invalid in math mode on input line 281.
...
Ausführung angehalten

No TeX installation detected (TeX is required to create PDF output). You should install a recommended TeX distribution for your platform:

Windows: MiKTeX (Complete) ...

But from the command line, my system appears to recognise the installation:

C:\Users\me>pdflatex -version
pdfTeX 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.19 (TeX Live 2018/W32TeX)
kpathsea version 6.3.0
...

Could anyone help me with this? It'd be much appreciated!

[m.mkmontero13]

tinytex:::install_prebuilt is an un-exported function of tinytex. I suggest trying tinytex::install_tinytex. Note, you might have to do tinytex::uninstall_tinytex first.

[Tristan]

Thanks, but I'm using install_prebuilt precisely because install_tinytex doesn't work in my case. In my organisation, I cannot connect with the respective servers.

[m.mkmontero13]

I am assuming this is in a windows environment. Based on the source code for tinytex:::install_prebuilt, all it does is download a zip file and install.

    installer = "TinyTeX.zip"
    xfun::download_file("https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/yihui/tinytex/artifacts/TinyTeX.zip", 
      installer)
    install_windows_zip(installer)

Your company's firewall might be blocking you. I suggest to download yourself and use tinytex:::install_windows_zip (maybe you need to look at the source code there as well?)

[Tristan]

I think the installation as such is really not the problem here. Before changing the title and most of the text body of this topic, I'll rather delete it completely and start anew.