[Mac OS X TeX] What TeX? How TeX? [was: How many TeXs for OSX...]

[William Duckworth]

Michael Murray posted a list he compiled of possible ways to 
implement TeX on OSX. It included:

(1) teTeX + Acrobat reader or OS X Preview.
(2) X-Windows TeX.  You can set up a typical UNIX TeX install by 
getting XWindows
(3) OzTeX
(4) TeXShop
(5) iMacTeX
(6) TeXPalette
(7) CMacTeX
(8) TeXTools for OS X
(9) Scientific Assistant
(10) Textures for MacOS X is not here yet but is supposed to be 
coming. Has its own editor.

He included some comments about which use teTeX, which can use teTeX, 
which don't, etc...This was helpful.

For the record, I use OzTeX(Carbon)+Alpha(Classic).

I've been a casual "listener" to this list since it started. I 
understand that OSX is in flux as are various ports from unix to OSX 
as well as Carbon ports of old Mac favorites. With the possible 
exceptions of (9) and (10) (we will have to wait and see), I believe 
all of the above can be based off of one teTeX distribution 
(Gerben's). (Right?)

Is it possible (and would someone like to document how) to install 
Gerben's teTeX distribution (so that one can tex, dvips, ps2pdf, 
pdflatex, pdftex from the Terminal command line---as a bare minimum 
TeX installation---I believe this is option (1) above) and 
install/configure/use options (2)-(8) with the Gerben-base-teTeX 
installation in a way that allows easy customization (add my .sty, 
.bib, etc) that doesn't get clobbered when one upgrades Gerben's 
stuff and/or one of the packages (2)-(8) (since them are upgraded so 
frequently)?? And can this be done to be compatible with fink 
installations of unix software also?

Maybe it is clear to some how to do this. Maybe some have such a 
setup working. I know some (at least one!) are somewhat overwhelmed 
with all the ins and outs of where stuff should be (fonts, sty files, 
etc) and how to get Package (x) working with teTeX without breaking 
them both, etc.....

The reason I chose OzTeX way back when, was I didn't wan't to have 
the usual unix-TeX-related headaches and Andrew does an incredible 
job handling all the uglies for me. But now, with a command line just 
a click away, I'm interested in integrating my favorite TeX app with 
existing tools.



-- 
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Dr. William Duckworth II       email: wmd at iastate.edu
326 Snedecor Hall              phone: 515-294-7766
Iowa State University          fax:   515-294-4040
Statistical Laboratory and     Spring 2002 office hours:
Department of Statistics         M 9a, W 3p, R 8:30a, F 1p
Ames, IA  50011-1210           http://www.public.iastate.edu/~wmd/
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