[OS X TeX] New TeX i-Packages release

[stephenmoye at cox.net]

> 
> From: "Gary L. Gray" <gray at engr.psu.edu>
> Date: 2005/10/12 Wed PM 12:18:05 EDT
> To: "TeX on Mac OS X Mailing List" <MacOSX-TeX at email.esm.psu.edu>
> Subject: Re: [OS X TeX] New TeX i-Packages release
> 
> 
> On Oct 12, 2005, at 10:41 AM, Herbert Schulz wrote:
> 
> > Where did you have the map files?
> 
> The map file is at:
> 
> ~/Library/texmf/fonts/map/dvips/ifmath/iffonts.map
> 
> > If they were in your personal tree check to make sure they are  
> > still there.
> 
> Yes, as I indicate above, it is still there.
> 
> > If not, get them from a backup and you may have to do an updmap-sys  
> > to enable the maps and add them to the list. I think (big  
> > assumption here) that the distribution will delete map files in ~/ 
> > Library/texmf/fonts/map/*/updmap/.
> 
> I thought about that, but when given the option, I have been telling  
> it to keep my stuff. I think that the window was titled something  
> like "Individual user configuration handling?". I told it to "Keep as  
> is". Is this what you are referring to? Should I have done something  
> else?
> 
> > PS I have no problem with the informal math fonts here but I  
> > installed them in texmf.local.
> 
> I would really like to know what happened here. I must say that I am  
> not the most novice user and I am finding all of these choices to be  
> more confusing all the time. I really wish that more information was  
> provided when major changes to the installation are made (as appears  
> to be the case with the recent TeX release). I am not saying that the  
> changes shouldn't have been made since they appear (from what I have  
> gleaned from the list) to be important, I just wish that the  
> consequences were better summarized for people like me. Am I the only  
> person whose head is spinning? I pity people who are just starting  
> out. :-)
> 
> -- Gary
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No, you are not the only person dealing with spinning head syndrom. Where are the various bits and pieces supposed to go? In ~/Library/texmf*? Some other place? This doesn't matter so much with automatic installs (say, from i-installer) but what do I do when I have my map files, fonts, etc? Is ~/Library/texmf* still the best place to put input, style and class files? What flavor of updmap do I run, and when? What happens to my modifications to my TeX environment when I update it? Indeed, it sounds as if there is no 'personal' TeX environment except from the command line.

In all, I'm confused -- the more so in that, say, a year ago or so, these problems weren't making themselves felt.

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