[OS X TeX] Finally we are grown up

[Norman Gray]

Claus, hello.

While it's good that you've reminded us that the TeXLive distribution  
is available and pretty reliable, I think you're being uncharitable  
about the value of Gerben's distribution, and probably optimistic  
about the support load required.

I've fiddled with multiple TeX distributions in my time, and if I  
recall correctly TeXLive was one of the best, in that it got  
everything 99% correct, and required very little tweaking  
afterwards.  Gerben's, however, got everything 100% right, as far as  
I was concerned; and that's impressive, as that last 1% is the really  
hard one.

The novelty of tweaking my TeX distribution has long passed me by,  
thank heaven.

On 2006 Nov 17 , at 12.28, Claus Gerhardt wrote:

> even a fairly skilled tex literate, as I consider myself, feels as  
> being treated like a child who can only accept what is offered

Gerben's distribution didn't treat me like a child.  It treated me as  
something who had other things to think about.  And if I want more,  
or want it arranged differently, I can just rewrite texmf.cnf --  
what's the problem?

On top of that, Gerben's distribution wasn't just the TeX tree --  
more than half the value was a set of other utilities which installed  
painlessly (that is, in under two blasted wasted days) and worked  
together transparently.  I do _not_ want the hassle of working that  
out for myself.

> Regarding your P.S., I am sure that texlive will require no support  
> for the average user

Hmmm.  Would you lay money on that?

All the best,

Norman


-- 
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Norman Gray  /  http://nxg.me.uk
eurovotech.org  /  University of Leicester, UK



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