[OS X TeX] installing from TeXLive

Claus Gerhardt gerhardt at math.uni-heidelberg.de
Sat Nov 18 13:56:57 EST 2006


I decided today to get rid of /usr/local/TeXLive. Though I could have  
done it via an Applescript or from the command line, I thought the  
Mac way might be more appropriate, hence I threw it into the trash,  
when doing so I had to enter my password, but that was it. For good  
measure I also moved /var/tmp/texfonts into the trash.

The system wide paths in /etc/profile and /etc/csh.login I had  
already  adjusted after installing TeXLive 2005 (the original).  
Following a suggestion by Richard Koch, I made a symlink

/usr/local/texlive2005/bin/powerpc-darwin -> /usr/local/texprograms

so that my system wide path now reads

/usr/local/texprograms

The same path will also be incorporated in my shell scripts and in  
TeXShop with the benefit  that it will remain unchanged when I should  
switch my tex source. A simple Applescript will do it for me, see below.

After this change the actual tex source can be revealed by

readlink /usr/local/texprograms

I also made an Applescript to provide a one click solution.

Hope this will encourage others.

Claus

-- Applescript
-- symlink

-- Nov. 2006
-- Claus Gerhardt

(* It is necessary to use the full path for source file and target  
file, if the files or directories are not in the same directory.

Notice that the administrator privileges will be valid for a few  
seconds after you entered your password, so don't play around with  
the script, it won't ask for your password again in those  
circumstances.*)


set sourceName to "/usr/local/texlive2005/bin/powerpc-darwin" --enter  
the name of source folder

set symlinkName to "/usr/local/" & "texprograms"
set symlinkName1 to "/usr/local/" & "texlivesymlink"


set scriptPath1 to "/usr/local/"

set shellScript to "cd " & scriptPath1 & ";"
set shellScript to shellScript & "rm -fR " & symlinkName & ";"
set shellScript to "ln -s  -f " & sourceName & " " & symlinkName

do shell script shellScript with administrator privileges






On Nov 17, 2006, at 9:49, Gerben Wierda wrote:

> On Nov 17, 2006, at 08:04, Claus Gerhardt wrote:
>
>> I wouldn't trust i-installer and do it rather myself:
>
> I sense some disappointment here ;-)
>
>> cd /usr/local
>> sudo rm -fR tetex
>
> Trust is a dangerous thing because this will not work, for one  
> because the directory is named teTeX and not tetex and the command  
> line is case sensitive. You will not et a warning from rm, because  
> the -f flag is not only force but also ignore. Hence, "rm -r tetex"  
> will give you "rm: tetex: No such file or directory", but "rm -rf  
> tetex" will say nothing and leave teTeX in place.
>
> Secondly, there is more. There also is /var/tmp/texfonts and there  
> is a symlink in /Library. There are also the system-wide settings  
> for cli path and man path which was what this was all about and  
> which are not removed by the statement above, even when typed  
> correctly.
>
> So, if you want to uninstall the install from the TeX i-Package,  
> the best option is to open it, click uninstall, and select  
> "Everything". This will remove everything that was installed by the  
> TeX i-Package (it will leave your personal files in ~/Library/texmf  
> alone but it will remove system-wide texmf.local) and also revert  
> changes to the cli (and man) environment.
>
> So I would trust the i-Package here ;-)
>
> G
>
>>
>> Beware that if you should have installed Gerben's TeXLive prior to  
>> the original texlive, then, given your set up, the original  
>> texlive is now contained in Gerben's TeXLive folder, it is the  
>> folder 2005.
>>
>> Claus
>>
>>
>> On Nov 17, 2006, at 5:18, Adam R. Maxwell wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> On Nov 16, 2006, at 18:19, Enrico Franconi wrote:
>>>
>>>> Oh, oh. This is bad. The i-installer did modify some of my  
>>>> system files?
>>>> What about all the discussions about the security of modifying  
>>>> the environment.plist?
>>>> Modifying a system-wide profile having a global import seems to  
>>>> me bad.
>>>
>>> It is required if you want to use the command line to run TeX,  
>>> but is an optional part of the install IIRC.  The main problem  
>>> with environment.plist is that it affects the environment of all  
>>> GUI applications (which is also it's main advantage, as you know).
>>>
>>>> Anyway, I will revert as root those files to their original  
>>>> version.
>>>> Question: is there an uninstall option in the i-installer? How  
>>>> can a normal user without cli expertise revert the situation and  
>>>> switch correctly to TeXlive?
>>>
>>> Perhaps by using the "Uninstall" button on the TeX i-Package?
>>>
>>> Adam
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>>
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>>
>>
>
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