[OS X TeX] Building new formats (MacTeX)

[Alain Schremmer]

Adam R. Maxwell wrote:

>
> On Sep 17, 2006, at 16:43, Gerben Wierda wrote:
>
>> On Sep 18, 2006, at 01:32 , Adam R. Maxwell wrote:
>>
>>> On Sep 17, 2006, at 13:23, Rowland McDonnell wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> [I'm not going to use some software that does what i-installer does:
>>>> make large changes to the data on my computer without me having the
>>>> faintest idea what it's doing.
>>>>
>>>> Isn't that normal prudent computer management?]
>>>
>>>
>>> Prudent, perhaps, but not typical; Apple's Installer makes large 
>>> changes to the data on your computer every time you install a 
>>> software update, for instance (anyone remember that broken iTunes 
>>> update fiasco?). MacTeX has the same black-box limitations. As far 
>>> as that goes, any installer program does, which is why I prefer 
>>> drag-and-drop installation.
>>
>>
>> Apple also suggests this as a first method. But what most drag-and- 
>> drop installs do is also install some configuration program which is 
>> then being called the first time you try to run the program. Think 
>> Microsoft Office, for instance.
>
>
> Good point! It doesn't even require a separate config program, either; 
> I happen to know that if you remove ~/Library/Application 
> Support/BibDesk, BibDesk will automatically recreate that directory at 
> next launch without asking your permission. I think the obvious lesson 
> is that sneaky developers lull you into a false sense of security with 
> drag-and-drop :).


I am completely amazed that anyone could seriously discuss that just 
about /anything/ one does with one's computer might interfere with one's 
computer with potentially disastrous consequences .

However, and at the absolute worst, all what such inteference can do is 
to make some application mangle one's document something seriously 
horrible but then, backup # n, backup # n+1 should be an absolute 
"normal prudent computer management". And, should the horror occur, one 
gets a fresh copy of the application … or another application 
altogether. Which is what one would do if, say, one'e computer were to 
fall overboard into the sea. Backup, Backup.

Regards
--schremmer



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