[OS X TeX] Several Answers at Once

[Richard Koch]

Folks,

Thomas Bohn wrote "Most websites about TeX on Mac
haven't been updated for at least a month."

This is because Gerben's gwTeX has been under active
development recently, and a lot of work has also gone into
preparing the MacTeX distribution for TUG's TeX DVD. The
situation is fluid, so it doesn't make sense to spend time
on tentative web revisions. After the DVD
is finished, web pages will catch up.

Enrico Franconi wrote:

> Hi,
>  I am concerned (as many others) with the idea of installing something
> in /usr/local/ without a proper versioning system (e.g., fink or  
> MacPorts).
> It would enough for me to have clearly documented exactly which
> binaries/libraries (together with Ghostscript and ImageMagick) are
> installed by the MacTeX_Additions package, so that I can actually  
> install
> that stuff using my favourite system (which used to be fink and it  
> is now
> MacPorts) instead of the MacTeX_Additions package.

This is exactly why the old monolithic MacTeX was separated into custom
install packages. I imagine that users with Enrico's concerns will  
only install
the GUI package from MacTeX_Additions, obtaining Ghostscript,  
ImageMagick,
and Font Utilities from MacPorts.

The Ghostscript, ImageMagick, and Font Utilities subpackages come
directly from i-Installer packages, and can be installed with i- 
Installer, or
if installed with MacTeX can be uninstalled with i-Installer;
MacTeX installs i-Installer receipts for these packages. A user  
interested in
libraries installed with these packages will find that information in  
the
i-Installer documentation for the packages.

In a later message discussing the Uninstalling page from the
NewPackages page, Enrico Franconi warned against uninstalling libraries
in /usr/local/tex willy-nilly. This is a valid criticism. In an  
unquoted portion
of this (admittedly obscure) page, I wrote "the Font Utilities,  
Ghostscript,
and ImageMagick portions are the most difficult to uninstall. On the
other hand, these packages are the least important for TeX users ...
(so) a user concerned about uninstalling might decide to avoid these
three packages."

The MacTeX_Additions GUI package installs a small README file in
/Applications/TeX explaining how to reconfigure applications for the new
/usr/texbin. McNarry Vince wrote

> The reconfiguration information doesn't only apply to those who  
> need the
> GUI programs reinstalled. I already have TeXShop, et al, installed and
> have no need to reinstall them, but would find the reconfiguration
> document useful.

I'll put this information on my web page when it is revised; others  
may want
to put similar information on their pages. The TeXShop in the latest  
MacTeX_Additions
automatically fixes its path preference when it first runs.

Dick
koch at math.uoregon.edu





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