[OS X TeX] OT: Autotrace

[Enrico Franconi]

On 14 Mar 2007, at 10:58, Bruno Voisin wrote:

> Le 14 mars 07 à 00:31, Enrico Franconi a écrit :
>
>> I did install hassle-free autotrace and potrace using MacPorts and  
>> its GUI PortAuthority.
>
> - I gave up on DarwinPorts (now MacPorts) when its installation  
> procedure started to place /opt/local/bin *before* the OS X  
> defaults /bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin in $PATH, whereas until  
> then /opt/local/bin used to be placed after the OS X defaults in  
> $PATH. I'm only interested in stuff that adds functionality to OS  
> X, not in stuff that replaces parts of OS X or alters its working  
> in any way. No imperialistic software on my Macs ever! That's the  
> very same reason why I never considered using Fink, however well  
> designed and convenient Fink may be. And that's (among other  
> reasons) why I prefer i-Installer, which places /usr/local/bin and / 
> usr/texbin *after* the OS X defaults.

In don't know when what you claim was the case, but for sure this is  
definitely *not* the case now. Have a look at:
<http://darwinports.opendarwin.org/docs/ch01s03.html#configure_dports>
where it is clearly stated that the macports path is placed *after*  
your standard path. If what you said were true, then I would agree  
with you (and this is the case for fink, for example, which, as you  
said, created several problems to me as well for this reason); but  
this is not the case of MacPorts. Sorry - MacPorts is not  
imperialistic, it lives smoothly with your mac without changing its  
standard habits.

> - I haven't accepted the move of PortAuthority from freeware during  
> development to shareware when development was completed, without  
> prior notice. When the first shareware Aqua version was released,  
> there was still the excuse of the availability of a freeware X11  
> version. Now the X11 version seems to be gone, which makes  
> PortAuthority pure shareware. It's not the matter of the amount of  
> money involved (the price of PortAuthority isn't big), it's a  
> matter of principle.

PortAuthority is a project which is *not* endorsed by MacPorts (this  
is clearly stated when you install MacPorts). I agree with you that  
this is not the ideal situation, given also that it is a very poorly  
written software, and the X11 version disappeared. I paid the fee,  
since it is still quite a useful GUI support.

cheers
--e.
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