[OS X TeX] Skim SKAutoReloadFileUpdate

[Alain Schremmer]

On Dec 19, 2008, at 1:14 PM, Adam M. Goldstein wrote:

> In the meantime, I gather the following from this discussion:
>
> (1) The method used by Skim to reload files causes a race condition;
>
> (2) This condition can result in attempts to load incomplete or  
> garbaged PDF files;
>
> (3) Using TeXShop as a viewer won't help, because unless the  
> typeset command comes from within TeXShop, it won't be able to tell  
> when the typesetting process has ended, and this poses the same  
> risks as using Skim.
>
> (4) The risk of this is at worst, crashing Skim, or producing a  
> partially-formed PDF, and this won't happen for garden-variety  
> typesetting jobs (short articles or essays). The use of BibTeX and  
> other additional runs of typesetting processes (indexing, I don't  
> know what else) increases the risk of something going wrong because  
> there is more regeneration of the file, making it harder for Skim  
> to keep up.
>
> (5) There is some way that Adam M. suggests might improve matters,  
> but that some others think will be harder to implement.
>
> (6) In principle, the auctex-emacs case can be solved, because  
> auctex provides information about the completion of typesetting  
> runs that could be used to trigger reloading only if the PDF is  
> done being created, and is error-free.
>
> At this point I am still using Skim as a viewer, since no problems  
> have come up for me in practice.

The above looks like a good summary indeed but, err …  what is the  
advantage of Skim over whatever viewer TeXShop uses (Preview?)

Embarrassed regards
--schremmer