[OS X TeX] TexShop suddenly can't find pdflatex.fmt (even though it's there)

[Dr. Clea F. Rees]

On 10/09/08, you seem to have written:

> Sure:
>
> which latex: /sw/bin/latex (this is at odds with the system preferences
> setting, no?)

Yes and no. It isn't what you want but it isn't because that mechanism
is failing.

> echo $PATH:
> /sw/bin:/sw/sbin:/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/texbin:/usr/X11R6/bin

This is the problem. As I understand it, the system preferences panel
sets things up so that (among other things) /usr/texbin points at the
relevant bin directory. However, in you case /sw/bin comes before
/usr/texbin in your search path. So no matter what /usr/texbin points
to, the latex in /sw/bin will always take precedence.

You need to change your PATH so that /usr/texbin comes *before*
/sw/bin. Alternatively/as well, you might consider uninstalling the
fink TeX installation if you don't need it.

- cfr

>
> NP
> On Wed, Sep 10, 2008 at 1:36 PM, Herbert Schulz <herbs at wideopenwest.com>wrote:
>
>>
>> On Sep 8, 2008, at 3:52 PM, Nathaniel Pearson wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Thanks for helping.  I'm not sure what my $PATH is (sorry, I'm a linux
>>> amateur here...).  which latex gives:
>>>
>>> /sw/bin/pdflatex
>>>
>>> Texshop typesetting prefs:
>>> Default command: latex
>>> Default script: pdftex
>>>
>>> Engine prefs: path settings for pdftex: /usr/texbin
>>> distller: /usr/local/bin
>>>
>>> Does that help explain what's happening?  Thanks,
>>>
>>> Nathan
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Howdy,
>>
>> Could you tell us the results of the following commands run in Terminal:
>>
>> which latex
>>
>> and
>>
>> echo $PATH
>>
>>
>> Good Luck,
>>
>> Herb Schulz
>> (herbs at wideopenwest.com)
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>

-- 

Dr. Clea F. Rees

ReesC17 at cardiff.ac.uk
cfrees at imapmail.org