[OS X TeX] Can't compile - pdflatex issue

[Herbert Schulz]

On Apr 12, 2009, at 11:58 AM, Joseph C. Slater PE, PhD wrote:

> On Apr 11, 2009, at 10:38 PM, Alain Schremmer wrote:
>
>>
>> On Apr 11, 2009, at 7:48 PM, Axel E. Retif wrote:
>>
>>> Have you tried Richard Koch's advice of typesetting your sample  
>>> document with TeXShop? As he said, that's in no way an endorsement  
>>> to TeXShop, nor a recommendation for its use ---the only thing is  
>>> that TeXShop looks into /usr/texbin for the binaries, no matter  
>>> what Fink or other distribution has put in your .bash_profile  
>>> or .profile; therefore, debugging would be easier.
>>
>> Reading this thread and aware that I had downloaded Fink for some  
>> obscure, now forgotten reason, I was wondering why I didn't have  
>> the problem.
>>
>> Now I know.
>>
>> Boy am I glad that TeXShop happened my way and that this was the  
>> one thing I have never even thought of switching from.
>>
>> So, for one, I sure am endorsing TeXShop. With both hands and  
>> whatever else.
>
> But... TeXShop is completely unrelated. TeXShop is "just" the editor  
> of the TeX file that is compiled by tex/pdftex/pdflatex/luatex, etc.  
> Those programs can be installed by the MacTeX distribution, fink,  
> darwinports, etc.
>
> Likewise, you could use a different email application to access  
> email. The email application is your "portal" into the email  
> delivery system. It is not the same as the delivery system. You  
> could very well access your mail using webmail, apple mail, outlook,  
> etc., and it's still email, not a phone call.
>
> I thought by now you understood that you can use different editors,  
> but the process of turning the tex file into the PDF file is done by  
> other programs (specifically, we're both using /usr/texbin/pdflatex,  
> even though I may be using a different editor).
> Joe


Howdy,

I think the point was that since TeXShop (and yes, several other  
editors too) have /usr/texbin assumed as the TeX bin directory having / 
sw/... or /opt/... prefixed to the PATH doesn't create a problem. The  
problem is manifest when you try to be too ``sophisticated'' and run  
tex via the Terminal.

Good Luck,

Herb Schulz
(herbs at wideopenwest dot com)