[OS X TeX] TeX on Snow Leopard

[Gary L. Gray]

On Aug 28, 2009, at 12:40 AM, Richard Koch wrote:

> Folks,
>
> This is an expanded version of a message I sent earlier. Installing  
> Snow Leopard may remove TeX from your PATH, as Adam Maxwell pointed  
> out, and the message now explains how to get it back.
>
> --------
>
> Since we are close to the release date of Snow Leopard, let me list  
> a small number of very minor TeX issues you might run into when  
> upgrading, and describe fixes. Aside from these issues, TeX and TeX  
> programs and utilities run fine. (These minor issues are fixed in  
> MacTeX-2009, now undergoing testing.)
>
> In Snow Leopard, Apple's own applications run in 64 bits on machines  
> with 64 bit processors. So System Preferences runs in 64 bits and  
> thus requires 64 bit plugins. The TeX Distribution Preference Pane  
> in MacTeX-2008 has only 32 bit binaries (the version in MacTeX-2009  
> has both 32 and 64 bit binaries).
> However, System Preferences in Snow Leopard understands this  
> problem, and when it finds a 32 bit pane it puts up a dialog saying  
> "to run this Pane, System Preferences must restart". When you click  
> OK, it restarts in 32 bit mode and runs the Pane. So the problem is  
> "cosmetic only."
>
> Apple changed the configuration of "man" slightly, so TeX man pages  
> may not be found from a shell. But this is also easily fixed. Go to  
> the TeX binary directory and create a symbolic link named "man" to  
> the man pages. Thus the following commands will fix the problem:
>
> 	cd /usr/local/texlive/2008/bin/universal-darwin
> 	sudo ln -s ../../texmf/doc/man  man
>
> When you upgrade to Snow Leopard in the standard way, TeX Live 2008  
> and Ghostscript should be preserved, but it is possible that the  
> symbolic link /usr/texbin will be destroyed. If your front end  
> cannot find TeX, recreate this link as follows:
>
> 	cd /usr
> 	sudo ln -s ../Library/TeX/Distributions/.DefaultTeX/Contents/ 
> Programs/i386  texbin
>
> Upgrading to Snow Leopard may also remove /usr/texbin from your  
> default PATH. To fix that, create a text file named TeX with contents
>
> 	/usr/texbin
>
> and then move this file to /etc/paths.d
>
> One way to create the file is to change directory to your Desktop in  
> Terminal and then use "cat" as follows:
>
> 	cd
> 	cd Desktop
> 	cat > TeX
> 	/usr/texbin
>
> and then type control-D to complete the command. Now give this file  
> read-write permission for everyone and move it to /etc/paths.d as  
> follows
>
> 	chmod 666 TeX
> 	sudo mv TeX /etc/paths.d
>
> If you run into some other difficulty I have forgotten, please write  
> this group. After we collect such "Friday, Aug 28 Experiences",  
> we'll write an addendum to the MacTeX web page if necessary.


I installed Snow Leopard yesterday over the August 16 build of MacTeX.  
After doing so, I installed the August 27 build of MacTeX and then  
tried updating font maps. It didn't see updmap, so all I had to do in  
my case was to:

   cd /etc/paths.d

and then:

   chmod 666 TeX

The TeX file already existed. I didn't have to do anything else Dick  
mentions above. Interestingly, a friend  installed in exactly the same  
order and he didn't even have to do what I did -- he just updated font  
maps and was good to go.

On a related note, TeX Live Utility is working nicely and already  
updated 60+ items last night.

I must say that the transition to Snow Leopard and TeX Live 2009 has  
been remarkably painless. No doubt this is do to much hard work be  
many people behind the scenes -- a heartfelt thank you to all of them!

All the best,
  Gary