[OS X TeX] TeX on Snow Leopard

[Herbert Schulz]

On Aug 29, 2009, at 11:23 AM, Alain Schremmer wrote:

>>
>> Howdy,
>>
>> Hmmm... depends on how you count.
>
> That's what I thought. What's Snow? 10.5.9?
>

Howdy,

See below...

>> I seem to remember that you're using a G5 system
>
> What a memory!
>

Right now my MacBook Pro is at Apple getting some repairs so I'm using  
an older PowerBook with a G4 processor. With the introduction of Snow  
Leopard I'll be running 3 OS versions: Tiger (10.4.11) on an old  
TiBook G4 that is too slow, etc., to run Leopard; Leopard (10.5.8) on  
this ``old'' PowerBook G4 since Snow Leopard (10.6) is Intel only; and  
Snow Leopard (10.6) on my wife's MacBook and once my MacBook Pro comes  
back from Apple (you'd be amazed at the speed increase over your G5  
system). I still use them all---thank goodness my PowerBook is kept up  
to date since I've been able to use it to update MacTeXtras, etc.,  
while the MacBook Pro is away.

>> so OS X 10.5.8 (maybe some more updates will be coming?) will be as  
>> far as you can go; OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) is Intel only.
>
> Saved! I am saved! At least for a good long time.
>

Does that mean you won't bother updating?

>> On the other hand you should update since future software may be  
>> for 10.5+ only.
>
> Well yeah, but there is always that truck that may run me over  
> before that.
>

Using that argument you should still be using pencil and paper (not  
one of those new fangled fountain pens) instead of a computer.

>> Best advice on updating is to always make a bootable backup of my  
>> complete system in case there are problems; I use the shareware  
>> SuperDuper! (it's worth the ~$28 to get the update features) but  
>> Carbon Copy Cloner (contribution requested) can be used too. A nice  
>> big external hard drive is fairly cheap and it can be partitioned  
>> so you can keep a permanent 10.4.11 backup and use a different  
>> partition for new updates.
>
> I do make bootable backups on a 900 GigaB external with Carbon Copy  
> Cloner—and I think I did send in my contribution but I have to  
> check. So that should not be a problem although I forgot to  
> partition the external.
>

Always a smart thing! It has saved me more than once. It's also nice  
when I want to run DiskWarrior, etc., on my internal drive; just boot  
from the external and run it on the internal drive.

>> As far as MacTeX is concerned... you can install MacTeX-2008
>
> Would you believe I did install TeXLive-2008 and TeXLive-2008-Basic  
> together with the TeX Distribution System Preference Pane and  
> actually used both? But then I ran into the "can't write onto aux  
> file" problem I had already run into once but had forgotten how to  
> cure it via the unmentionable. So, I happily reverted to good old  
> GwTeX.
>

I don't remember reading about this problem.

>> and then MacTeX-2009 when it comes out; you can easily get back the  
>> ~1GB for MacTeX-2008 once you are comfortable with 2009. Both can  
>> live happily together using the TeX Distribution System Preference  
>> Pane to choose the active distribution.
>>
>> You should also update to the latest TeXShop (presently 2.26 but a  
>> new version will come out with MacTeX-2009).
>
> Yes, I know. But, as they say, as long as it runs, don't fix it. So,  
> maybe, when I am done with Reasonable Rational Functions (getting  
> close) and with transferring the ancillaries of Reasonable Basic  
> Algebra to the new system (ditto), I will get drunk, take a very  
> deep breath and damn that truck for not showing up in time.
>
> Grateful regards
> --schremmer
>

Good Luck,

Herb Schulz
(herbs at wideopenwest.com)