[OS X TeX] How to make locate/spotlight search ~/Library/texmf

[Alan Munn]

On Aug 10, 2010, at 1:35 PM, Herbert Schulz wrote:

>
> On Aug 10, 2010, at 12:16 PM, Alan Munn wrote:
>
>>
>> On Aug 10, 2010, at 12:51 PM, Herbert Schulz wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> On Aug 10, 2010, at 11:22 AM, Alan Munn wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi,  I can use the locate command in a Terminal to quickly find  
>>>> files in /usr/local/texlive.  However, it doesn't find files in ~/ 
>>>> Library/texmf.  How do I make it do that?
>>>>
>>>
>>> I'd guess that the locate database won't contain anything in the  
>>> Users folder since that is private for each individual user.  
>>> Perhaps there is a way to ell it to build a personal database.
>>>
>>>> Secondly, what's the relationship between the Spotlight search  
>>>> (via Command-space) and the locate search database?  They clearly  
>>>> don't find the same things, since /usr/local files never show up  
>>>> in the Command-Space searches.  Is there a way to make them match?
>>>
>>> There is no relationship between them. The technology is different  
>>> for the two things.
>>
>> Ok.  That makes sense then.  So is there a way to get Spotlight  
>> command-space to index ~/Library/texmf?
>>
>
> Howdy,
>
> Actually Spotlight does index everything but there is no way to make  
> it show that information that I know of using the simple Cmd-Space.  
> If you do a Cmd-F AND then click on Kind and pick Other and the  
> select System Files (you can put that on the default list with a  
> check box---that will save one step later) and then select `are  
> included'' you can find those files. I wish there was a way to just  
> have that turned on by default but I don't know of any.

Bummer.

>
>>>
>>> I've been using `Find Any File', <http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/index.html 
>>> >, and I'm quite happy with it.
>>
>> Yes, I have that too, but I'm lazy... For most quick searches  
>> command-space is simply more convenient.  I'd just like to be able  
>> to find things in my local texmf folder as easily.  If locate could  
>> do that, that would be fine, since I've always got a terminal  
>> window open; if it can't, I'd prefer to use Spotlight if possible.
>>
>> Alan
>
> And that's why I use `Find Any File'!

Sure, but they're far from functionally equivalent, since Find Any  
File doesn't search on content.  So if I don't know the name of  
something but I know what's inside it, I can't find it with that  
tool.  Since that's my preferred searching method for many things,  
using Find Any File just adds a third tool for me, so it's really a  
last resort.

Thanks

Alan


-- 
Alan Munn
amunn at gmx.com