[OS X TeX] Just Curious...

[Herbert Schulz]

> On Oct 30, 2014, at 12:12 PM, Joseph Wright <joseph.wright at morningstar2.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> On 30/10/2014 17:07, Herbert Schulz wrote:
>>> Yosemite, though the issues with (particularly) XeTeX and GUI
>>> programs/path business are annoying. (I realise this is of Apple's
>>> making, not actually something at the 'TeX end'.)
>>> --
>>> Joseph Wright
>> 
>> Howdy,
>> 
>> Maybe I shouldn't ask, but... ``issues with (particularly)XeTeX''? Are you talking about a font display problem?
>> 
>> Good Luck,
>> 
>> Herb Schulz
> 
> No, the 'GUI environment' problem. See
> http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/208181/why-did-my-tex-related-gui-program-stop-working-in-mac-os-x-yosemite
> for the detail, but basically GUI applications are not getting the
> 'right' path information in Yosemite, which breaks the ability to
> readily run some tools. This shows up particularly with XeTeX, which
> as-standard spans xdvipdfmx as a second process after the typesetting
> run and so relies on the path being correct.
> 
> There are work-arounds but it's a pain: as I say, the issue is as I
> understand it of Apple's making.
> --
> Joseph Wright

Howdy,

At least until Apple fixes that bug try using TeXShop which works fine since it uses a different method for passing environment variables to sub-processes. To use XeTeX simply place the line

% !TEX TS-program = xetex

(or xelatex if that's what you want) at the top of your source file and then use Typeset->Typeset (Cmd-T) to automatically use xetex to process your file.

Big PS: before opening any UTF-8 encoded file in TeXShop open TeXShop and set the default input encoding to `Unicode (UTF-8)' in TeXShop->Preferences->Source->Encoding. TeXShop's default encoding is Latin 9. You can put the line

% !TEX encoding = UTF-8 Unicode

near the top of your source file but the first time you read it in you'll have to explicitly use the File->Open command and set the encoding for the input; it's a lot easier to set it as the default and not worry.

Good Luck,

Herb Schulz
(herbs at wideopenwest dot com)