[OS X TeX] Why does TeXShop want to re-build pdflatex format (and fail)

[jfbu]

Hi,

I downloaded TeXShop 3.92, and I had this issue:

TeXShop reports it tried to build a the pdflatex format
and failed: it fails to find pdflatex.ini

Although I don't know the root cause, I know the
triggering circumstances: it is because I have my
TeXLive configured with an extra

/usr/local/texlive/2017/bin/x86_64-darwinmacports

repertory alongside the

/usr/local/texlive/2017/bin/x86_64-darwinlegacy

and the texbin (from my  /Library/TeX/Distributions/TeXLive-2017.texdist)

was pointing to the darwingmacports.

When I reset this symlink to target the default
x86_64-darwinlegacy all is fine with TeXShop.

It seems there is something hardcoded in TeXShop 3.92
which makes it believe that format needs to be rebuild
when the texbin points to

/usr/local/texlive/2017/bin/x86_64-darwinmacports

Error console:

----START
This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.18 (TeX Live 2017/MacPorts 2017_1) (preloaded format=pdflatex)
  restricted \write18 enabled.

kpathsea: Running mktexfmt pdflatex.fmt
mktexfmt: mktexfmt is using the following fmtutil.cnf files (in precedence order):
mktexfmt:   /usr/local/texlive/2017/texmf-dist/web2c/fmtutil.cnf
mktexfmt: mktexfmt is using the following fmtutil.cnf file for writing changes:
mktexfmt:   /Users/JOHNDOE/Library/texlive/2017/texmf-config/web2c/fmtutil.cnf
mktexfmt [INFO]: writing formats under /Users/JOHNDOE/Library/texlive/2017/texmf-var/web2c
mktexfmt [INFO]: --- remaking pdflatex with pdftex
mktexfmt: running `pdftex -ini   -jobname=pdflatex -progname=pdflatex -translate-file=cp227.tcx *pdflatex.ini' ...
warning: Could not open char translation file `cp227.tcx'.
This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.18 (TeX Live 2017/MacPorts 2017_1) (INITEX)
  restricted \write18 enabled.
entering extended mode
! I can't find file `pdflatex.ini'.
<*> *pdflatex.ini
                  
(Press Enter to retry, or Control-D to exit)
Please type another input file name:
! Emergency stop.
<*> *pdflatex.ini
                  
No pages of output.
Transcript written on pdflatex.log.
mktexfmt [ERROR]: running `pdftex -ini   -jobname=pdflatex -progname=pdflatex -translate-file=cp227.tcx *pdflatex.ini >&2 </dev/null' return status 1
mktexfmt [ERROR]: return error due to options --strict
mktexfmt [INFO]: Disabled formats: 2
mktexfmt [INFO]: Not selected formats: 20
mktexfmt [INFO]: Failed to build: 1 (pdftex/pdflatex)
mktexfmt [INFO]: Total formats: 23
mktexfmt [INFO]: exiting with status 1
I can't find the format file `pdflatex.fmt'!
----STOP

Additional info:

I see in the preferences

kpsetool -w -n latex tex

and if I try manually

$ kpsetool -w -n latex tex pdflatex.ini
/usr/local/texlive/2017/texmf-dist/tex/latex/latexconfig/pdflatex.ini

it appears ok.

Notice also that the above seems to try to create the
format in my $HOME, if it had succeeded it could have
caused problem when I later update TeXLive and the formats
are recreated system-wise.

Best,

Jean-François