[OS X TeX] /usr/local/texlive/texmf-local/ls-R: Permission denied; MacTeX 2017/High Sierra

[Rowland McDonnell]

Hello again,

(I seem to have missed out on some emails - it seems I set my 
list account to use a redirection email address that doesn't 
work any more.  Oops.  I've fixed that and I'm replying using 
text copied from the MacOS X web archive here https://email.esm.psu.edu/pipermail/macosx-tex/2017-November/date.html#start)

[snip]

>Have you set up your system so that group permissions there are always
>--- (i.e., 0)? I suggest you remove that ls-R file and re-run
>
>sudo mktexlsr
>
>and then check permissions.

No, I've not set things up so group permissions are always --- 
(0).  I've not seen instructions requiring me to do so and I 
don't know how.

I'd worry about doing anything like that for fear of messing up 
the operation of the operating system in any case - High Sierra 
really does seem quite particular about permissions in some areas.

Is there a manual step I could take to replicate the desired 
effect in the case of the currently-installed texlive folder 
hierarchy, to see if it helps?

>If you have multiple fonts and that method is set up properly that
>single command, `sudo -H updmap-sys`, will set up all the maps at
>once. If you ever install TeX Live 2017 (via MacTeX-2017) you just run
>that same command once and you're set. Of course you have to update
>the updmap.cfg file if you add new fonts but then it's good for many
>more years.

Hmm.  Okay, so your method requires (as I understand it and with 
a mktexlsr for good luck):

sudo -H mktexlsr
sudo -H updmap-sys

whereas the version I've used to date requires:

sudo -H mktexlsr
sudo -H updmap-sys --force --enable Map=local_extras.map

My local_extras.map resides in 
/usr/local/texlive/texmf-local/fonts/map/ as you recommend for a 
local  updmap.cfg

- now then, I can see that your method is more sensible in terms 
of "the way things are supposed to be done if you want to be 
sensible about it", and I dare say I'll re-arrange things to 
work that way once I've got the current issues sorted out, but 
from the practical point of view it seems to me that my method 
should continue to work just as reliably and just as easily 
(assuming I write a command script for either method) in the 
future as yours - unless something about MacTeX or texlive changes.

(as for "things working for years to come" - the 
local_extras.map file I'm currently using is a variation on one 
that goes back to when I was using OzTeX prior to MacOS X.  Now 
I've put it like that, it seems even more sensible change to 
your method.  Time to leave the 1990s, yes?)

Thanks once more,
Rowland.