[OS X TeX] Placing macro files

[Herbert Schulz]

> On Jun 7, 2018, at 6:36 AM, Nitecki, Zbigniew H. <Zbigniew.Nitecki at tufts.edu> wrote:
> 
> OK, here is where the dummy in me comes out.
> I “transferred” the files by taking my last backup from the old computer (on an external hard drive) and copying or “restoring” on the new one.
> 
> I managed to find ~/Library/texmf/tex/latex and I think the answer to your question is “no” (though why it worked on the old one I don’t know).
> So how do I create such a symbolic link?
> 
> Zbigniew Nitecki
> Department of Mathematics
> Tufts University
> Medford, MA 02155
> 
> telephones:
> Office    (617)627-3843
> Dept.    (617)627-3234
> Dept. fax    (617)627-3966
> http://www.tufts.edu/~znitecki/
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> On Jun 7, 2018, at 8:27, Herbert Schulz <herbs at wideopenwest.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> On Jun 7, 2018, at 6:11 AM, Nitecki, Zbigniew H. <Zbigniew.Nitecki at tufts.edu> wrote:
>>> 
>>> This is a stupid question regarding placement of files for TeXShop from a confused soul.
>>> 
>>> I recently transferred my files to a new computer, and am having trouble with locating style files.
>>> I have many user-defined macros which I have on Dropbox (in order to use them on several computers)
>>> in a folder called “Mymacros” inside a larger folder called “Macros” (containing also some style files for journals I submit to).
>>> When I tried to edit a file recently I got a “can’t find file” message, to which I responded with a pathname, but then the \usepackage
>>> call on the next line resulted in a “missing \begin{document}”  message, to which I didn’t know how to respond (the \begin{document} command comes after the list of \usepackage calls).
>>> I attach a truncated version of the source file, and the log file from trying to compile that truncated source file below.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> My question is an either/or: either “how can I fix it so that TeXShop finds the files where I have them” or “where can I put them so that TeXShop will find them”?
>>> My knowledge of how the internal organization of files in OSX is casual at best, so assume I am an idiot in that department: at least if the second question is being answered, I need a “for dummies” version.
>> 
>> Howdy,
>> 
>> First, how did you ``transfer'' your files? Also, do you have a symbolic link for your Dropbox stored packages to ~/Library/texmf/tex/latex/somefolder? Otherwise I don't see how TeX can find the files in the first place?
>> 
>> Good Luck,
>> 
>> Herb Schulz
>> (herbs at wideopenwest dot com)

Howdy,

Assuming those files don't change very often you could simply copy the Macros folder into ~/Library/texmf/tex/latex. Then TeX will find them. If files in the Dropbox folder folder change you'll have to copy the changed files from the Dropbox folder to the copy in the folder in the personal texmf tree given above.

If the files change fairly often let me know and we'll create the symbolic link and see if that works.

Good Luck,

Herb Schulz
(herbs at wideopenwest dot com)