[OS X TeX] Pretest mactex-20240213

[John Collins]

On 2/22/24 8:03 AM, Herbert Schulz via MacOSX-TeX wrote:
> 
>> On Feb 22, 2024, at 6:00 AM, Alain Matthes via MacOSX-TeX <macosx-tex at email.esm.psu.edu> wrote:
>>
>> I have installed mactex 2024 pretest but I have a problem.
>>
>> I tried it with a simple  document. (compilation with lualatex.
>>
>>...
>>
>> and I get  a FATAL error :
>>
>>....
>> luaotfload | load :     × "...024/texmf-dist/tex/luatex/luaotfload/luaotfload-i
>> nit.lua:301: system : no writeable cache path, quiting"....024/texmf-dist/tex/lu
>> atex/luaotfload/luaotfload-init.lua:301: system : no writeable cache path, quiti
>> ng
>> stack traceback:
>> [C]: in function 'error'
>> ———————————————
>
> Did you do an update after the install? 
 >
> ...
> 
> Maybe try to create ~/Library/texlive/2024/texmf-var and try again. Note that ~/Library is the library folder in you HOME folder, NOT /Library which is the Libreary folder at the root of your HD/SSD. Also note that ~/Library/texlive may already be created from a previous year's distribution.

The solution is definitely to create the directory 
~/Library/texlive/2024/texmf-var.  This directory is needed for lualatex for it 
to write its font cache files.

In previous years' versions of TeXLive, the corresponding directory was created 
automatically when lualatex is run.  But in TeXLive 2024, there's a bug such 
that the directory isn't automatically created, so you have to create it 
manually.  This is still true after the latest updates, done just before I sent 
this e-mail.

John Collins