[OS X TeX] Backing out of a ~/Library/texmf install

[Herbert Schulz]

On Jun 8, 2006, at 11:25 AM, Gary L. Gray wrote:

> Given the recent discussion regarding updmap vs. updmap-sys vs.  
> other commands I don't entirely understand, would it be possible  
> for some kind soul to summarize where we should be keeping our  
> "local" files and why /usr/local/teTeX/share/texmf.local is better  
> than ~/Library/texmf and what commands we should be using to update  
> all those things that need updating when new stuff is installed? As  
> background, I have a lot of stuff in ~/Library/texmf. In  
> particular, I have files in all of the following:
>
> ~/Library/texmf/bibtex
>                 doc
>                 dvips
>                 fonts
>                 tex
>                 web2c
>
> Some practical advice for the confused would be really useful. If I  
> understand it, I will even be happy to create a summary I can post  
> somewhere for feedback that can then be made widely available. If  
> such a summary already exists, I apologize (but please point me to  
> it). :-)
>
> Regards,
>
> -- Gary

Howdy,

I'll give an initial try just so others have something to shoot  
down :-)!

The -sys versions of the commands (e.g., updmap-sys) write their  
results in sub-directories of the texmf.local branch of the tree;  
which is available to all users of the system. The -sys versions need  
to be used with the sudo command since they, generally, write in  
directories in which most users don't have write permission.

The non-sys versions write their results to sub-directories of the ~/ 
Library/texmf/ branch of the tree; these are only available to the  
single user corresponding to ~.

If you use the -sys commands with sudo alone, e.g.,

sudo updmap-sys --enable Map MyMap.map

to enable a map file that is in ~/Library/texmf/fonts/map/..., the  
resulting map file will be created in the texmf.local branch and may  
interfere with other users who don't have the fonts in your personal  
branch. To prevent that from happening you should use the -H option  
of sudo, e.g.,

sudo -H updmap-sys --enable Map MyMap.map

to enable maps that are placed in the texmf.local branch \emp{and  
ignore your personal maps} since that option uses the home directory  
of root rather than your home directory as ~ and, hopefully, there is  
no ~/Library/texmf/... there.

For your personal fonts you would use the non-sys versions of the  
commands. This creates the corresponding map, etc., files in your  
personal branch of the tree so there is no interference with other  
users. Unfortunately, people forget that the map files, etc., created  
this way will be read before the ones in texmf.local so when changes  
are made in texmf.local they think things are broken. We've seem  
multiple cases where it was items in the personal branch that  
confused users when problems arose.

Well, that's a start...

Good Luck,

Herb Schulz
(herbs at wideopenwest.com)


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