[OS X TeX] Finally we are grown up

[Alain Schremmer]

Jeffrey Weimer wrote:

> On Nov 20, 2006, at 4:11 PM, Claus Gerhardt wrote:
>
> As I follow this thread with great interest, I am amazed by how the  
> discussions seem to oscillate between two poles - ueber Vertrauen and  
> ueber Angst. This particular note sums up something for me. Forgive  
> me the melodrama in my comments as a means of ueber expression ...
>
>> My only ambition  is to convince a few other users that installing  
>> TeXLive (TUG) (not any tex) is easy. In my humble opinion any  
>> further support questions can be dealt with by this list in toto,  
>> where we have many experts, e.g., you, and I am pretty sure that no  
>> serious problems will arise.
>
>
> Oh gosh, your confidence is daunting. I wish I could feel the same.  
> Perhaps, I should just grow up and learn how to work with  
> AppleScripts, juggle shell commands, and set environment variables so  
> I can continue to use LaTeX via TeXLive.
>
> Oh, but wait, hope is on the horizon in the form of something  called 
> ???? MacTex ????
> Joy, joy, joy!
>
> Summary
> All I really want to do is put LaTeX into place and have it work. I  
> know how to find things at CTAN in spite of the (to me) seeming lack  
> of content organization. I can forgive this as a) the consequence of  
> being a free, public supported package and b) my lack of knowledge  
> about the inner workings of CTAN. In other words, in using LaTeX, I  
> accept and will not complain that I will sometimes have work to do to  
> make it work as I need it to work.
>
> I am still a novice at best at installing and maintaining the "LaTeX  
> Toolbox". What goes where? What files does what? How is this file  
> installed? What is the difference between /usr/local and /usr/??? I  
> know enough UNIX to damage something seriously on my machine, so I  
> keep a low .profile and don't mess at this level with what is  
> working. I know my anxiety will decrease as my experience level grows.
>
> As I follow this thread, what concerns me is NOT that I should learn  
> UNIX commands / Applescript / ... as a way to keep LaTeX working  
> effectively, but rather a pervading sense that I might HAVE to learn  
> these things as the ONLY way to have LaTeX at all!
>
>> The question, you cited below, I would have ignored, if wouldn't  
>> have known the answer right away.
>
>
> IMO, a distinguishing feature of supporting a software package and  
> "supporting" (ie, in words only) a software package is the ability to  
> answer properly even the most banal requests for help. It is akin to  
> the process of helping children understand something so they can grow  
> up and be truly functional adults.
>
> .....
>
> Just a concluding note ...
>
> Having been a long-time OZTeX user on the Mac Classic, as I now come  
> to realize what has been going on in the background to keep me  
> PERSONALLY as a happy LaTeX user on MacOS X, I am so greatly  
> appreciative to have had i-Installer right at the outset.
>
> Herzlichen Dank Gerben Wierda! Your efforts at bringing order to the  
> LaTeX->MacOSX installation process truly have kept me from going insane.
>
> Whoever picks up the path from here (if you are listening in), please  
> do not forget, people such as me do exist. We like LaTeX alot, we  
> want to use LaTeX as much as possible on our MacOS X systems, and we  
> still get a bit anxious about being asked to mess around at the shell/ 
> Applescript/... levels just to be able to work with LaTeX.

Glad not to be alone.

Regards
--schremmer

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