[OS X TeX] Different versions of epstopdf in mactex re rest of the world?

[Peter Dyballa]

Am 29.04.2007 um 16:35 schrieb Peter Dyballa:

>> /usr/local/texlive/2007/bin/i386-darwin/epstopdf
>> /usr/local/texlive/2007/bin/powerpc-darwin/epstopdf
>
> Both of the files are probably identical, only one of them gets  
> used, depending on the CPU in your mac. Rename the file to <file  
> name>.pl and remember to invoke it as epstopdf.pl! The binary from  
> C code will have the name epstopdf.
>
> The third file is an elder 'backup' or relict from some other  
> package that's obviously not up-to-date. Leave it!
>
>> /usr/local/texlive/2007/texmf/scripts/tetex/epstopdf.pl

This third file is actually the newest one! It is version 2.9.6sw  
from 2007-01-24 and one year younger then the version 2.9.5gw without  
the .pl file name extension. The actual difference is that quotes  
have been changed to make the script work also in MS Windows.


I also looked into epstopdf.sty. Towards the end there is the line:

	\@namedef{Gin at rule@.eps}#1{{pdf}{.pdf}{`epstopdf #1}}

This one offers to put a personal copy of epstopdf.sty into one's  
private texmf tree and to adjust the name of the epstopdf executable.  
And a different option is to put the compiled C file into one's ~/bin  
folder. This directory usually comes quite early, so an epstopdf  
executable in ~/bin would be preferred over the executable of the  
same name in /usr/local/texlive/2007/bin/{i386|powerpc}-darwin or / 
usr/texbin. I think this option should be preferred, before renaming  
the original epstopdf, because an upgrade of the TeX executables  
would re-install the Perl script and therefore overwrite the compiled  
version. And because these updates happened in teTeX and gwTeX by  
completely removing the /usr/local/{gw|te}TeX/bin trees, changing the  
name of the compiled epstopdf does not save it. It should be placed  
outside the /usr/local/{gw|te}TeX/bin or /usr/local/texlive trees,  
in /usr/local/bin for system-wide access, or ~/bin for personal use.

--
Mit friedvollen Grüßen

   Pete

Stau ist nur hinten blöd, vorne geht's!



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