[protext] Directory problems: texmf-local, local repository files

Thomas Feuerstack Thomas.Feuerstack at FernUni-Hagen.de
Fri Oct 29 10:45:21 CEST 2010


Jose,

Am 28.10.2010 02:01, schrieb jose ortiz:
> However I've a few FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS related to the installationf a
> xxx.cls (class) package.:

well, lets see what will happen...

> QUESTION 1- As I've seen in the Archives, the so-called C:\texmf-local
> file is longer supported by Miktex 2.8 version installed through Protext.

what is not the whole truth. In fact MiKTeX 2.8 doesn't support 
C:\texmf-local , with no dependance to ProTeXt.

however you can add a texmf-local tree manually, by creating i.e. a 
directory c:\texmf-local and adding it to MiKTeX's roots using "MiKTeX 
Options" -> "Roots".

At last thats the way i do, because in my personal opinion, MiKTeX's 
directory structure (that you described below)  is almost awful.

>  From what I've read, this is where UPDATES or NEW/ADDITIONAL packages
> should be saved.
>
> In one of the email in the protext Archive (copied below), it's
> suggested to save those ADDITIONAL packages in the folder C:\Documents
> and Settings/ Administrator\ Local Settings\Application Data\
> MiKteX\2.8\miktex\base (as this is the folder that appears with the
> description 'USER DATA' in the MiKteX-Options-Roots window on the one
> hand and, as I want to add a 'class' file I think it should be in the
> 'base' subdirectory).

hmm, i can't agree to this. If you want to use MiKTeX's structure take 
c:\documents and settings\all users\application data\MiKTeX\2.8\tex and 
create a subdirectory "latex" inside, where you might store your own 
xxx.cls .

Anyway you should use this directory only in case you've selfcreated 
class-files or packages. In case you want to use packages from CTAN it 
might be a better idea, to install them by MiKTeX's package manager.

> QUESTION 2- After having been reading abt different LaTeX-related issues
> during the last few days, I've seen in numerous occasions the importance
> of having a 'ROOT' directory (as in C:\texmf) and a 'LOCAL' one (as in
> C:\texmf-local) with the same  structure (TDS) as the former one. What
> are the equivalents of these two directories, 'C:\Program Files\MikTeX
> 2.8' and the file I mentioned above in C:\Documents and Setting (User
> Data) ?

Exact.

> QUESTION 3- When I use MikTex Update Wizard, what are the 'local
> repository files'? and where are they?

The 'local repository files' are the place, where the packages in a 
MiKTeX understandable compressed format a stored. If you've installed 
MiKTeX through ProTeXt, you can find them, beginning from the directory, 
where you've unpacked ProTeXt.exe, in MiKTeX\tm\packages .

Anyway it might be a better idea, to use a "remote package repository", 
while these are linked to the nearest CTAN-server, from where you 
receive the most recent versions.

> QUESTION 4- As u can read here,
>
> http://www.unt.edu/rss/class/Jon/L2H_SC/install_l2h_web_many/node3.html
>
> it's suggested to change the default locations from the ProText
> installation to the typical ones. Would you recommend to do so?

well, after having read the informations from the URL shown above, the 
reason for doing these, seem to base on problems in context with 
latex2html .

In my local installations i used MiKTeX's default installation 
directories, and i never ran in any problems with them.

Regards - Thomas


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