[OS X TeX] Can't open dvi files in TeXShop

[Will Robertson]

On 5 Jun 2004, at 11:38, Daniel Flatin wrote:

> I am trying to review some of the documentation installed with teTeX 
> which is only in dvi format.
> When I open the file directly from the Finder, TeXShop launches but 
> does not parse the file.

When TeXShop opens DVI files, it runs it through dvips & ps2pdf (or 
equivalent) and opens the resulting PDF. If the DVI is in a read-only 
location, TeXShop doesn't have the privileges to do this (create a PDF) 
so it silently fails. Not very good UI really. You have three options:

(1) Use iTeXMac, which is similar TeXShop but has more features --- it 
will handle this situation by copying the DVI file to a temporary 
location first

(2) Copy the file to the desktop (or where-ever) first and then use 
TeXShop

(3) Use a DVI viewer. Your choices are: xdvi (only in X11), MacDVIX or 
Mxdvi (both native Mac OS X apps). Look in the Applications Table on 
the Mac TeX website* for links.

*[NOTE: The Mxdvi link is broken by a preceding slash]

Hope that helps
Will

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