[OS X TeX] viewer, configuration

[Herb Schulz]

On 6/29/04 6:03 AM, "Frans Goddijn" <frans at goddijn.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> Finally after much tweaking I have Texshop running. First of all, I
> want to say that the systeem thrills me since it's so nice and seeing
> the swift compilation of a file and then viewing the results is a
> dream.
> 
> But there are so many glitches! It amazes and daunts me that the
> super-gifted people developing TeX on a superior platform like the Mac
> can make things so difficult for a simple user such as me.
> 
> Some questions and remarks...
> 
> 1) Can I tell TeXshop to use the Acrobat Reader instead of its own
> primitive viewer and if so, where? In the beginning I was often
> startled to see how bad a document looked (bitmap fonts looking
> terrible!) or how interactivity suddenly failed to work (works fine in
> the real reader). I want to show what I do with TeXshop to other Mac
> users that I know and I like to impress them. I succeed so far but only
> when I hide such 'features' as the partially blind viewer.
>

Howdy,

At this time I don't think that is possible to set Reader as your viewer. I
believe it is possible with iTeXMac.

I'm not sure why you're seeing bitmapped fonts! If you're using the CM fonts
you should be seeing the type 1 versions. Sounds like a messed up
configuration file for pdftex, etc. Since OS X is a multi-user system at its
heart it has protections against possible mistakes being made by the
uninitiated. Which leads me to...

> 2) In TeX manuals one can read about files like texmf.cnf and
> texexec.ini.  On my system I can load them in the text editor but I
> can't save them! Overwrite is forbidden. Why? It is MY computer! I
> would expect that such configuration files are also placed in my own
> /Library map structure so I can edit them there but they often don't
> exist there. And there is no map matching /usr/local/tetex in my own
> map structure because that one starts later/deeper, at /texmf/...
> Not being able to play with such config files makes it harder also to
> add my own font and font mappings.

The reason you're having write access problems is exactly why those
permissions are set that way! To change map files you should use the program
updmap; e.g., to add a map to pdftex, dvips, etc., you need to use the
command

 sudo updmap --enable MAP mapname.map

And, after entering your administrator password, all the configuration files
will get properly updated at once.

> I needed to uncomment "enable \write18" in the texmf.cnf and instead of
> just being able to do that (file not writable by the owner) and get
> back to work, I spent a long time trying to find workarounds. I then
> copied texexec.ini to my own map structure in texmf\context\config
> (this path didn't exist yet) and added "-shell-escape" to the line that
> reads "texpassstring -progname=context" -- it works but it is of a
> complexity that discourages me to suggest an other mac user to try TeX.
> And it could be so simple! And the output (if I manage to hide the
> internal texshop viewer) looks so fantastic!
> 

Why not do this in the preferences within TeXShop. As a matter of fact, I
believe the default pdflatex command in TeXShop has the --shell-escape flag
already set.

> 3) If I use the i-installer to make sure I have Metafun, and I first
> select TeX, then Formats, then Metafun, then when the installer runs I
> see that it is first disabling all other formats. So every time I just
> want to add one, I must also select every one I already had. That's
> puzzling for me. Why would that be so? And if Metafun is installed
> properly in this way, why is it so hard to actually *use* it because
> \write18 remains as disabled as it was?
> 
> Otherwise I am one very happy user of Texshop, proudly amazed of all
> TeX can do.
> 
> Groet!
> 
> Frans
> 

Good Luck,

Herb Schulz
(herbs at wideopenwest.com)

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