[OS X TeX] Recommendations for downloading LaTEX

[Maarten Sneep]

On 27 jan 2005, at 14:02, cormullion wrote:

> I’ve been recommended the i-Installer, but this doesn’t work for me. 
> It’s much easier for me (still on dial-up) to have resumable downloads 
> from a clearly clickable link on a web page than go through an 
> elaborate and largely-incomprehensible on-line installer. (I’m not 
> sure about granting administrator access while downloading remote 
> software either...)

Because installing TeX is not a matter of unpacking a file and then
copying the result, I'm afraid the installer will popup somewhere.
The installer tries very hard to limit the download to the minimum it
really needs. But that minimum is still rather large. The i-Installer
also ensures that when stuff is updated, only the new bits get
transferred, so it isn't that bad.

Personally I don't really see the difference between giving 
administrator
rights to some piece of software you just got off the internet *before*
or *after* it is downloading something: when done with a random piece of
software, you're screwed anyway. Take my word for it: i-Installer is
fine, you could even download the source, investigate how it works, and
then decide to trust it.

> I just want to install a basic system and start from there. Is there a 
> small and easily downloaded link to a MacOS X Latex system anywhere?

Getting back on subject: I think OzTeX is worth investigating
(http://www.trevorrow.com/oztex/ about 13 MB download, shareware, a
CD can be ordered).

The other option is to purchase the TeXLive CD/DVD set. No download, 
just
a disk: http://www.tug.org/texlive.html (link is down for me at the 
moment,
they've had their share of server problems recently, so be patient). It 
has
an ISBN number, you should be able to order it through your local 
bookstore.

Maarten

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