[OS X TeX] OS X TeX newbie needs help installing TeX on non-boot volume

[Rowland McDonnell]

> On Sep 10, 2005, at 12:01 PM, Rowland McDonnell wrote:
> 
> >> On Sep 10, 2005, at 8:41 AM, Rowland McDonnell wrote:
> >>
> >>> Hello,
> >>>
> >>> My subject line says it all.  I've been using OzTeX for a while
> >>> (since System 6.0.7 was the latest and greatest) and I've got
> >>> CMacTeX for pdfTeX these days.  I've looked at what one can
> >>> apparently do with a modern OS X TeX setup and thought `I want
> >>> some of that'. So I tried to install a teTeX based TeX and hit a
> >>> brick wall: I can't work out how to install things in
> >>> non-standard places.
> <snip>
> 
> You are in better hands than I now...

Mmm.  Not sure of that at all.  I've managed to glean a little
information - Gerben has (finally!) told me a little bit about using
i-installer to install in non-standard locations.  He's been reluctant
to tell me anything at all before now (what it's added up to so far is
that he thinks I don't want to do it my way, I ought to want to do it
his way, everything is better if you do it his way, there is no sanity
in doing it my way so I mustn't do it my way, and I'm stupid because I
can't use his software which is easy to use because he knows it's easy
to use...  Frustrating and annoying rather than helpful, but there you
go: this is the brave new world of exclusion that we live in.)

No-one else has told me anything of any use at all that I can see.

Is there a practical way of finding out what the various software
packages available via i-installer do, and how to install them and
configure them myself?

I think I'll have to start out by installing teTeX manually and take it
from there.  I don't think i-installer is safe to use from what I can
see.

Can anyone give me a pointer to a suitable source for teTeX that I can
install and expect to be able to configure to use with `all these MacOS
X TeX goodies I keep hearing about'?

> When I said "external", I should have said "non-boot volume".

Righto.

> What I gave you were terminal line commands. That's where you will  
> need skill to take a try at what I stated (whether it's advisable or  
> not is better known by Gerben).

I don't see that skill has anything to do with it.  Terminal
commands require no skill to perform beyond the ability to type.  One
does need information about what the commands are there to do and what
effects you need to have on things and I can't seem to find out that
information.  That's not skill, that's knowledge, and there are barriers
against me gaining the required knowledge.

What I need is help finding things out, not `skill' - whatever you might
mean by that.

> Best of luck,

I need it.

Cheers
Rowland.
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