[OS X TeX] Re: Remarks on the /usr/bin/texprograms symlink

[Bruno Voisin]

Le 26 nov. 06 à 15:15, Joachim Kock a écrit :

> Claus pointed out that the following two assumptions are invalid:
>
>>> (1) there is only one TeX distribution installed on the Macintosh
>>>
>>> (2) there is only one user who is then also administrator.
>
> And Bruno responded:
>
>> I totally disagree. Assumptions (1) and (2) are, IMO, the only Mac
>> way of using TeX: something that just works, and under whose hood you
>> don't have to look at.
>
> I can agree with the last part: that things should work without the
> need of looking under the hood, but you simply can't deny the  
> existence
> of computer labs, where (1) and (2) are never true.

Here I have to plead guilty: I had read very quickly points (1) and  
(2), and read (2) as "there is only one administrator who is then  
also user", and interpreted it as "the Mac has only one administrator  
who is configuring TeX system-wide for all the users of the Mac;  
these users don't normally modify that configuration, though they can  
if required through the creation of per-user settings". That's the  
situation I consider "standard".

So I actually agree with you. I am indeed familiar with computer  
labs, and have already been such administrator myself, to smaller  
scale, configuring Macs shared with PhD students, postdocs or  
visitors I was supervising.

Bruno


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