[OS X TeX] Query the PATH [was: local vs. global symlink]

Jérome Laurens jerome.laurens at u-bourgogne.fr
Thu Nov 30 23:42:40 CET 2006


Le 30 nov. 06 à 09:12, Joachim Kock a écrit :

> Haris wrote:
>
>> In TextMate's LaTeX bundle, we'd rather not have to force the user to
>> tell us what their preference is.  They have already stated their
>> preference by setting the command line interface one way or  
>> another, and
>> the editor should (IMHO) be smart enough to pick up that preference
>
> I am happy you agree with me -- I was afraid nobody was listening.   
> I am
> still convinced it is the most robust and correct solution.  The  
> notion of
> PATH already exists as a useful mechanism to find command line  
> programs,
> and it is not going away anytime soon.  The frontends are wrappers  
> to a
> command line program, and they should embrace the PATH notion as  
> faithfully
> as possible, instead of inventing another mechanism on their own.
>
> Hopefully we can convince other frontends to query the login-shell  
> PATH.
>
>

Finally, I remembered why using the login-shell PATH is dangerous and  
not recommanded

Suppose PATH starts with ".", the current directory will be the first  
one searched by the terminal
Combined with the write18 feature, it is a security hole
The write18 can execute an apparently guenuine action, that is really  
overriden in the current directory and can do quite anything on your  
data


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