[OS X TeX] Re: Newbie is confused by Getting Started document

[Gary L. Gray]

On Jan 22, 2007, at 2:42 AM, Maarten Sneep wrote:

> On Jan 22, 2007, at 04:22, Gary L. Gray wrote:
>
>>
>> On Jan 21, 2007, at 9:52 PM, Bob Harris wrote:
>>
>>> Earlier this evening, I wrote:
>>>> I'm new to TeX on Mac OSX.
>>>>   ...
>>>> So it seems to me like all I need is something that
>>>> converts latex to pdf and is easy to install.
>>>
>>> Looking at some other latex pages, it looks like all I might need  
>>> are
>>> these commands
>>>   latex sample.tex
>>>   dvips -o sample.ps sample.dvi
>>>   dvips -o -Ppdf sample.ps sample.dvi
>>>   ps2pdf sample.ps
>>>
>>> Though I haven't tried them out yet, those commands (latex,  
>>> dvips, and
>>> ps2pdf) are all available on the command line without me installing
>>> anything.  Given that I probably would be using TextWrangler as my
>>> editor anyway, is there really any good reason for me to download  
>>> the
>>> other stuff?  From the standpoint of converting latex to pdf, is  
>>> there
>>> something these command line tools are lacking?
>>
>>
>> Of course anything that can be done with TeXShop can also be  
>> invoked from the command line. If that is your cup of tea, go for  
>> it. You will lose the ability sync between source and preview  
>> (invaluable in long docs) and several other nice things that it  
>> provides, but it sounds like you aren't really interested in  
>> anything new. [;-)]
>
> My AppleScripts for BBEdit and TetWrangler (still at http:// 
> www.nat.vu.nl/~sneep/tex/CompileTeX-BBEdit8.dmg) allows for  
> synchronised viewing with TeXniScope, syncing with pdfview requires  
> changes to that application, right now it will not work with multi- 
> file source documents). It also provides easy access to the command- 
> line tools Bob mentioned.
>
> Another tool that is really with installing the additions for is  
> BibDesk, with is not just an editor, but a bibliography management  
> tool, and a really good one too.


I forgot about your stuff Maarten. Thanks for pointing it out. I  
think it is time I finally bookmarked it once and for all. :-)

All the best,
   Gary


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