[OS X TeX] tlmgr

[Peter Dyballa]

Am 17.10.2008 um 02:01 schrieb Dr. Clea F. Rees:

> The MacTeX wiki currently recommends running:
> 	sudo tlmgr update --all
>
> Question: is there some reason to prefer this to:
> 	sudo -H tlmgr update --all

IMO the latter should be preferred, because it separates the system's  
setup from some private one. At least in a multi-user environment it  
is the right command.

The latter would fail to integrate personal (private) font resources.  
In a multi-user environment it's the correct (and legal) behaviour  
(because only one person received the license to use the fonts). In a  
typical personal computer situation the former command is more  
adequate, at least it saves some space on disk and extra work for the  
personal setup.
It could also fail in a situation where RC files for the shell in / 
etc were not updated. Then only the user has PATH set correctly  
(otherwise TeX would not work) while the super-user would miss the  
component that points to the TeX distribution's programmes.

The latter command IMO *is* recommended when the owner has a  
particular setup for his or her FMT files, or MAP files (Karl Berry  
or Adobe names, downloading of PostScript fonts, ...). This private  
(personal) setup would otherwise be applied on the system.


IMO it's worth to mention these details if not already done. The  
general recommendation should IMO be "sudo -H ..." with a hint to  
leave out the -H when the user is the only user and has some private  
commercial font licenses acquired and these fonts installed in his or  
her private area.


It might a good idea to document failures that happen particularly  
with personal setups.

--
Greetings

   Pete

The mathematician who pursues his studies without clear views of this  
matter, must often have the uncomfortable feeling that his paper and  
pencil surpass him in intelligence.
				– Ernst Mach