[OS X TeX] Re: font difficulties (finding map files in homedir) in MacTeX 2011

[Herbert Schulz]

On Sep 2, 2011, at 3:18 PM, John Owens wrote:

> Herbert Schulz <herbs at ...> writes:
>> If you installed TeX Live with the MacTeX installer your personal
>> tree has its root at ~/Library/texmf/ (you'll have to create the
>> texmf folder there if you don't already have it). Then put all the
>> font stuff in the correct sub-folders of ~/Library/texmf/fonts/...
> 
> So I'm pretty sure that MacTeX actually wants the ancillary files
> (.map, .vf, that sort of thing) in ~/Library/texlive/2011/... (please
> correct me if I'm wrong). That has been the history over the past few
> years of MacTeX, anyway. 
> 

Howdy,

The ~/Library/texlive/2011/... tree is where TeX Live places personal versions of files, caches used by things like luatex, fonts created on the fly from mf source. I.e., a place where it ``knows'' it can write. You shouldn't put things there at all!!!

Again, your personal tree (for personal packages, fonts, bib files, etc.) is located at ~/Library/texmf (not created by default --- you build the tree structure as needed) as it has been for many years. That's the tree where you should be putting the map, etc., files. Texhash never mentions this tree because kpsewhich searches this tree directly rather than by using an ls-R file.

>> One thing to note: I personally think all fonts and associated files
>> should be put into the texmf-local tree and you should always do
> 
> I totally hear ya, and hope that I don't have to do this. :) Again
> this is something MacTeX has (IMHO) done well: allowed the separation
> of what's in my personal directory vs. what's system-wide, so that I
> can nuke the system-wide stuff and reinstall (or upgrade) without
> having to touch any of my personal stuff.
> 
> JDO
> 

For system wide use of files that you install you can put things into the texmf-local tree which has its root at /usr/local/texlive/texmf-local.

Good Luck,

Herb Schulz
(herbs at wideopenwest dot com)