[OS X TeX] Re: Using 'ditto' to shrink /usr/local/texlive folder

Peter Dyballa Peter_Dyballa at Web.DE
Tue Jan 31 00:39:41 CET 2012


Am 30.1.2012 um 23:07 schrieb SB Tech:

>  For example, it's
> conceivable that some binaries in the /universal-darwin folder are used
> regardless of the architecture you're running?

This can't happen, because the commands to be executed are taken either from this or from that directory, which ever is mentioned in the PATH environment variable.

> 
> I guess I have several views on this point.  One: the smaller I keep my
> main install disk, the smaller my backups.

Not with TimeMachine. Initially it backups everything, but afterwards only the changed files. It (definitely) works incrementally though presenting complete backups.

> It also mean it takes less time to produce the backups.

Well, with the few directory entries you can save each time a few msec.

> Three: by keeping my boot drive as small as possible, I'm assuming it makes it faster to access
> the data I need,

No. The files are already stored on the platters and won't move into better positions just because you delete some stuff.

> This also reduces wear and tear on the drive head.

No. The head(s) only stop and accelerate to move somewhere else when data is to be read or written. Flying over unused platter space does not really contribute to wear and tear. It just increases the risk that some head might collide with a dust grain or such on the larger distance between two stops.

> Four: I use a 160GB 10k RPM WD drive

These makes the collision unlikely because the dust grain won't be able to stay on the fast spinning platter. And it's a pretty small disk.

> but also have a MacBook Pro (MBP) with a 120GB SSD.  I tend to use my Mac Pro to experiment with space-saving
> measures that I can then translate successfully to my MBP.

Consider to install MacTeX or TeX Live 2011 manually (from DVD or internet) by exactly selecting what you need and deselecting what you most likely will never need – documentation and fonts (support) in Chinese, Cyrillic, Polish, ...

>  I guess a final
> Five would be:  at times like this, when natural disasters can squeeze the
> HDD supply and raise prices significantly, it's prudent to be conservative
> with disk space :)

It's even getting worse: the number of independent and actually manufacturing producers of hard-disks is decreasing. Samsung (disk branch) is going to become a part of WD, Hitachi (disk branch) is already a part of Seagate. Toshiba has not much to offer (except for servers), Chinese hardware will need a few more years to reach the world standard of Seagate & WD.

> 
> I guess once I receive a reply regarding the effect of removing /universal-darwin, I'll get right onto this.

Don't forget to set/correct PATH accordingly! Maybe it is set to use universal-darwin.


BTW, updating with tlmgr or TLU is not that bad. That's the only way you can get corrected packages. (And the *initial* TeX Live/Mac TeX 2011 distributions have not bee bug free.)


--
Greetings

  Pete

There's something the technicians need to learn from the artists. If it isn't aesthetically pleasing, it's probably wrong.




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