[OS X TeX] Just Curious...

[Herbert Schulz]

> On Oct 30, 2014, at 12:36 PM, Herbert Schulz <herbs at wideopenwest.com> wrote:
> 
> 
>> On Oct 30, 2014, at 12:12 PM, Joseph Wright <joseph.wright at morningstar2.co.uk> wrote:
>> 
>> On 30/10/2014 17:07, Herbert Schulz wrote:
>>>> Yosemite, though the issues with (particularly) XeTeX and GUI
>>>> programs/path business are annoying. (I realise this is of Apple's
>>>> making, not actually something at the 'TeX end'.)
>>>> --
>>>> Joseph Wright
>>> 
>>> Howdy,
>>> 
>>> Maybe I shouldn't ask, but... ``issues with (particularly)XeTeX''? Are you talking about a font display problem?
>>> 
>>> Good Luck,
>>> 
>>> Herb Schulz
>> 
>> No, the 'GUI environment' problem. See
>> http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/208181/why-did-my-tex-related-gui-program-stop-working-in-mac-os-x-yosemite
>> for the detail, but basically GUI applications are not getting the
>> 'right' path information in Yosemite, which breaks the ability to
>> readily run some tools. This shows up particularly with XeTeX, which
>> as-standard spans xdvipdfmx as a second process after the typesetting
>> run and so relies on the path being correct.
>> 
>> There are work-arounds but it's a pain: as I say, the issue is as I
>> understand it of Apple's making.
>> --
>> Joseph Wright
> 
> Howdy,
> 
> At least until Apple fixes that bug try using TeXShop which works fine since it uses a different method for passing environment variables to sub-processes. To use XeTeX simply place the line
> 
> % !TEX TS-program = xetex
> 
> (or xelatex if that's what you want) at the top of your source file and then use Typeset->Typeset (Cmd-T) to automatically use xetex to process your file.
> 
> Big PS: before opening any UTF-8 encoded file in TeXShop open TeXShop and set the default input encoding to `Unicode (UTF-8)' in TeXShop->Preferences->Source->Encoding. TeXShop's default encoding is Latin 9. You can put the line
> 
> % !TEX encoding = UTF-8 Unicode
> 
> near the top of your source file but the first time you read it in you'll have to explicitly use the File->Open command and set the encoding for the input; it's a lot easier to set it as the default and not worry.
> 
> Good Luck,
> 
> Herb Schulz
> (herbs at wideopenwest dot com)

Howdy,

Hmmm... another way? I don't know what editor/front end you are using but could you change the ``tool'' (using the TeXworks naming convention) to run xetex with the -no-pdf option and then run xdvipdfmx on the xdv file it produces? That would avoid having xetex open a pipe to xdvipdfmx as a sub-process.

Good Luck,

Herb Schulz
(herbs at wideopenwest dot com)