[pdftex] pdfetex can't find map files

[George N. White III]

On Sat, 11 Dec 2004, h h extern wrote:

> Taco Hoekwater wrote:
>
>> Probably the best advice for any Linux ConTeXt user out there is: 
>> immediately de-install your distribution-supplied tetex, and get a 
>> fresh tetex-beta or TeXLive. Asking Hans to tell you *exactly* which 
>> build of pdftex he uses today is probably pointless, and I really doubt 
>> he has a 'clean' install that resembles a tetex or TL. But perhaps it 
>> makes sense to include the versions that are current on 
>> http://live.contextgarden.net ?

Yes, just let people know that the minimal packages are available and make 
sure there is a place that lists the versions of the main programs.  If 
someone is having problems with context under an existing tetex, tell them 
how to install one of minimal version from

    http://www.pragma-ade.com/download-1.htm.

without removing their existing tex (can multiple TeX versions coexist on 
Win32?).

> [...]
> I think that with regard to tetex, the biggest problem can be 'vendor 
> provided tetex's' since some distributers do funny things with repackaging. 
> Thomas told me long ago that if you want to be 'up-to-date' one should never 
> install those, but just take his latest version, so that's what i do then.

Many people are forced by dependencies to install the vendor-supplied 
tetex, or work in an environment where the "standard" configuration 
includes some ancient version of tetex.  You may want the vendor's version 
to rebuild docs when hacking apps that use tetex for the documentation.

It needs to be made abundantly clear that multiple versions of tetex can 
coexist on *n*x without creating problems.  Setting PATH's and sometimes 
TEXMFCNF shouldn't cause anyone difficulties.  Newer linux distros use 
/etc/man.conf instead of MANPATH. I don't have a good solution to the 
/man/man.conf problem (really I haven't looked into it), but it is easy 
enough to adjust the PATH and TEXMFCNF variables on linux.  I use the 
environment modules package (which SGI provides, but isn't hard to install 
from sources, although you need tcl or tclx) to make switching between 
multiple TeX configurations as easy as:

$ module rm TeX
$ module add TeX/TL2004

-- 
George N. White III  <aa056 at chebucto.ns.ca>