[texworks] Preconfigure TeXworks Server Installation

Stefan Löffler st.loeffler at gmail.com
Sun Jul 1 18:03:27 CEST 2012


Hi,

On 2012-06-30 09:49, Peter Seitz wrote:
> I am new to Texlive and TeXworks.

Welcome to the community :).

> Now when a user first invokes TeXworks, a new configuration will be 
> stored in the <resources> directory - typically on the local user 
> profile. From the manual I've read in Chapter 5.7 "Changing the 
> configuration" that it is possible to change the location of the 
> configuration. Have not tried it out yet.
>
> What I'd like to do:
>
> When a new user runs TeXworks for the first time, he should get a well 
> configured configuration with e.g. syntax highlighting on, character 
> font, preconfigured pdflatex compiler, indenting, etc. as we want to use 
> it in our network.
>
> I don't want to burden this first step to a new user. He should get a 
> well configured setting so it will be easier to work and start with TeX.
>
> So I wonder where TeXworks stores the default settings which it will copy 
> to the <resources> directory of the user. So I could change those 
> defaults and a new user will get the right network setup.

First of all, there are two separate issues here: the one is the
resources folder (which includes, e.g., syntax highlighting patterns,
templates, scripts, etc.). The other is the settings (whether syntax
highlighting is on, the user interface language, etc.). Those two are
kept separately, but their defaults are hard-coded into TeXworks.

Let's focus on the settings first. On Windows, they are stored in the
registry by default. So if you can ensure somehow that proper default
values exist when a user runs TeXworks (e.g., by setting them when the
user is created, or by creating a small wrapper batch file or something
that creates them if they don't exist and then runs the main
application), you're done.
If meddling with the registry is inconvenient for you, you can change
the place where the settings are stored (see the manual) and deal with
files instead.
BTW: for finding out where TeXworks is looking for the settings, you can
use "Help > Settings and Resources...".


> I also wonder if it iis possible to have a central directory tree where 
> we will store our TeX-templates. From my understanding, I currently have 
> a local copy for every user in the <resources> directory. For company 
> wide templates, this will be a mess since then we have to update every 
> users' templates when we change a template or create a new one.

Well, as stated above, resources and settings are separate. So you can
keep all resources in a central location, but the settings local to each
user. This would not only affect the templates, however, but also some
other things (typesetting tools, syntax highlighting patterns, scripts,
auto-completion, etc.). To do that, follow the instructions in the
manual regarding changing the place for the configuration and let it
point to your central server.

HTH
Stefan

PS: Accessing resources over the network has not been tested
extensively, yet. If you run into problems, you may want to consider
mapping the location to a drive letter.
PPS: On Linux, I would simply link the central templates folder into
each users' resources folder. Since links on Windows work differently, I
don't think it would work, but you could try.


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