[ abstract 35.2 KB ]
[ slides 1,1 MB ]
( no preprint )
Gerben Wierda
Sherlock@rna.nl
Tuesday July 22, 2003
Mac OS X is the successor to Mac OS, aka Mac OS Classic. Mac OS X is based on a modern open source Unix foundation (though most Mac OS users will not be aware of this) and as such currently is the most widely used desktop-Unix. Since it is a unix, the famous TeX distribution by Thomas Esser (teTeX) may be used as TeX engine. Mac OS X differs with most other unixes in several ways. Technically, there are differences,
most noticeably at the file system level, the text format level and the graphical display level. With respect to the latter, Mac OS X display technology is entirely based on PDF, and as such it is a system where pdfTeX is really ``at home''. But at least as important, there is a difference between Mac OS X users and users of other unix desktops, in that they are generally a lot less `computer literate' at the technical level. Anything presented to typical Mac OS users should follow the motto ``it just works'' (and without any use of unix level technologies like shells). This includes handling complexities like updating TeX at a regular basis without having detailed knowledge of the technicalities involved. Bringing TeX to Mac OS X has therefore been a complex project with hurdles and pitfalls on many levels. The talk will present some of the
hurdles and the solutions that have been inspired by them, some of which are solutions reached at in collaboration with others or more often entirely created by others.
