If you want to install TeX on your Mac there are multiple options how to do it. Let’s see what’s out there:
- Installation using MacPorts (formerly DarwinPorts):
If you already have MacPorts installed, installing TeX is simply running:hermes:~ eddie$ sudo port install tetex
If not, follow the installation instructions provided at MacPorts and execute the command above afterwards.
This option is quite time consuming as all source code has to be compiled on your own machine. - Installation using Fink:
If you already have Fink installed, installing TeX is simply running:hermes:~ eddie$ sudo fink install tetex
If not, follow the installation instructions provided for Fink and execute the command above afterwards.
This option is, as with MacPorts, also quite time consuming for the same reason. - Installation using i-Installer:
Caution: the author has stopped working on the product and won’t release new versions, update the software repository or give support beyond his own needs.
Using i-Installer you can create a customized TeX/LaTeX environment quite comfortably. Additional software like xFig can be installed and configured, dependencies are resolved automatically. - Installation using MacTeX:
MacTex provides a complete TeX suite as disk image (dmg file) for Mac. Included you find a installation image for texlive (version 2007 a.t.m) but also additional software like LaTeX source code editors (I recommend to try TeXShop) and BibTeX bibliography database managers (BibDesk).
Concluding, my suggestion is:
Everyone who wants an always up to date TeX installation should use either MacPorts or Fink. They release updates more often than MacTeX. Choosing between Fink and MacPorts is based on the liking of the user: both include, not only for TeX, nearly the same packages in their repository.
i-Installer is a pretty useful tool for the installation as it includes many more additional programs which have to be installed by hand using one of the other options. But you should only use it if you have no need for support and bug fixes.
In my opinion the best installation method is using the MacTex package: it’s simple, quick and complete.
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