Contents:
Installation
Simple installation
Custom installation
Disk space
Kpathsea application distributions
Changing search paths
Default path features
Default path generation
Running `configure'
`configure' shells
`configure' options
`configure' environment
`configure' scenarios
Shared library
Running `make'
Installing files
Cleaning up
Filename database generation
`mktex' scripts
`mktex' configuration
`mktex' script names
`mktex' script arguments
Installation testing
Security
Installation
************
The procedure for Kpathsea (and Web2c, etc.) configuration and
installation follows. If you encounter trouble, see *Note Common
problems::, a copy of which is in the file `kpathsea/BUGS'.
Simple installation
===================
Installing TeX and friends for the first time can be a daunting
experience. Thus, you may prefer to skip this whole thing and just get
precompiled executables: see *Note unixtex.ftp::.
This section explains what to do if you wish to take the defaults for
everything, and generally to install in the simplest possible way. Most
steps here refer to corresponding subsection in the next section which
explains how to override defaults and generally gives more details.
By default everything will be installed under `/usr/local' and the
following discussion assumes this. However, if you already have TeX
installed, its location is used to derive the directory under which
everything is to be installed.
1. Be sure you have enough disk space: approximately 8 megabytes for
the compressed archives, 15MB for sources, 45MB for compilation,
40MB for the (initial) installed system (including library files).
*Note Disk space::.
2. Retrieve these two distribution archives:
`ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/texk.tar.gz'
These are the sources, which you will be compiling.
`ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/texklib.tar.gz'
This is a basic set of input files. You should unpack it in
the directory `/usr/local/share'; doing so will create a
`texmf' subdirectory there.
*Note Kpathsea application distributions::.
3. When using the default search paths, there is no need to edit any
distribution files. *Note Changing search paths::.
4. At the top level of the distribution, run `sh configure'. (If you
have the GNU Bash shell installed, run `bash configure'.) *Note
Running configure::.
5. `make'. *Note Running make::. If you are using a BSD 4.4 system
such as FreeBSD or NetBSD, use GNU make (often installed in
`/usr/local/bin'), not the BSD make.
If you are using a HP-UX 10 system and the native compiler,
specify the `+u' flag in `XCFLAGS'.
6. `make install'. *Note Installing files::.
7. `make distclean'. *Note Cleaning up::.
8. Set up a cron job to rebuild the filename database that makes
searching faster. This line will rebuild it every midnight:
0 0 * * * cd /usr/local/share/texmf && /BINDIR/mktexlsr
*Note Filename database generation::, and *Note Filename
database::.
9. If you're installing Dvips, you also need to set up configuration
files for your printers and make any additional PostScript fonts
available. *Note Installation: (dvips)Installation. If you have
any color printers, see *Note Color device configuration:
(dvips)Color device configuration.
10. The first time you run a DVI driver, a bunch of PK fonts will be
built by Metafont via `mktexpk' (and added to the filename
database). This will take some time. Don't be alarmed; they will
created only this first time (unless something is wrong with your
path definitions).
By default, `mktexpk' will create these fonts in a hierarchy under
`/var/tmp/texfonts'; it simply assumes that `/var/tmp' exists and
is globally writable. If you need a different arrangement, see
*Note mktex configuration::.
*Note mktex scripts::.
11. For some simple tests, try `tex story \\bye' and `latex sample2e'.
Then run `xdvi story' or `dvips sample2e' on the resulting DVI
files to preview/print the documents. *Note Installation
testing::.
Custom installation
===================
Most sites need to modify the default installation procedure in some
way, perhaps merely changing the prefix from `/usr/local', perhaps
adding extra compiler or loader options to work around `configure'
bugs. This section explains how to override default choices. For
additional distribution-specific information:
* `dviljk/INSTALL'.
* *Note Installation: (dvips)Installation.
* *Note Installation: (web2c)Installation.
* `xdvik/INSTALL'.
These instructions are for Unix systems. Other operating-system
specific distributions have their own instructions. The code base
itself supports Amiga, DOS, OS/2, and VMS.
Following are the same steps as in the previous section (which
describes the simplest installation), but with much more detail.
Disk space
----------
Here is a table showing the disk space needed for each distribution
(described in the next section). The `(totals)' line reflects the
`texk' source distribution and `texklib'; the individual distributions
don't enter into it. Sizes are in megabytes. All numbers are
approximate.
Distribution .tar.gz Unpacked Compiled Installed
dviljk .9 3.8
dvipsk .9 3.2
xdvik .7 2.5
web2c 1.3 5.0
web 1.9 6.5 - -
texk 3.8 14.1 43.1 23.5
texklib 3.8 15.0 - 15.0
(totals) 7.6 29.1 43.1 38.5
Kpathsea application distributions
----------------------------------
The archive `ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/texk.tar.gz' contains all of the
Kpathsea applications I maintain, and the library itself. For example,
since NeXT does not generally support X11, you'd probably want to skip
`xdvik' (or simply remove it after unpacking `texk.tar.gz'. If you are
not interested in all of them, you can also retrieve them separately:
`dviljk.tar.gz'
DVI to PCL, for LaserJet printers.
`dvipsk.tar.gz'
DVI to PostScript, for previewers, printers, or PDF generation.
`web2c.tar.gz'
The software needed to compile TeX and friends.
`web.tar.gz'
The original WEB source files, also used in compilation.
`xdvik.tar.gz'
DVI previewing under the X window system.
If you want to use the Babel LaTeX package for support of non-English
typesetting, you may need to retrieve additional files. See the file
`install.txt' in the Babel distribution.
Changing search paths
---------------------
If the search paths for your installation differ from the standard
TeX directory structure (*note Introduction: (tds)Top.), edit the file
`kpathsea/texmf.in' as desired, before running `configure'. For
example, if you have all your fonts or macros in one big directory.
You may also wish to edit the file `mktex.cnf', either before or
after installation, to control various aspects of `mktexpk' and
friends. *Note mktex configuration::.
You do not need to edit `texmf.in' to change the default top-level or
other installation *directories* (only the paths). You can and should
do that when you run `configure' (next step).
You also do not need to edit `texmf.in' if you are willing to rely on
`texmf.cnf' at runtime to define the paths, and let the compile-time
default paths be incorrect. Usually there is no harm in doing this.
The section below explains default generation in more detail.
Default path features
.....................
The purpose of having all the different files described in the section
above is to avoid having the same information in more than one place. If
you change the installation directories or top-level prefix at
`configure'-time, those changes will propagate through the whole
sequence. And if you change the default paths in `texmf.in', those
changes are propagated to the compile-time defaults.
The Make definitions are all repeated in several Makefile's; but
changing the top-level `Makefile' should suffice, as it passes down all
the variable definitions, thus overriding the submakes. (The
definitions are repeated so you can run Make in the subdirectories, if
you should have occasion to.)
By default, the bitmap font paths end with `/$MAKETEX_MODE', thus
including the device name (usually a Metafont mode name such as
`ljfour'). This distinguishes two different devices with the same
resolution--a write/white from a write/black 300dpi printer, for
example.
However, since most sites don't have this complication, Kpathsea
(specifically, the `kpse_init_prog' function in `kpathsea/proginit.c')
has a special case: if the mode has not been explicitly set by the user
(or in a configuration file), it sets `MAKETEX_MODE' to `/'. This
makes the default PK path, for example, expand into `.../pk//', so
fonts will be found even if there is no subdirectory for the mode (if
you arranged things that way because your site has only one printer,
for example) or if the program is mode-independent (e.g., `pktype').
To make the paths independent of the mode, simply edit `texmf.in'
before installation, or the installed `texmf.cnf', and remove the
`$MAKETEX_MODE'.
*Note mktex script arguments::, for how this interacts with `mktexpk'.
*Note TeX directory structure: TeX directory structure, for a
description of the default arrangement of the input files that comprise
the TeX system. The file `kpathsea/HIER' is a copy of that section.
Default path generation
.......................
This section describes how the default paths are constructed.
You may wish to ignore the whole mess and simply edit `texmf.cnf'
after it is installed, perhaps even copying it into place beforehand so
you can complete the installation, if it seems necessary.
To summarize the chain of events that go into defining the default
paths:
1. `configure' creates a `Makefile' from each `Makefile.in'.
2. When Make runs in the `kpathsea' directory, it creates a file
`texmf.sed' that substitutes the Make value of `$(var)' for a
string `@var@'. The variables in question are the one that define
the installation directories.
3. `texmf.sed' (together with a little extra magic--see
`kpathsea/Makefile') is applied to `texmf.in' to generate
`texmf.cnf'. This is the file that will eventually be installed
and used.
4. The definitions in `texmf.cnf' are recast as C `#define''s in
`paths.h'. These values will be the compile-time defaults; they
are not used at runtime unless no `texmf.cnf' file can be found.
(That's a lie: the compile-time defaults are what any extra :'s in
`texmf.cnf' expand into; but the paths as distributed have no extra
:'s, and there's no particular reason for them to.)
Running `configure'
-------------------
Run `sh configure OPTIONS' (in the top-level directory, the one
containing `kpathsea/'), possibly using a shell other than `sh' (*note
configure shells::.).
`configure' adapts the source distribution to the present system via
`#define''s in `*/c-auto.h', which are created from the corresponding
`c-auto.in'. It also creates a `Makefile' from the corresponding
`Makefile.in', doing `@VAR@' and `ac_include' substitutions).
`configure' is the best place to control the configuration,
compilation, and installed location of the software, either via
command-line options, or by setting environment variables before
invoking it. For example, you can disable `mktexpk' by default with
the option `--disable-mktexpk'. *Note configure options::.
`configure' shells
..................
If you have Bash, the GNU shell, use it if `sh' runs into trouble
(*note Top: (features)Top.).
Most Bourne shell variants other than Bash cannot handle `configure'
scripts as generated by GNU Autoconf (*note Introduction:
(autoconf)Top.). Specifically:
`ksh'
The Korn shell may be installed as `/bin/sh' on AIX. `/bin/bsh'
may serve instead.
`ash'
Ash is sometimes installed as `/bin/sh' on NetBSD, FreeBSD, and
Linux systems. `/bin/bash' should be available.
`Ultrix /bin/sh'
`/bin/sh' under Ultrix is a DEC-grown shell that is notably
deficient in many ways. `/bin/sh5' may be necessary.
`configure' options
...................
For a complete list of all `configure' options, run `configure
--help' or see *Note Running `configure' scripts: (autoconf)Invoking
configure, (a copy is in the file `kpathsea/README.CONFIGURE'). The
generic options are listed first in the `--help' output, and the
package-specific options come last. The environment variables
`configure' pays attention to are listed below.
Options particularly likely to be useful are `--prefix', `--datadir',
and the like; see *Note configure scenarios::.
This section gives pointers to descriptions of the `--with' and
`--enable' options to `configure' that Kpathsea-using programs accept.
`--without-mktexmf-default'
`--without-mktexpk-default'
`--without-mktextfm-default'
`--with-mktextex-default'
Enable or disable the dynamic generation programs. *Note mktex
configuration::.
`--enable-shared'
Build Kpathsea as a shared library, and link against it. Also
build the usual static library. *Note Shared library::.
`--disable-static'
Build only the shared library. Implies `--enable-shared'.
`--enable-maintainer-mode'
Enables make targets that are useful for the maintainer and likely
to be a pain for anyone else; the makefiles created when this
option is enabled may not work at all for you. You have been
warned.
`configure' environment
.......................
`configure' uses the value of the following environment variables in
determining your system's characteristics, and substitutes for them in
Makefile's:
`CC'
The compiler to use: default is `gcc' if it's installed, otherwise
`cc'.
`CFLAGS'
Options to give the compiler: default is `-g -O2' for `gcc', `-g'
otherwise. `CFLAGS' comes after any other options. You may need
to include `-w' here if your compilations commonly have useless
warnings (e.g., `NULL redefined'), or `configure' may fail to
detect the presence of header files (it takes the messages on
standard error to mean the header file doesn't exist).
`CPPFLAGS'
Options to pass to the compiler preprocessor; this matters most for
configuration, not the actual source compilation. The `configure'
script often does only preprocessing (e.g., to check for the
existence of #include files), and `CFLAGS' is not used for this.
You may need to set this to something like
`-I/usr/local/include/wwwhatever' if you have the libwww library
installed for hyper-xdvik (see `xdvik/INSTALL').
`DEFS'
Additional preprocessor options, but not used by `configure'.
Provided for enabling or disabling program features, as documented
in the various program-specific installation instructions. `DEFS'
comes before any compiler options included by the distribution
`Makefile's or by `configure'.
`LDFLAGS'
Additional options to give to the loader. `LDFLAGS' comes before
any other linker options.
`LIBS'
Additional libraries to link with.
`configure' scenarios
.....................
Here are some common installation scenarios:
* Including X support in Metafont. This is disabled by default,
since many sites have no use for it, and it's a leading cause of
configuration problems.
configure --with-x
* Putting the binaries, TeX files, GNU info files, etc. into a single
TeX hierarchy, say `/here/texmf', requires overriding defaults in
`configure':
configure --prefix=/here/texmf --datadir=/here
* You can compile on multiple architectures simultaneously either by
building symbolic link trees with the `lndir' script from the X11
distribution, or with the `--srcdir' option:
configure --srcdir=SRCDIR
* If you are installing binaries for multiple architectures into a
single hierarchy, you will probably want to override the default
`bin' and `lib' directories, something like this:
configure --prefix=TEXMF --datadir=TEXMF \
--bindir=TEXMF/ARCH/bin --libdir=TEXMF/ARCH/lib
make texmf=TEXMF
(Unless you make provisions for architecture-specific files in
other ways, e.g., with Depot or an automounter.)
* To compile with optimization (to compile without debugging, remove
the `-g'):
env CFLAGS="-g -O" sh configure ...
For a potential problem if you optimize, see *Note TeX or
Metafont failing: TeX or Metafont failing.
Shared library
..............
You can compile Kpathsea as a shared library on a few systems, by
specifying the option `--enable-shared' when you run `configure'.
The main advantage in doing this is that the executables can then
share the code, thus decreasing memory and disk space requirements.
On some systems, you can record the location of shared libraries in a
binary, usually by giving certain options to the linker. Then
individual users do not need to set their system's environment variable
(e.g., `LD_LIBRARY_PATH') to find shared libraries. If you want to do
this, you will need to add the necessary options to `LDFLAGS' yourself;
for example, on Solaris, include something like `-R${prefix}/lib', on
IRIX or Linux, use `-rpath${prefix}/lib'. (Unfortunately, making this
happen by default is very difficult, because of interactions with an
existing installed shared library.)
Currently, shared library support is implemented only on Linux, SunOS
4 (Solaris 1), SunOS 5 (Solaris 2), IRIX 5, and IRIX 6. If you're
interested and willing in adding support for other systems, please see
the `configure' mode in the `klibtool' script, especially the
host-specific case statement around line 250.
Running `make'
--------------
`make' (still in the top-level directory). This also creates the
`texmf.cnf' and `paths.h' files that define the default search paths,
and (by default) the `plain' and `latex' TeX formats.
You can override directory names and other values at `make'-time.
`make/paths.make' lists the variables most commonly reset. For
example, `make default_texsizes=600' changes the list of fallback
resolutions.
You can also override each of `configure''s environment variables
(*note configure environment::.). The Make variables have the same
names.
Finally, you can supply additional options via the following
variables. (`configure' does not use these.)
`XCPPFLAGS'
`XDEFS'
Preprocessor options.
`XCFLAGS'
Compiler options.
`XLDFLAGS'
Loader options (included at beginning of link commands).
`XLOADLIBES'
More loader options (included at end of link commands).
`XMAKEARGS'
Additional Make arguments passed to all sub-`make''s. You may need
to include assignments to the other variables here via `XMAKEARGS';
for example: `make XMAKEARGS="CFLAGS=-O XDEFS=-DA4"'.
It's generally a bad idea to use a different compiler (`CC') or
libraries (`LIBS') for compilation than you did for configuration,
since the values `configure' determined may then be incorrect.
Adding compiler options to change the "universe" you are using
(typically BSD vs. system V) is generally a cause of trouble. It's
best to use the native environment, whatever that is; `configure' and
the software usually adapt best to that. In particular, under Solaris
2.x, you should not use the BSD-compatibility library (`libucb') or
include files (`ucbinclude').
If you want to use the Babel LaTeX package for support of non-English
typesetting, you need to modify some files before making the LaTeX
format. See the file `install.txt' in the Babel distribution.
Installing files
----------------
The basic command is the usual `make install'. For security issues,
*note Security::..
The first time you install any manual in the GNU Info system, you
should add a line (you choose where) to the file `dir' in your
`$(infodir)' directory. Sample text for this is given near the top of
the Texinfo source files (`kpathsea/kpathsea.texi',
`dvipsk/dvips.texi', and `web2c/doc/web2c.texi'). If you have a recent
version of the GNU Texinfo distribution installed
(`ftp://prep.ai.mit.edu/pub/gnu/texinfo-3.9.tar.gz' or later), this
should happen automatically.
On the offchance that this is your first Info installation, the `dir'
file I use is included in the distribution as `etc/dir-example'.
You may wish to use one of the following targets, especially if you
are installing on multiple architectures:
* `make install-exec' to install in architecture-dependent
directories, i.e., ones that depend on the `$(exec_prefix)' Make
variable. This includes links to binaries, libraries, etc., not
just "executables".
* `make install-data' to install in architecture-independent
directories, such as documentation, configuration files, pool
files, etc.
If you use the Andrew File System, the normal path (e.g., PREFIX/bin)
only gets you to a read-only copy of the files, and you must specify a
different path for installation. The best way to do this is by setting
the `prefix' variable on the `make' command line. The sequence becomes
something like this:
configure --prefix=/whatever
make
make install prefix=/afs/.SYSTEM.NAME/system/1.3/@sys/whatever
With AFS, you will definitely want to use relative filenames in
`ls-R' (*note Filename database::.), not absolute filenames. This is
done by default, but check anyway.
Cleaning up
-----------
The basic command is `make distclean'. This removes all files created
by the build.
Alternatively,
* `make mostlyclean' if you intend to compile on another
architecture. For Web2C, since the generated C files are portable,
they are not removed. If the `lex' vs. `flex' situation is going
to be different on the next machine, `rm web2c/lex.yy.c'.
* `make clean' to remove files created by compiling, but leave
configuration files and Makefiles.
* `make maintainer-clean' to remove everything that the Makefiles can
rebuild. This is more than `distclean' removes, and you should
only use it if you are thoroughly conversant with (and have the
necessary versions of) Autoconf.
* `make extraclean' to remove other junk, e.g., core files, log
files, patch rejects. This is independent of the other `clean'
targets.
Filename database generation
----------------------------
You will probably want to set up a `cron' entry on the appropriate
machine(s) to rebuild the filename database nightly or so, as in:
0 0 * * * cd TEXMF && /BINDIR/mktexlsr
*Note Filename database::.
Although the `mktex...' scripts make every effort to add newly-created
files on the fly, it can't hurt to make sure you get a fresh version
every so often.
`mktex' scripts
---------------
If Kpathsea cannot otherwise find a file, for some file types it is
configured by default to invoke an external program to create it
dynamically (*note mktex configuration::.). This is most useful for
fonts (bitmaps, TFM's, and arbitrarily-sizable Metafont sources such as
the Sauter and EC fonts), since any given document can use fonts never
before referenced. Trying to build all fonts in advance is therefore
impractical, if not impossible.
The script is passed the name of the file to create and possibly other
arguments, as explained below. It must echo the full pathname of the
file it created (and nothing else) to standard output; it can write
diagnostics to standard error.
`mktex' configuration
.....................
The following file types can run an external program to create missing
files: `pk', `tfm', `mf', `tex'; the scripts are named `mktexpk',
`mktextfm', `mktexmf', and `mktextex'.
In the absence of `configure' options specifying otherwise,
everything but `mktextex' will be enabled by default. The `configure'
options to change the defaults are:
--without-mktexmf-default
--without-mktexpk-default
--without-mktextfm-default
--with-mktextex-default
The `configure' setting is overridden if the environment variable or
configuration file value named for the script is set; e.g., `MKTEXPK'
(*note mktex script arguments::.).
As distributed, all the scripts source a file `texmf/web2c/mktex.cnf'
if it exists, so you can override various defaults. See `mktex.opt',
for instance, which defines the default mode, resolution, some special
directory names, etc. If you prefer not to change the distributed
scripts, you can simply create `mktex.cnf' with the appropriate
definitions (you do not need to create it if you have nothing to put in
it). `mktex.cnf' has no special syntax; it's an arbitrary Bourne shell
script. The distribution contains a sample `mktex.cnf' for you to copy
and modify as you please (it is not installed anywhere).
In addition, you can configure a number of features with the
`MT_FEATURES' variable, which you can define:
* in `mktex.opt', as just mentioned;
* by editing the file `mktex.opt', either before `make install' (in
the source hierarchy) or after (in the installed hierarchy);
* or in the environment.
If none of the options below are enabled, `mktexpk', `mktextfm', and
`mktexmf' follow the following procedure to decide where fonts should
be installed. Find the tree where the font's sources are, and test the
permissions of the `fonts' directory of that tree to determine whether
it is writable. If it is, put the files in the tree in appropriate
locations. If it isn't writable, see whether the tree is a system tree
(named in `SYSTEXMF'). If so, the `VARTEXFONTS' tree is used. In all
other cases the working directory is used.
The `appendonlydir' option is enabled by default.
`appendonlydir'
Tell `mktexdir' to create directories append-only, i.e., set their
sticky bit (*note Mode Structure: (fileutils)Mode Structure.).
This feature is silently ignored on non-Unix platforms (e.g.
Windows/NT and MS-DOS) which don't support similar functionality.
This feature is enabled by default.
`dosnames'
Use 8.3 names; e.g., `dpi600/cmr10.pk' instead of `cmr10.600pk'.
Note that this feature only affects filenames that would otherwise
clash with other TeX-related filenames; `mktex' scripts do nothing
about filenames which exceed the 8+3 MS-DOS limits but remain
unique when truncated (by the OS) to these limits, and nether do
the scripts care about possible clashes with files which aren't
related with TeX. For example, `cmr10.600pk' would clash with
`cmr10.600gf' and is therefore changed when `dosnames' is in
effect, but `mf.pool' and `mp.base' don't clash with any
TeX-related files and are therefore unchanged.
This feature is turned on by default on MS-DOS. If you do not wish
`dosnames' to be set on an MS-DOS platform, you need to set the
`MT_FEATURES' environment variable to a value that doesn't include
`dosnames'. You can also change the default setting by editing
`mktex.opt', but only if you use the `mktex' shell scripts; the
emulation programs don't consult `mktex.opt'.
`fontmaps'
Instead of deriving the location of a font in the destination tree
from the location of the sources, the aliases and directory names
from the Fontname distribution are used. (*note Introduction:
(fontname)Top.).
`nomode'
Omit the directory level for the mode name; this is fine as long as
you generate fonts for only one mode.
`stripsupplier'
Omit the font supplier name directory level.
`striptypeface'
Omit the font typeface name directory level.
`strip'
Omit the font supplier and typeface name directory levels. This
feature is deprecated in favour of `stripsupplier' and
`striptypeface'.
`varfonts'
When this option is enabled, fonts that would otherwise be written
in system texmf tree go to the `VARTEXFONTS' tree instead. The
default value in `kpathsea/Makefile.in' is `/var/tmp/texfonts'.
The `Linux File System Standard' recommends `/var/tex/fonts'.
The `varfonts' setting in `MT_FEATURES' is overridden by the
`USE_VARTEXFONTS' environment variable: if set to `1', the feature
is enabled, and if set to `0', the feature is disabled.
`mktex' script names
....................
The following table shows the default name of the script for each
possible file types. (The source is the variable `kpse_make_specs' in
`kpathsea/tex-make.c'.)
`mktexpk'
Glyph fonts.
`mktextex'
TeX input files.
`mktexmf'
Metafont input files.
`mktextfm'
TFM files.
These names are overridden by an environment variable specific to the
program--for example, `DVIPSMAKEPK' for Dvipsk.
If a `mktex...' script fails, the invocation is appended to a file
`missfont.log' (by default) in the current directory. You can then
execute the log file to create the missing files after fixing the
problem.
If the current directory is not writable and the environment variable
or configuration file value `TEXMFOUTPUT' is set, its value is used.
Otherwise, nothing is written. The name `missfont.log' is overridden
by the `MISSFONT_LOG' environment variable or configuration file value.
`mktex' script arguments
........................
The first argument to a `mktex' script is always the name of the file
to be created.
In the default `mktexpk' implementation, additional arguments may
also be passed:
`--dpi NUM'
Sets the resolution of the generated font to NUM.
`--mfmode NAME'
Sets the Metafont mode to NAME.
`--bdpi NUM'
Sets the the "base dpi" for the font. This must match the mode
being used.
`--mag STRING'
A "magstep" string suitable for the Metafont `mag' variable. This
must match the combination of BDPI and DPI being used.
`--destdir STRING'
A directory name. If the directory is absolute, it is used as-is.
Otherwise, it is appended to the root destination directory set in
the script.
Installation testing
--------------------
Besides the tests listed in *Note Simple installation::, you can try
running `make check'. This includes the torture tests (trip, trap, and
mptrap) that come with Web2c (*note Triptrap: (web2c)Triptrap.).
Security
========
None of the programs in the TeX system require any special system
privileges, so there's no first-level security concern of people gaining
illegitimate root access.
A TeX document, however, can write to arbitrary files, e.g.,
`~/.rhosts', and thus an unwitting user who runs TeX on a random
document is vulnerable to a trojan horse attack. This loophole is
closed by default, but you can be permissive if you so desire in
`texmf.cnf'. *Note tex invocation: (web2c)tex invocation. MetaPost has
the same issue.
Dvips, Xdvi, and TeX can also execute shell commands under some
circumstances. To disable this, see the `-R' option in *Note Option
details: (dvips)Option details, the xdvi man page, and *Note tex
invocation: (web2c)tex invocation, respectively.
Another security issue arises because it's very useful--almost
necessary--to make arbitrary fonts on user demand with `mktexpk' and
friends. Where do these files get installed? By default, the
`mktexpk' distributed with Kpathsea assumes a world-writable `/var/tmp'
directory; this is a simple and convenient approach, but it may not
suit your situation because it means that a local cache of fonts is
created on every machine.
To avoid this duplication, many people consider a shared, globally
writable font tree desirable, in spite of the potential security
problems. To do this you should change the value of `VARTEXFONTS' in
`texmf.cnf' to refer to some globally known directory. *Note mktex
configuration::.
The first restriction you can apply is to make newly-created
directories under `texmf' be append-only with an option in `mktex.cnf'.
*Note mktex configuration::.
Another approach is to establish a group (or user) for TeX files,
make the `texmf' tree writable only to that group (or user), and make
`mktexpk' et al. setgid to that group (or setuid to that user). Then
users must invoke the scripts to install things. (If you're worried
about the inevitable security holes in scripts, then you could write a
C wrapper to exec the script.)
The `mktex...' scripts install files with the same read and write
permissions as the directory they are installed in. The executable,
sgid, suid, and sticky bits are always cleared.
Any directories created by the `mktex...' scripts have the same
permissions as their parent directory, unless the `appendonlydir'
feature is used, in which case the sticky bit is always set.
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