[tex-live] texworks in TL 2010

[Axel E. Retif]

On  12 Nov, 2010, at 10:49, Lars Madsen wrote:

> please keep your sarcasm to your self.

I certainly would consider it..., if you consider stop annoying TL maintainers *demanding* features *you* think have to be implemented in TL and ``fixes''(?) *you* think have to be made.[1]

> We are trying to get more users to start using LaTeX (and friends) and exactly how many pdftex (engine) users are there compared to pdflatex users?

First, pdfTeX *is* the engine, whether you use plain or LaTeX formats (plain or LaTeX macros).

Second, it seems to me you are doing a disservice to your students if you think it's a big problem for them to configure an application to their needs ---almost every application in every platform has a ``Preferences'' or ``Options'' menu for that purpose ---you know DEK's words: ``Computers are good at following instructions, but not at reading your mind'' (p. 9).

> Tools that do not work out of the box for the average new user gives the user a bad experience

Really? Not reading *your* mind means they don't work out of the box?

----
[1] If you think MiKTeX ---granted, a wonderful distribution--- is so superior to TL, why don't you advise your students to use it? After all, you get the same binaries and, I think, the same packages.
    Personally, I find TL structure (texmf trees updated by tlmgr, texmf-local for year-independent system-wide additions, ~/texmf for personal additions and the working directory for very specific macros) more than enough for *my* work.
    Now ---if you have had the patience to read this far, let me recommend you the excellent multiplatform LaTeX editor TeXmaker:

http://www.xm1math.net/texmaker/

    I've grown so accustomed to TeXShop, that I find TeXworks more appealing on Linux and Windows, but I think TeXmaker is really a wonderful GUI oriented editor.

Best

Axel