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Is it possible with TeX to write somewhere else than in the current folder?

The following does not work:

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}

\newwrite\tempfile
\openout\tempfile=/Users/colas/Desktop/coucou.aux
\write\tempfile{Test}
\closeout\tempfile

Test

\end{document}

The error is

./bac_a_sable.tex:13: I can't write on file `/Users/colas/Desktop/coucou.aux'. \endgroup \set@typeset@protect l.13 \end{document}

Colas
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    You'll need to lower the security settings to allow it. Are you sure you want to do that? – Nicola Talbot Apr 17 '18 at 15:18
  • My goal is to store some info in a global file. See:https://tex.stackexchange.com/q/426972/8323 – Colas Apr 17 '18 at 15:20
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    if you lower your settings to allow that never run any code from someone you do not trust (eg any examples from this site) you would be allowing them to write new password files or ssh keys or .... – David Carlisle Apr 17 '18 at 17:33
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    it is far safer to keep the security setting but make a symbolic link in the current directory to your global file so you can write that file with a local path – David Carlisle Apr 17 '18 at 17:35

1 Answers1

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TeX Live (which I'm guessing you're using) normally doesn't allow file write operations outside of the current directory path because it's a security risk. This is governed by the openout_any setting, which may take one of three values (information copied from texmf.cnf):

  • a (any) : any file can be opened.
  • r (restricted) : disallow opening dot files
  • p (paranoid) : as r and disallow going to parent directories, and restrict absolute paths to be under $TEXMFOUTPUT.

Normally the setting is p, which doesn't allow going to parent directories. I really don't recommend changing this setting.

You might want to consider changing $TEXMFOUTPUT to the target directory (since you're using an absolute path), which should then be allowed write access under TeX (if the filing system permits it), but I think David's comment is better:

it is far safer to keep the security setting but make a symbolic link in the current directory to your global file so you can write that file with a local path

If you are absolutely sure that you want to lower the security settings, you can change your preferred setting in your texmf.cnf file. But I really don't recommend it.

Nicola Talbot
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