I have an non-root account on a shared server which has an old version of a package available to all users, and I want to use a newer one on my account. I cannot just use $TEXINPUTS, because latex finds the shared version first. How can I get latex to use my version?
I.e. how can I get latex to use the first of these two files:
/home/fgregg/share/texmf/tex/latex/pgf/basiclayer/pgf.sty
/usr/share/texmf/tex/latex/pgf/pgf.sty
By default, local packages are expected to be in ~/texmf, not ~/share/texmf (they are expected to be in ~/Library/texmf on a Mac). So try putting your new version of the package in ~/texmf/tex. This directory should be found first when latex searches for packages.
Furthermore, the local texmf needs to follow the TeX Directory Structure: (you don't need to create all of these directories initially, but you do need to put things in the right places when you add new stuff.)
• bibtex directory This is where bib files and bst files go
⁃ bst directory Put bst files here
⁃ bib directory Put bib files here
• tex directory This is where new packages go
⁃ latex directory Put latex packages here
⁃ plain directory Put plain tex files here
⁃ xelatex directory Put xelatex specific packages here
⁃ xetex directory Put plain xetex files here
⁃ context directory Put context files here
⁃ generic directory Put files that are usable with any TeX flavour here
• doc directory
⁃ put documentation files from packages installed in the tex directory here.
Putting the documentation files here allows them to be found by the texdoc
system.
For example, suppose you have the new package cool-new-package. If it's a latex package, the package will come with (at least) a .sty file, and some documentation files (often a .tex and .pdf version). You would create a directory in ~/texmf/tex/latex called cool-new-package and then put cool-new-package.sty there. You would also create a cool-new-package directory in ~/texmf/doc and put the documentation files there.
Note that in a brand new installation, a local texmf folder is not created and you will need to create one if one doesn't exist.
If you are using a Mac, I have created a standalone script to create the correct folder structure. You can get it here:
The source script is usable on Linux systems too, and is available here:
~/texmf/tex/latex/foo/foo.styfor a local version of thefoopackage." – TH. Jan 06 '11 at 01:40sudo texhash ~/texmffor the packages to get noticed. – Seamus Jan 06 '11 at 16:31texhashfor user additions ever. And you certainly wouldn't need to run it withsudo. If that were true, the whole idea of user additions would be invalid, since it would prevent non-administrator accounts from ever managing their own local packages. – Alan Munn Jan 06 '11 at 16:39$TEXMF,$TEXMFLOCALand$TEXMFHOME. For the first two a directory list filels-Ris needed which is created bymktexlsrortexhash. The user directory dosn't use such a file. The search order for files is: document dir - TEXMFHOME - TEXMFLOCAL - TEXMF. For MiKTeX you have other directories. And everything is predefined intexmf.cnf– Jan 06 '11 at 17:12texmffolder. For one thing, next year when you update to TeXLive 2014, nothing you have placed in that folder will be accessible to the new distribution. If you don't have a localtexmfyou can find a script on my web page (see my profile) which will create the folder structure for you. – Alan Munn Feb 15 '14 at 14:33~/Libraryin the box that appears and click OK; now press Command-Shift-N and nametexmfthe new folder. Then you can add the folder to the Favorites bar for easier access. – egreg Feb 15 '14 at 15:50