TeX Live and MacTeX ⇒ warning: kpathsea: configuration file texmf.cnf not found

[rspindler]

I just installed the 2012 TexLive downloaded from CTAN, replacing my 2003 version. It appears to install OK (when I use install-tl-advanced.bat), but I consistently get the error "warning: kpathsea: configuration file texmf.cnf not found", for example when I try to rebuild in the Tex Live Manager. On a Google search, I see others have gotten this error, but I have not seen how I fix it. (I've tried searching this forum, but again have not seen how I fix it.) I'm a novice as to working "under the hood" with Tex. Could someone please explain to me what the problem is and how I fix it? I have no idea what texmf.cnf is even for. Thanks so much!

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Hi,

welcome to the board!

On my Windows system, texmf.cnf is in c:/texlive/2012/texmf.cnf and c:/texlive/2012/texmf/web2c/texmf.cnf. Have a look in those directories on your computer. Is it there, so kpathsea just cannot find it?

I can find those files via

Code: Select all

kpsewhich -a texmf.cnf

at the command prompt (cmd).

Perhaps show us the output of the command

Code: Select all

kpsewhich -var-value=TEXMF

Stefan

[rspindler]

Thanks for the quick reply! What is in those two directories are the files
* texmfcnf.lua
* texmf (which has an icon associated with it and is called speedial)

I ran the command kpsewhich -a texmf.cnf and again it said it couldn't find it. It also dooesn't find it anywhere when I use the Windows Search command.

The output of kpsewhich -var-value=TEXMF is the same. "warning: kpathsea: configuration file texmf.cnf not found"

It appears it does not exist on the computer.

(By the way, I first tried making the install directory c:\program files\texlive\2012 as recommended. When I had this problem, I then re-installed it in c:\program files\texlive, which is where I was used to installing it from the last time I did this a number of years ago. Made no difference, but right now I don't have the subdirectory 2012.)

P.S. What is kpathsea?