MiKTeX and proTeXt ⇒ acro package files in c:\Users\Bob\AppData\{Local,Roaming}\M

[JustA_LaTeXusr]

I was perplexed by a message that acro.sty was missing, since I copied both of my root directories (2 localtexmf's) from one computer to another. The acro package does *not* show up in the MiKTeX package manager. I recall installing it as a newbie in a haze of trial and error, but I was convinced that everything would be in the two roots.

After grepping the log file, I found that there were acro package files distributed throughout the subtrees rooted at c:\Users\Bob\AppData\{Local,Roaming}\MiKTeX\2.9, which are not my two roots. In MiKTeX settings, I found that these paths show up as roots when I check off the box to show MiKTeX maintained roots. I'm not sure what MiKTeX does in maintaining its own roots. The Roaming and Local paths are described as UserInstall and UserData, respectively. But I thought that was the point of my two roots, which is not maintained by MiKTeX.

Since the roots in the AppData paths are maintained by MiKTeX, should I be avoiding the blythe practice of blindly copying these folder trees from one system to another? I don't want to be messing around with parts of the file system that MiKTeX doesn't expect me to mess with. I fear corrupting something, or having my installations clobbered.

At present, the files in the old computer are located at

c:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\MiKTeX\2.9\tex\latex\acro\acro.sty
c:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\MiKTeX\2.9\tex\latex\acro\acro0.def
c:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\MiKTeX\2.9\tex\latex\acro\acro1.def

In the new computer, it seems safest to put them in one of my roots at

myRoot1\tex\latex\acro\

There are additional files that are not part of the package zip file.

c:\Users\Bob\AppData\Local\MiKTeX\2.9\miktex\mthelp\acro.html
c:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\MiKTeX\2.9\tpm\packages\acro.tpm

In the new computer, it seems to make sense to put the html file in

myRoot1\miktex\mthelp\

At the moment, I suspect that the tpm file is autogenerated by MiKTeX when file name database FNDB and format files are refreshed/updated via the MiKTeX settings tool.

This has been posted to the following two forums:
http://latex-community.org/forum/viewto ... =9&t=25139
http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/ ... miktex-2-9

[JustA_LaTeXusr]

Interesting error the first time I refresh the FNDB (and only the 1st time)...

MiKTeX Problem Report
Message: Permission denied: C:\Users\ShortName\AppData\Local\MiKTeX\2.9\miktex/data/le\df2c24cb21984fa85003c1ecc818ff83.fndb
Data: C:\Users\ShortName\AppData\Local\MiKTeX\2.9\miktex/data/le\df2c24cb21984fa85003c1ecc818ff83.fndb
Source: Libraries\MiKTeX\Core\win\winFile.cpp
Line: 686
MiKTeX: 2.9
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Enterprise Edition, 64-bit Service Pack 1 (build 7601)
Invokers: explorer
SystemAdmin: no
PowerUser: no
Root0: C:\Users\ShortName\AppData\Roaming\MiKTeX\2.9
Root1: C:\Users\ShortName\AppData\Local\MiKTeX\2.9
Root2: C:\cygwin\home\LongName\projects\projectName\path\to\my\1st\root
Root3: C:\Users\ShortName\Documents\LaTeX\localtexmf [this is my 2nd root]
Root4: C:\ProgramData\MiKTeX\2.9
Root5: C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9
UserInstall: C:\Users\ShortName\AppData\Roaming\MiKTeX\2.9
UserConfig: C:\Users\ShortName\AppData\Roaming\MiKTeX\2.9
UserData: C:\Users\ShortName\AppData\Local\MiKTeX\2.9
CommonInstall: C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9
CommonConfig: C:\ProgramData\MiKTeX\2.9
CommonData: C:\ProgramData\MiKTeX\2.9

[Johannes_B]

I didn't read your complete post, cause it is quiete long and i have one of the usual suspects in mind.

When installing MikteX you can do this as admin or user. Given a basic installation, a package like acro has to be installed at a later point. If this is done by the user (not root/admin), and an editor like TeXnicCenter does install as user, a separate user-specific tree is created.
If you install acro at a later point, you might get two different versions of the package on your disk. That's why you always need to update as user and admin.

But to be honest, copying the two trees doesn't seem to be a good idea. Why don't you do a full install, either of MikTeX or TeX Live?

[JustA_LaTeXusr]

I'm in a locked down environment, so I can't do installs. The person who did install MiKTeX did do a full install, but acro is not one of the packages in the Package Manager list.

I don't like copying trees that I didn't create either, because they are "MiKTeX maintained". Who knows when I'll break something, especially when the trees are tucked in dark corners where users are never expected to go (like AppData).

On the other hand, I'm not sure how to get MiKTeX to install acro "properly". For the life of me, I can't remember what I did to get all these acro packages distributed through the AppData tree. In addition to the ones I mentioned, I also found 3 others in c:/Users/ShortName/AppData/Roaming/MiKTeX/2.9

* doc/latex/acro/acro_en.pdf
* doc/latex/withesis/acro.tex
* source/acro-src.tar.bz2

The acro package itself doesn't come with installation details, and it only contains:

* acro.sty
* acro0.def
* acro1.def
* acro_en.tex
* acro_en.pdf
* README

[JustA_LaTeXusr]

A colleague also advised against messing around with the MiKTeX folder trees within the AppData subtree. Instead, I synchronized with package repository from Package Manager, then acro showed up in the package list and I installed it. Unfortunately, I'm running into further complications. Other packages need to be updated, according to MiKTeX messages, and they are installed by the administrator. Since I am the only user on this machine, I will ask him to uninstall his installation so that I can install it myself as a non-administrator. From what I've googled, I should be able to install or update any packages under such a scenario.

[JustA_LaTeXusr]

The answer is to not mess around with manual installs of packages. Use the MiKTeX package manager. It might not be aware of a package until you update the database. Also, you might not be able to select packages that you want the first time you initiate an update because the 1st 2 attempts to do an update might be hijacked by MiKTeX itself in order to update itself, then to delete obsolete packages. MiKTeX won't necessarily present a message to tell you *why* you cannot select packages, so you just have to walk through the update procedure repeatedly until you are (hopefully) able to select your own packages. *Also*, if MiKTeX was installed by the administrator, you won't be able to update packates that were installed by the administrator. My solution was to get the administrator to uninstall his installation, then let me install my own user-specific installation of MiKTeX.

Whew. It was a *very* long journey.

P.S. If your firewall interferes with the Package Manager, and it is not solved by providing the corporate proxy address, then you are S.O.L. (I feel for you because I was in that situation myself not too long ago).