Installing AMC with MacPorts on macOS

Version 41 (Joël Brogniart, 03/23/2024 09:13 am) → Version 42/46 (Joël Brogniart, 03/23/2024 09:13 am)

h1. Installing AMC on macOS with MacPorts

The installation guide requires some knowledge about Unix tools, the use of command lines, the installation of "MacPorts":http://www.macports.org. You must also have administrative rights on the computer. It is therefore not intended for everyone.

h2. Prerequisites

To work with its interface, AMC requires the Linux Libertine and the MacPorts installation system.

h3. Linux Libertine font

Linux Libertine font is a free font that covers code pages for Latin languages​​, Greek, Cyrillic languages​​, Hebrew, the International Phonetic Alphabet (and other). You need to download the package "OTF" on "sourceforge":https://sourceforge.net/projects/linuxlibertine/ site.

*Caution*: X Window Ssstem does not recognize the fonts installed in the user's folder. You must install the fonts by moving them in the "@/Library/Fonts@" folder.

h3. MacPorts

MacPorts is a system that compiles, installs and manages open source software. You need to download the installation package for your version of macOS from the "MacPorts":http://www.macports.org and install MacPorts. Follow the instructions carefully and don't forget to install Xcode.

h2. Installing AMC

It is possible to install one of the two versions of AMC. Either the @stable@ version (currently, version 1.6.0 1.5.2 of 2/6/2023), 10/31/2022), or the @development@ version (currently, also version 1.6.0 1.5.2+git20221108151552 of 2/6/2023). 11/8/2022). The @stable@ version evolves slowly and version changes are infrequent. Several months or years may pass between two version changes. The @development@ version is subject to more frequent changes. Some of the new features have not been fully tested and may not work as expected but many corrections are incorporated to the development version.

It is not possible to install both the @stable@ and the @development@ version. If one of these versions is installed, you must uninstall it before installing the other version.

For installation and operation AMC requires a @LaTeX@ environment. The standard installation will use MacPorts to install this environment. If you are using "MacTeX":http://www.tug.org/mactex/ and want AMC to use @MacTeX@ instead of the MacPort environment, the installation process differs from the standard installation. You should follow either the instructions of the standard installation, or those of the installation of a version of AMC using MacTeX. These descriptions assume that you have a fresh and up-to-date MacPorts installation.

If needed, update you Macports installation with the following commands.
<pre>sudo port selfupdate
sudo port upgrade outdated</pre>

h3. Standard installation

The standard installation uses MacPorts to install the LaTeX environment needed by AMC. Use the following command to install the @stable@ version of AMC.
<pre>sudo port install auto-multiple-choice -x11 +no_x11 +quartz</pre>

Or use the following command to install the @development@ version of AMC.
<pre>sudo port install auto-multiple-choice-devel -x11 +no_x11 +quartz</pre>

h3. Installing AMC for use with MacTeX

MacPorts build tools must be able to access MacTeX tools. For example, with the MacTeX 2018 installation, these tools are available in the @"/Library/TeX/texbin"@ folder. The MacPorts configuration needs to be changed to include this folder in MacPorts @path@.

Be careful, as noted in the "MacPorts documentation":https://guide.macports.org/chunked/internals.configuration-files.html, changing MacPorts' @path@ can have unpredictable effects and consequences for others tools. It must be avoided.

Edit the @/opt/local/etc/macports/macports.conf@ file to add the following line.
<pre>binpath /opt/local/bin:/opt/local/sbin:/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/Library/TeX/texbin</pre>

For the stable version of AMC, you must start the installation with the following command.
<pre>sudo port install auto-multiple-choice +mactex</pre>

And for the development version of AMC it is necessary to use the command which follows.
<pre>sudo port install auto-multiple-choice-devel +mactex</pre>

The installation may take a while. When it is complete and if there is no error, AMC is ready to be used.

h2. Using AMC

You should start from the terminal.

<pre>auto-multiple-choice</pre>

This command will launch AMC application.

AMC window should appear.

!auto-multiple-choice-window-2.png!

Auto-multiple-choice is now ready to work.

h2. Links

* Linux Libertine fonts, "https://sourceforge.net/projects/linuxlibertine/":https://sourceforge.net/projects/linuxlibertine/
* MacPorts, "http://www.macports.org":http://www.macports.org.
* MacTeX, "http://www.tug.org/mactex/":http://www.tug.org/mactex/
* XQuartz, "http://xquartz.macosforge.org":http://xquartz.macosforge.org.