Bug#240231: mktexmf creates tempfiles in working dir (was: Bug#240231: tetex-bin: mktextfm fails to create font)

[Thomas Esser <te@dbs.uni-hannover.de>]

> mktexmf does the following - I copy only the important lines:
> 
>     cat > "mf$$.tmp" <<END
> design_size := $realsize;
> input $rootname;
> END

This is done inside a new temporary directory. From texmf/web2c/mktex.opt:

  if test -n "$TMPDIR"; then
    TEMPDIR="${TMPDIR}/mt$$.tmp"
  else
    TEMPDIR="/tmp/mt$$.tmp"
  fi
  ...
  (umask 077 && mkdir "$TEMPDIR") || exit 1
  cd "$TEMPDIR" || exit 1

> obviously not always. It would be better to create the temporary file in
> /tmp (or $TMPDIR if set). 

This already happens. I just have done:
  mkdir /tmp/foo
  chmod 555 /tmp/foo
  cd /tmp/foo
  mktexmf ecrm1095
and it worked.

> Probably some checks should be done - or at least the script should be
> "set -e".

Special things have to be done to make scripts "set -e" safe... I prefer
to check important return values individually which gives more control
and avoids things like

  # see if foo exists
  ret=`kpsewhich foo || true`
  ...

which are quite ugly.

Thomas