Feature request: Add /opt/homebrew/bin path to Info.plist

[tsuruken29]

Hi, I'm currently using Ipe 7.2.26 on OSX.

I use vscode as my external editor for Ipe by setting prefs.external_editor = "code --wait %s" in customize.lua.
However, I install vscode via homebrew, so the code command is located in /opt/homebrew/bin.
Therefore, right now I need to

1. Add /opt/homebrew/bin path to /Applications/Ipe.app/Contents/Info.plist.
2. Clear cache of Ipe.app

and it is a bit of a hassle.

Would it be possible to add /opt/homebrew/bin path to Info.plist for future versions?

[otfried]

Wouldn't it be easier if you simply set

prefs.external_editor = "/opt/homebrew/bin/code --wait %s"

?

[tsuruken29]

Yes, this will perfectly work if I would only want to modify the settings of prefs.external_editor.

However, I also use several custom ipelets files using pdftoipe. (which I also install using homebrew.)
The custom ipelets files are created for cross platform support, so changing all of the code to /opt/homebrew/bin/pdftoipe would be more mess for me.

Otherwise, I thought that /opt/homebrew/bin is a somewhat important directory to add to the default list of path, but are there technical issues to simply add it?

[otfried]

Sure, I was just wondering. It seems weird that MacOS does not provide a better way to add something to the path for everybody.

I guess I can delete /opt/local/bin from the path, then? Does /opt/homebrew/bin replace that?

[tsuruken29]

True, wish it was more easier and intuitive.

Was /opt/local/bin a path for MacPorts support? Currently for homebrew users who do not use MacPorts, it seems the existence of /opt/local/bin does not matter. Simply adding opt/homebrew/bin to the end worked for me.

If there is not much of a reason, I think opt/local/bin should be kept just in case there is a MacPorts user.

[otfried]

Ah yes, it's possible we once added that for MacPorts. Are MacPorts and Homebrew still both actively maintained?

In any case, I've added /opt/homebrew/bin now.

[tsuruken29]

Thank you!

On the current state of 2022 MacOS package manager, both MacPorts and Homebrew are actively maintained.
However, currently Homebrew seems to be by far the most popular option.