“kpsewhich” error when trying to build from Textmate

Question

I'm using LaTeX pdfTeX 3.1415926-1.40.9-2.2 on Mac OSX 10.6. When I try to build from TextMate (Ctrl+R) I get the following error:

Please add the directory containing “kpsewhich” to PATH in TextMate's Shell 
Variables preferences. 

Answer 1

open up the file ~/.bash_profile and add the following to the end

PATH="/usr/texbin:${PATH}"
export PATH

This should patch the issue.

NOTE: To open the ~/.bash_profile open terminal and type mate ~/.bash_profile or vim ~/.bash_profile

FYI:

• mate is the command line or bash call to TextMate.
• vim is the bash call to vim (an command line editor).
• ~ is the bash reference to your home directory.
• a . before a file is UNIX's (What OSX runs on) way of specifying a hidden file, which is why you can't see the .bash_profile in your home folder.

Answer 2

How about: go to 'Preferences' in TextMate, and add /usr/texbin to the PATH in the 'Shell Variables'? After all, that is what TextMate itself suggests ...

Answer 3

Neither of these path-setting options worked directly for me. Not even after restarting Textmate 2.

However, I noticed that there was a little check box next to the PATH - the first line in Textmate - Preferences - Variables. Checking that box immediately resolved the problem. I had previously run

which kpsewhich

from the command prompt and added its path to both ~/.bashrc and the PATH text value. That editing that field didn't automatically check the box or ask if I wanted it checked is well just one of those things that might have been nice for the developers to have thought of as being useful.