[OS X TeX] Why does TeXShop want to re-build pdflatex format (and fail)

[Herbert Schulz]

> On Dec 8, 2017, at 3:42 AM, jfbu <jfbu at free.fr> wrote:
> 
> Hi again,
> 
> Le 08/12/2017 à 10:18, jfbu a écrit :
>> Hi,
>> I downloaded TeXShop 3.92, and I had this issue:
>> TeXShop reports it tried to build a the pdflatex format
>> and failed: it fails to find pdflatex.ini
>> Although I don't know the root cause, I know the
>> triggering circumstances: it is because I have my
>> TeXLive configured with an extra
>> /usr/local/texlive/2017/bin/x86_64-darwinmacports
>> repertory alongside the
>> /usr/local/texlive/2017/bin/x86_64-darwinlegacy
>> and the texbin (from my  /Library/TeX/Distributions/TeXLive-2017.texdist)
>> was pointing to the darwingmacports.
>> When I reset this symlink to target the default
>> x86_64-darwinlegacy all is fine with TeXShop.
>> It seems there is something hardcoded in TeXShop 3.92
>> which makes it believe that format needs to be rebuild
>> when the texbin points to
>> /usr/local/texlive/2017/bin/x86_64-darwinmacports
>> Error console:
>> ----START
>> This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.18 (TeX Live 2017/MacPorts 2017_1) (preloaded format=pdflatex)
>>  restricted \write18 enabled.
>> kpathsea: Running mktexfmt pdflatex.fmt
>> mktexfmt: mktexfmt is using the following fmtutil.cnf files (in precedence order):
>> mktexfmt:   /usr/local/texlive/2017/texmf-dist/web2c/fmtutil.cnf
>> mktexfmt: mktexfmt is using the following fmtutil.cnf file for writing changes:
>> mktexfmt:   /Users/JOHNDOE/Library/texlive/2017/texmf-config/web2c/fmtutil.cnf
>> mktexfmt [INFO]: writing formats under /Users/JOHNDOE/Library/texlive/2017/texmf-var/web2c
>> mktexfmt [INFO]: --- remaking pdflatex with pdftex
>> mktexfmt: running `pdftex -ini   -jobname=pdflatex -progname=pdflatex -translate-file=cp227.tcx *pdflatex.ini' ...
>> warning: Could not open char translation file `cp227.tcx'.
>> This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.18 (TeX Live 2017/MacPorts 2017_1) (INITEX)
>>  restricted \write18 enabled.
>> entering extended mode
>> ! I can't find file `pdflatex.ini'.
>> <*> *pdflatex.ini
>> (Press Enter to retry, or Control-D to exit)
>> Please type another input file name:
>> ! Emergency stop.
>> <*> *pdflatex.ini
>> No pages of output.
>> Transcript written on pdflatex.log.
>> mktexfmt [ERROR]: running `pdftex -ini   -jobname=pdflatex -progname=pdflatex -translate-file=cp227.tcx *pdflatex.ini >&2 </dev/null' return status 1
>> mktexfmt [ERROR]: return error due to options --strict
>> mktexfmt [INFO]: Disabled formats: 2
>> mktexfmt [INFO]: Not selected formats: 20
>> mktexfmt [INFO]: Failed to build: 1 (pdftex/pdflatex)
>> mktexfmt [INFO]: Total formats: 23
>> mktexfmt [INFO]: exiting with status 1
>> I can't find the format file `pdflatex.fmt'!
>> ----STOP
>> Additional info:
>> I see in the preferences
>> kpsetool -w -n latex tex
>> and if I try manually
>> $ kpsetool -w -n latex tex pdflatex.ini
>> /usr/local/texlive/2017/texmf-dist/tex/latex/latexconfig/pdflatex.ini
>> it appears ok.
>> Notice also that the above seems to try to create the
>> format in my $HOME, if it had succeeded it could have
>> caused problem when I later update TeXLive and the formats
>> are recreated system-wise.
> 
> Forgot to say I am on Mavericks.
> 
> If I try
> 
> $ mktexfmt pdflatex.fmt
> 
> it succeeds to create the format in my $HOME/Library/texlive/2017/texmf-var/web2c/pdftex/
> 
> start of log
> 
> This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.18 (TeX Live 2017/MacPorts 2017_1) (INITEX)  8 DEC 2017 10:35
> 
> showing there is no specific issue with the MacPorts pdftex binary
> being used.
> 
> Also
> 
> $ fmtutil-sys --byfmt pdflatex
> 
> succeeds under these circumstances. And I did
> 
> $ fmtutil-sys --refresh
> 
> with success too
> 
> Best,
> 
> 
> Jean-François

Howdy,

Just a guess... fmtutil was changed in TeX Live 2017 so it either needs to be called as fmtutil-sys or fmtutil-user or with the first argument -sys or -user. The mktexfmt program is a link to fmtutil and fmtutil might be interpreting it as -user when called with that name. You might try `mktexfmt -sys` but even that might not work.

Good Luck,

Herb Schulz
(herbs at wideopenwest dot com)