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

[Herbert Schulz]

> On Dec 8, 2017, at 9:46 AM, Herbert Schulz <herbs at wideopenwest.com> wrote:
> 
>> On Dec 8, 2017, at 9:38 AM, jfbu <jfbu at free.fr> wrote:
>> 
>> Le 08/12/2017 à 13:47, Herbert Schulz a écrit :
>>>> 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.
>> 
>> Thanks Herb,
>> 
>> but I type directly either
>> 
>> pdftex -ini   -jobname=pdflatex -progname=pdflatex -translate-file=cp227.tcx *pdflatex.ini
>> 
>> or
>> 
>> mktexfmt pdflatex.fmt
>> 
>> it does succeed (the latter puts the pdflatex.fmt
>> in my $TEXMFHOME location, the former dumps it in the work repertory)
>> 
>> on the other hand TeXShop sub-process reports a warning
>> 
>> warning: Could not open char translation file `cp227.tcx'.
>> 
>> and then the execution of pdftex reports this error
>> 
>> ! I can't find file `pdflatex.ini'.
>> 
>> This is all very puzzling.
>> 
>> It does find the pdftex binary, but seems not to find
>> support files.
>> 
>> As is something was wrong with kpsewhich or kpsea library.
>> 
>> Why would it succeed from a command line interface but
>> not from TeXShop ?
>> 
>> My .bash_profile does have some set-up for TEXMFDIST etc..
>> but that's only for efficiency because Emacs/AUCTeX made
>> in the past many calls to kpsewhich --var-value (less now)
>> which are very very slow (less now thanks to A. Maxwell,
>> but still slow).
>> 
>> However this only defines env var, and it would work
>> also without.
>> 
>> Best
>> 
>> Jean-François
> 
> Howdy,
> 
> Are you using the local TeX Distribution from Dick Koch or did you build your own .texdist data structure? What is your PATH since that seems to work?
> 
> Good Luck,
> 
> Herb Schulz
> (herbs at wideopenwest dot com)

Howdy,

Sigh... one more thing... what is the Path setting for (pdf)TeX (TeXShop->Preferences->Engine->Path settings) in your TeXShop?

Good Luck,

Herb Schulz
(herbs at wideopenwest dot com)