texlive-base-bin fails to install due to fmtutil-sys error

On Mit, 31 Jan 2007, bkudria wrote:
> Setting up texlive-base-bin (2005.dfsg.1-1ubuntu3) ...

Sorry, this version is ancient, the respective Debian version is from
Wed, 09 Aug 2006, we are currently at 2005.dfsg.3-1
Too much has changed in the meantime, I cannot know what is the bug.

> Building format(s) --all . This may take some time...
> fmtutil-sys failed. Output has been stored in
> /tmp/texlive.fmtutil.qTnu3660
> Please include this file if you report a bug.
>
> dpkg: error processing texlive-base-bin (--configure):
> subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
> Errors were encountered while processing:
> texlive-base-bin
> E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
>
> # sudo cat /tmp/texlive.fmtutil.qTnu3660
> fmtutil: config file `fmtutil.cnf' not found.
>
> # ls /var/lib/texmf/web2c/fmtutil.cnf
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2.3k 2007-01-30 23:25 /var/lib/texmf/web2c/fmtutil.cnf

It seems that tex-common is too old, or what ever.

Please do a
 kpsewhich texmf.cnf
it should give
 /usr/share/texmf/web2c/texmf.cnf
and then do
 ls -l /usr/share/texmf/web2c/texmf.cnf
which should point to
 /etc/texmf/texmf.cnf
If this is the case, please call
 update-texmf
as root.

Best wishes

Norbert

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Norbert Preining <email address hidden> Università di Siena
Debian Developer <email address hidden> Debian TeX Group
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Hmm, thanks for the comment.

I tried what you suggested (all the files where in the right place), but it didn't help.

Thanks for the suggestion!
Benjamin Kudria

On Mit, 31 Jan 2007, bkudria wrote:
> I tried what you suggested (all the files where in the right place), but
> it didn't help.

Please send me the output of
 bash -x /usr/bin/fmtutil-sys --all > fmtutil.log 2>&1

Best wishes

Norbert

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Norbert Preining <email address hidden> Università di Siena
Debian Developer <email address hidden> Debian TeX Group
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sense of space and timelessness and leaves one with a profound feeling
of something or other.
   --- Douglas Adams, The Meaning of Liff

# bash -x /usr/bin/fmtutil-sys --all > fmtutil.log 2>&1
# cat fmtutil.log
+ test -f /bin/ksh
+ test -z ''
+ unset RUNNING_KSH
+ test -f /bin/bsh
+ unset RUNNING_BSH
+ test -n ''
+ export PATH
++ kpsewhich -var-value TEXMFSYSVAR
+ v=/var/lib/texmf
++ kpsewhich -var-value TEXMFSYSCONFIG
+ c=/etc/texmf
+ TEXMFVAR=/var/lib/texmf
+ TEXMFCONFIG=/etc/texmf
+ RUNNING_AS_SYS=true
+ export TEXMFVAR TEXMFCONFIG RUNNING_AS_SYS
+ case $argv0 in
+ exec fmtutil --all
fmtutil: config file `fmtutil.cnf' not found.

-Ben

On Mit, 31 Jan 2007, bkudria wrote:
> # bash -x /usr/bin/fmtutil-sys --all > fmtutil.log 2>&1
> # cat fmtutil.log
> + test -f /bin/ksh
> + test -z ''
> + unset RUNNING_KSH
> + test -f /bin/bsh
> + unset RUNNING_BSH
> + test -n ''
> + export PATH
> ++ kpsewhich -var-value TEXMFSYSVAR
> + v=/var/lib/texmf
> ++ kpsewhich -var-value TEXMFSYSCONFIG
> + c=/etc/texmf
> + TEXMFVAR=/var/lib/texmf
> + TEXMFCONFIG=/etc/texmf
> + RUNNING_AS_SYS=true
> + export TEXMFVAR TEXMFCONFIG RUNNING_AS_SYS
> + case $argv0 in
> + exec fmtutil --all
> fmtutil: config file `fmtutil.cnf' not found.

Ugg, I hate it, please do the followng:

Start a bash, ie at the prompt type
$ bash

then
TEXMFVAR=/var/lib/texmf
TEXMFCONFIG=/etc/texmf
RUNNING_AS_SYS=true
export TEXMFVAR TEXMFCONFIG RUNNING_AS_SYS
bash -x fmtutil --all > fmtutil.log 2>&1

and send me fmtutil.log

Thanks

Norbert

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Norbert Preining <email address hidden> Università di Siena
Debian Developer <email address hidden> Debian TeX Group
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CORRIEARKLET (n.)
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long passageway, recognise each other and immediately pretend they
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Attached

On Mit, 31 Jan 2007, bkudria wrote:
> ** Attachment added: "fmtutil.log"
> http://librarian.launchpad.net/6023424/fmtutil.log

Hmm, didn't help.

Another try: What does
 kpsewhich '-format=web2c files' -progname=kpsewhich fmtutil.cnf
and
 kpsewhich '-format=web2c files' -progname=kpsewhich '-show-path=web2c files'
say?

And btw, please attache /etc/texmf/texmf.cnf

Best wishes

Norbert

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Norbert Preining <email address hidden> Università di Siena
Debian Developer <email address hidden> Debian TeX Group
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIUNARY (n.)
The safe place you put something and then forget where it was.
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# kpsewhich '-format=web2c files' -progname=kpsewhich fmtutil.cnf
/var/lib/texmf/web2c/fmtutil.cnf

# kpsewhich '-format=web2c files' -progname=kpsewhich '-show-path=web2c files'
/home/bkudria/.texmf-config/web2c:/home/bkudria/.texmf-var/web2c:/home/bkudria/texmf/web2c:/etc/texmf/web2c:!!/var/lib/texmf/web2c:!!/usr/local/share/texmf/web2c:!!/usr/share/texmf/web2c:!!/usr/share/texmf-tetex/web2c:!!/usr/share/texmf-texlive/web2c

/etc/texmf/texmf.cnf Is attached.

Thanks,
Ben

Ok, now I am getting really surprised ...

On Fre, 02 Feb 2007, bkudria wrote:
> # kpsewhich '-format=web2c files' -progname=kpsewhich fmtutil.cnf
> /var/lib/texmf/web2c/fmtutil.cnf

Well, then why does fmtutil/tcfmgr not find the file?!?!?!

Please do the following:
 - edit /usr/share/texmf/texconfig/tcfmgr and add at the shebang
   line a -x, so it should look like
  #!/bin/sh -x
 - rerun the last test I send you (fmtutil with bash -x)
   and redirect the output as usual > foo.log 2>&1

Thanks a lot ...

Best wishes

Norbert

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Norbert Preining <email address hidden> Università di Siena
Debian Developer <email address hidden> Debian TeX Group
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What street-wise kids do at Christmas. They hide on the rooftops
waiting for Santa Claus so that if he arrives and goes down the
chimney, they can rip stuff off from his sleigh.

Attached.
-Ben

I have the same problem, I can't install texlive-base. I can install texlive-base-bin alone though. But not texlive-base. I attach error log and output:

$ sudo apt-get install texlive-base
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
texlive-base is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B of archives.
After unpacking 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up texlive-base (2005.dfsg.3-1) ...
Running mktexlsr. This may take some time... done.
Building format(s) --all . This may take some time...
fmtutil-sys failed. Output has been stored in
/tmp/texlive.fmtutil.nWw29962
Please include this file if you report a bug.

dpkg: error processing texlive-base (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 texlive-base
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

oh, and sorry for not mentioning, i have ubuntu feisty.

Hi Kamil,

On Don, 17 Mai 2007, Kamil Páral wrote:
> I have the same problem, I can't install texlive-base. I can install
> texlive-base-bin alone though. But not texlive-base. I attach error log
> and output:

Damned Ubuntu Users or damned Ubuntu, is it soooooo hard to specify the
VERSION to which your bug report belongs.

That way it is completely useless.

> /tmp/texlive.fmtutil.nWw29962

Taking a look at the file I found:
 This is pdfeTeX, Version 3.141592-1.30.5-2.2 (Web2C 7.5.5) (INITEX)
so it seems you are using TeX Live 2005.

But this still doesn't help me, since the log file has the following
error:
! I can't find file `etex.src'.
l.3 \input etex.src

Well, there was a time when there was a bug like this, but it is ages
ago.

So I don't care for this anymore.

Ah, last thing: Your problem is COMPLETELY unrelated to the original bug
report!!!!

Best wishes

Norbert

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Norbert Preining <email address hidden> Università di Siena
Debian Developer <email address hidden> Debian TeX Group
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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building.
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Oh. Well.
1. I am using Ubuntu Feisty (as I said), therefore I use the version from the repository. Which is 2005.dfsg.3-1, as you can read from my standard output. Or you've meant the version of something else?
2. What can I do about missing "etex.src"? Maybe it was ages ago, but it is unfortunatelly the newest version from repository.
3. Same as initial reporter of this bug, I also can't install texlive, I see the same error message ("fmtutil-sys failed"), I see nearly the same version of package (also starts with 2005.dfsg). Is it completely unrelated? If so, sorry, I don't know a damn thing about this package. I am just a common user who wanted use latex for the first time in his life and found out that even the base package of texlive is broken and can't be installed. End of experience.

Hi Kamil,

On Don, 17 Mai 2007, Kamil Páral wrote:
> 1. I am using Ubuntu Feisty (as I said), therefore I use the version from the repository. Which is 2005.dfsg.3-1, as you can read from my standard output. Or you've meant the version of something else?

Therefore does not mean anything. People install stuff from newer
version, from (in Debian) backports.org etc etc.

Furthermore, without correct version information I (= Debian developer)
cannot do anything. Another furthermore, why does the Ubuntu bug
reporting never gives the version of dependencies. It would be nice to
see:
- version of texlive*
- version of tex-common

That's why there is reportbug in Debian, and we shipped a reportbug bug
script so that we get all the infos like:
- list of installed texlive packages
- list of config files and their location
- something more I forgot.

> 2. What can I do about missing "etex.src"? Maybe it was ages ago, but it is unfortunatelly the newest version from repository.

etex.src in 2005 is in
 texlive-pdfetex
as is the format definition of etex (in
/etc/texmf/fmt.d/10texlive-pdfetex.cnf). So it really surprises me that
this happens.

(Again, all this would have been in a reportbug report, Dear Ubuntu
devs, can you do something similar please):
Please send to the bug report:
- the exact version of tex-common, texlive-common, texlive-base-bin,
  texlive-pdfetex
- the list of files plus md5sums in /etc/texmf/fmt.d
- and tell us whether there is /root/.texmf-config and/or
  /root/.texmf-var and if yes, which files are contained

Best wishes

Norbert

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Norbert Preining <email address hidden> Università di Siena
Debian Developer <email address hidden> Debian TeX Group
gpg DSA: 0x09C5B094 fp: 14DF 2E6C 0307 BE6D AD76 A9C0 D2BF 4AA3 09C5 B094
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KURDISTAN (n.)
Hard stare given by a husband to his wife when he notices a sharp
increase in the number of times he answers the phone to be told,
'Sorry, wrong number.'
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version 2005.dfsg.3-1:
texlive
texlive-base
texlive-common
texlive-context
texlive-fonts-recommended
texlive-latex-base
texlive-latex-recommended

version 2005.dfsg.2-12ubuntu1:
texlive-base-bin
texlive-metapost
texlive-pdfetex

version 2005.dfsg.2-1:
texlive-doc-base

tex-common 0.42

------------------
968f2b29eb4089534b9625cd181c25e3 /etc/texmf/fmt.d/00tex.cnf
cf5cd8fb29d16f191a82992a112010e1 /etc/texmf/fmt.d/01tetex.cnf

------------------
there are no .tex* files/dirs in /root

------------------
just a note: texlive-pdfetex depends on texlive-base-bin, so the etex.src file can't be installed before the texlive-base-bin is installed, if I understand it right.

On Don, 17 Mai 2007, Kamil Páral wrote:
> 968f2b29eb4089534b9625cd181c25e3 /etc/texmf/fmt.d/00tex.cnf
> cf5cd8fb29d16f191a82992a112010e1 /etc/texmf/fmt.d/01tetex.cnf

This is the culprit. The file
 /etc/texmf/fmt.d/01tetex.cnf
is bad. Can you call
 dpkg -S /etc/texmf/fmt.d/01tetex.cnf
and tell me the output.

Then remove the 01tetex.cnf file, call
 update-fmtutil
after this
 dpkg --configure -a
should work and configure the packages.

Best wishes

Norbert

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Norbert Preining <email address hidden> Università di Siena
Debian Developer <email address hidden> Debian TeX Group
gpg DSA: 0x09C5B094 fp: 14DF 2E6C 0307 BE6D AD76 A9C0 D2BF 4AA3 09C5 B094
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THRUPP (vb.)
To hold a ruler on one end on a desk and make the other end go
bbddbbddbbrrbrrrrddrr.
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$ dpkg -S /etc/texmf/fmt.d/01tetex.cnf
dpkg: /etc/texmf/fmt.d/01tetex.cnf not found.

I had tetex* packages installed before, but I removed them completely (including config files). Can it be the source of problem?

After removing 01tetex.cnf file and running update-fmtutil, the texlive-base-bin still can't be reconfigured nor installed again. I completely removed all texlive-* and tex-common packages and there were still some files in /etc/texmf, and dpkg -S told me it couldn't find their package. I had to completely remove the /etc/texmf dir, and only after that the installation of texlive worked.

I also tried to install texlive on a fresh new Ubuntu 7.04 in virtual machine and it went smoothly.

So, thank you very much for solving my problem. There is certainly some error in packaging system or something, because I didn't do any custom changes or anything. I just installed and removed tetex, and texlive couldn't be installed anymore. I don't know where and how report it and if it should be reported, but my texlive now works. Thanks.

I don't how to change status of this bug, please do something with it.

Hi Kamil,

On Don, 17 Mai 2007, Kamil Páral wrote:
> $ dpkg -S /etc/texmf/fmt.d/01tetex.cnf
> dpkg: /etc/texmf/fmt.d/01tetex.cnf not found.

Not surprising.

> I had tetex* packages installed before, but I removed them completely
> (including config files). Can it be the source of problem?

*Before* you installed texlive? Anyway, it could also be that this is an
old bug of tex-common.

> After removing 01tetex.cnf file and running update-fmtutil, the texlive-
> base-bin still can't be reconfigured nor installed again. I completely
> removed all texlive-* and tex-common packages and there were still some
> files in /etc/texmf, and dpkg -S told me it couldn't find their package.

Hmm, you don't remember which ones?

> changes or anything. I just installed and removed tetex, and texlive
> couldn't be installed anymore. I don't know where and how report it and
> if it should be reported, but my texlive now works. Thanks.

You installed tetex, then removed it, or purged it (ie left the
conffiles or removed everything)? I am trying to reproduce this bug in
one of my chroots.

> I don't how to change status of this bug, please do something with it.

Neither do I, I am just the Debian developer, not Ubuntu responsible.

Best wishes

Norbert

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Norbert Preining <email address hidden> Università di Siena
Debian Developer <email address hidden> Debian TeX Group
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with the adjective 'frantic' which comes to us by a completely
different route (as indeed do the trains).
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>*Before* you installed texlive? Anyway, it could also be that this is an
old bug of tex-common.

Yes, I had tetex installed before texlive. I removed it completely (=purged) (but I think I hadn't removed tex-common, just tetex*) and tried to install texlive, and that's where my trouble started.

> Hmm, you don't remember which ones?
this one:
a7a951909ec4db73211080d555707be9 /etc/texmf/web2c/fmtutil.cnf
Now I understand it better, I can tell you that the md5 hash won't be correct, because i used texconfig to uncomment lines starting with csplain, cslatex, pdfcsplain and pdfcslatex (because I am Czech and it was in a guide I found). The whole problem was (in my laic view) in some redundant files in /etc/texmf, which caused problems after that. But i used only apt-get to install and remove, no manual interaction.

So as far as I can remember, I think the sequence was like this:
1. on fresh system (no tex before) I installed tetex packages (not sure exactly which)
2. "sudo texconfig", uncomment 'cs' commands, rehash, exit
3. purged tetex packages
4. install texlive -> problem

My system is originally Ubuntu 6.06 upgraded to 6.10 upgraded to 7.04, so it may be possible that some problem was caused by upgrades. But I've never installed any tex up till now.

On Don, 17 Mai 2007, Kamil Páral wrote:
> a7a951909ec4db73211080d555707be9 /etc/texmf/web2c/fmtutil.cnf

> 2. "sudo texconfig", uncomment 'cs' commands, rehash, exit

This is the source of ALL your problems!

This fmtutils file overrides the one created from the system files.

You should NOT NOT NOT use texconfig for defining formats.

Please read
 /usr/share/doc/tex-common/TeX-on-Debian
(in various formats). You should edit the files in
 /etc/texmf/fmt.d/

See also my talk at the EuroBachoTeX 2007:
 http://www.logic.at/people/preining/talks/eurotex07-talk.pdf

Best wishes

Norbert

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Norbert Preining <email address hidden> Università di Siena
Debian Developer <email address hidden> Debian TeX Group
gpg DSA: 0x09C5B094 fp: 14DF 2E6C 0307 BE6D AD76 A9C0 D2BF 4AA3 09C5 B094
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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oh, i will immediately change the guide. i really apologize for loss of your time. the system isn't obviously stupid-user-proof. thank you.

Any idea what's wrong? I'm on gutsy. Most of the discussion above seems to focus on Feisty / broken upgrade strategies :-)

Setting up texlive-base-bin (2007-12ubuntu1) ...
Running mktexlsr. This may take some time... done.
Building format(s) --all.
        This may take some time...
fmtutil-sys failed. Output has been stored in
/tmp/fmtutil.VKy14061
Please include this file if you report a bug.

On Sun, Jul 22, 2007 at 07:34:53PM -0000, Stefano Rivera wrote:
> Any idea what's wrong? I'm on gutsy. Most of the discussion above seems
> to focus on Feisty / broken upgrade strategies :-)
>
> Setting up texlive-base-bin (2007-12ubuntu1) ...
> Running mktexlsr. This may take some time... done.
> Building format(s) --all.
> This may take some time...
> fmtutil-sys failed. Output has been stored in
> /tmp/fmtutil.VKy14061
> Please include this file if you report a bug.
>
> ** Attachment added: "fmutil debugging output"
> http://launchpadlibrarian.net/8545480/fmtutil.jVy14977

In this log:
Error: `mf-nowin -ini -jobname=mf -progname=mf -translate-file=cp227.tcx mf.ini' failed

So looks like completely different issues to me.

Ming
2007.07.23

My problem seemed to be an upgrade problem. Purging all tetex packages, and then installing texlive seemed to do the trick.

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. The issue that you reported is one that should be reproducible with the development release - Hardy Heron. I have tried to reproduce it, and it seems to be fixed.

It would help us greatly if you could test with it so we can work on getting it fixed in the next release of Ubuntu. You can find out more about the development release at http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/ .

Thanks again and we appreciate your help.

This problem seems to be fixed in the latest release of the package.

We are closing this bug report because it lacks the information we need to investigate the problem, as described in the previous comments. Please reopen it if you can give us the missing information, and don't hesitate to submit bug reports in the future. To reopen the bug report you can click on the current status, under the Status column, and change the Status back to "New". Thanks again!