Editing; Word 0: Bad object

[Nick Römer]

I just installed 4th in linux and maunched it by typing 4th. It displays the 8 options menu. When I type E enter I get "Editing;        Word 0: Bad object" and a new > prompt.
What am I doing wrong?
I am using the crostini debian linux container on a chromebook.

[The Beez]

Hi!

From the FAQ:

LyX Document

1. Question: When I try to use 4tHs builtin editor or run 4tsH I get ”Bad object” all the time. What am I doing wrong?
2. Answer: You're probably running 4tH under a 64 bit operating system. The only thing you can do is to recompile 4tH (see sections sec:64-bit-platforms and sec:Regenerating-the-include).

You can also find the answer in the READ.ME on the official 4tH repository:

32-bit architectures
====================
If you happen to compile 4tH on 32-bit architectures, you may find that
some functionalities don't work as advertised. In that case, perform the
following procedure:

      cd sources
      cp include32/* .
      make clean
      make

This will make the executables fit for your 32-bit machine. This procedure
is reversible - see: 64-bit architecture.


64-bit architectures
====================
If you happen to compile 4tH on 64-bit architectures, you may find that some
functionalities don't work as advertised. In that case, perform the
following procedure:

      cd sources
      cp include64/* .
      make clean
      make

This will make the executables fit for your 64-bit machine. This procedure
is reversible - see: 32-bit architecture.

Note some C compilers on a 64-bit platform will still produce a 32-bit
executable!

Hope this helps! If not, please come back. We'll get this figured out. ;-)

Hans Bezemer

[Nick Römer]

I compiled the 32 bit version and that fixed it, both on the Chromebook and in Termux, although both are 64 bit architectures.
Concerning the manual, it took me a while to figure out that "examples/romans.scr" is now "4th/romans.scr".

Thanks a lot! I also like your videos a lot. Please make more of them :)

15 Dec 2025 20:07:10 The Beez <the.bee...@gmail.com>:

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[The Beez]

Hi!

I first found that out when compiling under a 64-bit Windows (think that was Pelles C, not sure). So that's how it ended up in the documentation. Fortunately I had anticipated that remote possibility when I designed the format, so internally 4tH "knows" the sizes of the different basic datatypes it uses - and checks for them loading it - as you experienced personally. That's why it complains about "Bad object": the byte code format is invalid.

BTW, I corrected that one in the documentation, so it won't pop up in v3.64.3 again. For some weird reason I named that directory "4th" in the Unix version and "examples" in the Windows version. But that's pretty sloppy of me, because the last thing you want to do is to confront new users with a tutorial that doesn't match the actual installation - so thank you for that.

Currently I'm busy putting together several episodes. But since everything I do  follows the motto "This is supposed to be fun", developments drift from one subject to the other. Well, that's how it is :-) Sometimes you get two episodes in a week, sometimes it takes me six months!

Glad to hear everything worked out okay for you! And thanks for the compliment (I blush easily :-).

Hans Bezemer