MikTeX not producing (or finding?) pdf output

[Frederick Williams]

Using TeXnicCenter, log file says:

"This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-1.40.9 (MiKTeX 2.7) [...]
[...]
Output written on shell.dvi (1 page, 240 bytes)."

But the output profile LaTeX => PDF is selected. The error message:

"[DocOpen("%bm.pdf")][FileOpen("%bm.pdf")]
Cannot execute the command"

appears.

My guess is that the fields in

Build -> Define Output Profiles... -> LaTex => PDF -> Viewer

in TeXnicCenter need setting somehow, but I'm lost.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

--
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by
this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.
Jonathan Swift: Thoughts on Various Subjects, Moral and Diverting

[GL]

Le 04/04/2013 19:38, Frederick Williams a écrit :
> Using TeXnicCenter, log file says:
>
> "This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-1.40.9 (MiKTeX 2.7) [...]
> [...]
> Output written on shell.dvi (1 page, 240 bytes)."
>
> But the output profile LaTeX => PDF is selected. The error message:
>
> "[DocOpen("%bm.pdf")][FileOpen("%bm.pdf")]
> Cannot execute the command"
>
> appears.
>
> My guess is that the fields in
>
> Build -> Define Output Profiles... -> LaTex => PDF -> Viewer
>
> in TeXnicCenter need setting somehow, but I'm lost.
>
> Any suggestions gratefully received.
>

Try to put \pdfoutput=1 on the first line compiled by tex.

[Ulrike Fischer]

Am Thu, 04 Apr 2013 18:38:37 +0100 schrieb Frederick Williams:

> "This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-1.40.9 (MiKTeX 2.7) [...]
> [...]
> Output written on shell.dvi (1 page, 240 bytes)."
>
> But the output profile LaTeX => PDF is selected.

LaTeX => PDF could also mean the route

latex-> dvi + dvips+ps2pdf or dvipdmx -> pdf

In this case you should use another output profile.

But at first exclude errors in your document (documents can change
the output mode): Try with a minimal hello-world document.


--
Ulrike Fischer

[Frederick Williams]

Thank you. That does the trick.

[Frederick Williams]

Ulrike Fischer wrote:

> But at first exclude errors in your document (documents can change
> the output mode): Try with a minimal hello-world document.

Done, and GL's suggestion worked. Thanks.

[Heiko Oberdiek]

On 05.04.2013 17:57, Frederick Williams wrote:
> GL wrote:
>>
>> Le 04/04/2013 19:38, Frederick Williams a écrit :
>>> Using TeXnicCenter, log file says:
>>>
>>> "This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-1.40.9 (MiKTeX 2.7) [...]
>>> [...]
>>> Output written on shell.dvi (1 page, 240 bytes)."
>>>
>>> But the output profile LaTeX => PDF is selected. The error message:
>>>
>>> "[DocOpen("%bm.pdf")][FileOpen("%bm.pdf")]
>>> Cannot execute the command"
>>>
>>> appears.
>>>
>>> My guess is that the fields in
>>>
>>> Build -> Define Output Profiles... -> LaTex => PDF -> Viewer
>>>
>>> in TeXnicCenter need setting somehow, but I'm lost.
>>>
>>> Any suggestions gratefully received.
>>>
>> Try to put \pdfoutput=1 on the first line compiled by tex.

If you are using `pdflatex' and this trick is necessary, then you
have a serious problem with your input file or a(n outdated)
package/class that it uses.

--
Heiko Oberdiek

[Frederick Williams]

Heiko Oberdiek wrote:

> > GL wrote:

> >> Try to put \pdfoutput=1 on the first line compiled by tex.
>
> If you are using `pdflatex' and this trick is necessary, then you
> have a serious problem with your input file or a(n outdated)
> package/class that it uses.

When I first installed TeXnicCenter and MikTeX, pdfs were produced
without the need for \pdfoutput=1. (I didn't even know there was such a
thing as \pdfoutput.) Since then packages have been updated or added.
The minimal input file:

\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article}
\begin{document}
Needle, nardle, noo!
\end{document}

now fails without \pdfoutput=1. Adding \pdfoutput=1 seems a small price
to pay. So I may well leave things as they are. I am too dim to
understand computers, but not so dim that I mess about with them when
they are working, or working in a fashion, anyway.

[Robin Fairbairns]

Frederick Williams <freddyw...@btinternet.com> writes:

> Heiko Oberdiek wrote:
>> > GL wrote:
>
>> >> Try to put \pdfoutput=1 on the first line compiled by tex.
>>
>> If you are using `pdflatex' and this trick is necessary, then you
>> have a serious problem with your input file or a(n outdated)
>> package/class that it uses.
>
> When I first installed TeXnicCenter and MikTeX, pdfs were produced
> without the need for \pdfoutput=1. (I didn't even know there was such a
> thing as \pdfoutput.) Since then packages have been updated or added.
> The minimal input file:
>
> \documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article}
> \begin{document}
> Needle, nardle, noo!
> \end{document}
>
> now fails without \pdfoutput=1. Adding \pdfoutput=1 seems a small price
> to pay. So I may well leave things as they are. I am too dim to
> understand computers, but not so dim that I mess about with them when
> they are working, or working in a fashion, anyway.

the problem is that we don't know what texniccenter is calling. if you
call "pdflatex", it sets \pdfoutput=1 (without any action on your part).
contrariwise, if you call latex, it will set \pdfoutput=0. so it all
depends on what texniccenter chooses to do. has _that_ been updated
recently? -- a change such as that would seem retrogressive to me, but
maybe they have their inscrutable reasons...
--
Robin Fairbairns, Cambridge
i really am trying to cut down, what with this >1000 post backlog and all

[Dan Luecking]

On Sun, 07 Apr 2013 18:04:01 +0100, Frederick Williams
<freddyw...@btinternet.com> wrote:

>Heiko Oberdiek wrote:
>
>> > GL wrote:
>
>> >> Try to put \pdfoutput=1 on the first line compiled by tex.
>>
>> If you are using `pdflatex' and this trick is necessary, then you
>> have a serious problem with your input file or a(n outdated)
>> package/class that it uses.
>
>When I first installed TeXnicCenter and MikTeX, pdfs were produced
>without the need for \pdfoutput=1. (I didn't even know there was such a
>thing as \pdfoutput.) Since then packages have been updated or added.
>The minimal input file:
>
>\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article}
>\begin{document}
>Needle, nardle, noo!
>\end{document}
>
>now fails without \pdfoutput=1. Adding \pdfoutput=1 seems a small price
>to pay. So I may well leave things as they are. I am too dim to
>understand computers, but not so dim that I mess about with them when
>they are working, or working in a fashion, anyway.

The most likely source of the problem is rather easy to
fix. Go to Build -> Define Output Profiles.
Highlight LaTex => PDF and select the LaTeX tab. You then
edit the information there, putting "pdf" in relatively
obvious places.

For example, there is a request for the path to the latex
compiler. If that contains "latex.exe", but not "pdflatex.exe",
change the former to the latter.

It might conceivably contain "texify.exe" as the compiler, in that
case it requires editing a different edit box, the one asking for
command line parameters. In this case, if it contains "--dvi" but
not "--pdf" change the former to the latter. If it contain neither,
add --pdf.

If either of these edits seems too difficult, report here what
those two boxes contain, and someone here will surely tell you
if they are wrong and what they ought to be. (Ignore anything
to do with bibtex or makeindex.)


Dan

To reply by email, change LookInSig to luecking

[Frederick Williams]

I'm sorry for the delay in replying. I don't think I'll be able to look
into this further for about six weeks or so.

[Frederick Williams]

I'm sorry for the delay in replying. I don't think I'll be able to look
into this further for about six weeks or so.

[Frederick Williams]

Right, in those six weeks I have acquired a new computer and a fast
Internet connection. The first thing, or very nearly the first thing, I
did was to download a new TeXnicCenter (version 1 beta 7.01) and a new
MikTeX (version 3.0?). My previous problem are no longer um... a
problem, and I haven't written enough yet to find any new ones.

TeXnicCenter, version 1 beta 7.01, is disarmingly called "unstable", so
maybe I should have installed 6 point something--time will tell.