Broke LaTeX: "restricted \write18 enabled"
Haines Brown
and perhaps killed one on which LaTeX depends?
In any case, I am running Debian squeeze, and TeXLive 2009 in emacs. I
display a .tex file in a LaTeX buffer. I then do C-c, and this shows
up in the minibuffer:
Command[pdflatex]:
Since I want dvi->ps, I enter the command "latex". In the minibuffer
it says, "No file need saving". Howver, no .dvi file is generated (if
instead I run pdflatex command, no .pdf file is generated).
In the TeX-Shell: run Shell-Compile buffer I get:
... $ latex
This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-1.40.10 TeX Live 2009/Debian
restricted \write18 enabled
**
The "restricted \write18" message shows up frequenly in google, but I've
nevertheless not found any explanation. What does it mean? Do I need
to disable this restriction? If so, how?
Haines Brown
Robin Fairbairns
> Somehow managed to break LaTeX. I had previously killed some processes,
> and perhaps killed one on which LaTeX depends?
not likely.
> In any case, I am running Debian squeeze, and TeXLive 2009 in emacs. I
> display a .tex file in a LaTeX buffer. I then do C-c, and this shows
> up in the minibuffer:
>
> Command[pdflatex]:
>
> Since I want dvi->ps, I enter the command "latex". In the minibuffer
> it says, "No file need saving". Howver, no .dvi file is generated (if
> instead I run pdflatex command, no .pdf file is generated).
>
> In the TeX-Shell: run Shell-Compile buffer I get:
>
> ... $ latex
> This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-1.40.10 TeX Live 2009/Debian
> restricted \write18 enabled
> **
>
> The "restricted \write18" message shows up frequenly in google, but I've
> nevertheless not found any explanation. What does it mean? Do I need
> to disable this restriction? If so, how?
"restricted \write18" is a replacement default for "no \write18"; it
allows \write18 (spawn a child process) for a selected set of commands.
in the old regime default, no \write18 would have been allowed, so
_that_ (at least) is not likely to be your culprit.
so we're back to finding what's wrong with your document.
with no sample, and no history of changes, this is rather difficult,
remotely. do you have a file that used to work but now doesn't? or
have you innocently edited a document and found it produces no output.
in the latter case, please try and work out what change it was that
caused the problem. otherwise, _someone_ needs to look at your
document: *please* don't post it, but if it can go on a web site
somewhere (i.e., if it's not too private), that would help. otherwise,
try replacing the text of the document with \lipsum commands (from the
lipsum package) -- that artificial text ought to behave rather
similarly to the original.
--
Robin Fairbairns, Cambridge
Maarten Bergvelt
> Somehow managed to break LaTeX. I had previously killed some processes,
> and perhaps killed one on which LaTeX depends?
>
> In any case, I am running Debian squeeze, and TeXLive 2009 in emacs. I
> display a .tex file in a LaTeX buffer. I then do C-c, and this shows
> up in the minibuffer:
>
> Command[pdflatex]:
>
> Since I want dvi->ps, I enter the command "latex". In the minibuffer
> it says, "No file need saving". Howver, no .dvi file is generated (if
> instead I run pdflatex command, no .pdf file is generated).
Did you look in the .log file for error messages? Or look at the
output buffer, C-c C-l in my version of Auctex?
> In the TeX-Shell: run Shell-Compile buffer I get:
>
> ... $ latex
> This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-1.40.10 TeX Live 2009/Debian
> restricted \write18 enabled
> **
>
> The "restricted \write18" message shows up frequenly in google, but I've
> nevertheless not found any explanation. What does it mean? Do I need
> to disable this restriction? If so, how?
I don't think you need to worry about that, see for instance
http://www.texdev.net/2009/10/06/what-does-write18-mean/
--
Maarten Bergvelt
Haines Brown
> Haines Brown <hai...@HistoricalMaterialism.info> writes:
>
> "restricted \write18" is a replacement default for "no \write18"; it
> allows \write18 (spawn a child process) for a selected set of commands.
> in the old regime default, no \write18 would have been allowed, so
> _that_ (at least) is not likely to be your culprit.
Thanks.
> so we're back to finding what's wrong with your document.
The document was a simple little thing that used a template, and there
was little opportunity to damage it. However, after having restarted
emacs, I can't reproduce the problem. Sorry to be nuisance.
Before restarting everything, I discovered a symlink from the .tex file
to, if I recall, my email address :-O. Given my clumsiness, I may have
inadvertantly created it and thrown LaTeX into an impossible
situation. In any case, things working now.
I apologize for burdening you with my foolishness.
Haines Brown