texlive-new: mktextfm: mf command not found

[igsha]

Issue description

mktextfm cannot work because of absence of mf command:

nix-shell:~/nixpkgs]$ mktextfm wnr14
mktextfm: Running mf \mode:=ljfour; mag:=1; nonstopmode; input wnr14
/nix/store/gvn5jvzywdalf9vxhi89yx8cgywqi8ag-texlive-bin-2015/bin/mktextfm: line 104: mf: command not found

Steps to reproduce

[20:45] igor@igor-pc nixpkgs (master) $ nix-shell -I nixpkgs=~/nixpkgs/ -Q -p texlive.combined.scheme-full --pure

[nix-shell:~/nixpkgs]$ mktextfm 
/nix/store/gvn5jvzywdalf9vxhi89yx8cgywqi8ag-texlive-bin-2015/bin/mktextfm: Missing argument(s).
Try `mktextfm --help' for more information.

[nix-shell:~/nixpkgs]$                                                                                                                                                                                                                      [nix-shell:~/nixpkgs]$ mktextfm wnr14
mktextfm: Running mf \mode:=ljfour; mag:=1; nonstopmode; input wnr14
/nix/store/gvn5jvzywdalf9vxhi89yx8cgywqi8ag-texlive-bin-2015/bin/mktextfm: line 104: mf: command not found
grep: wnr14.log: No such file or directory
mktextfm: `mf \mode:=ljfour; mag:=1; nonstopmode; input wnr14' failed to make wnr14.tfm.

[nix-shell:~/nixpkgs]$

However, mktextfm works fine with metafont:

[20:47] igor@igor-pc nixpkgs (master) $ nix-shell -Q -E 'with import /home/igor/nixpkgs { }; runCommand "dummy" { buildInputs = [ (texlive.combine { inherit (texlive) scheme-full metafont; }) ]; } ""' --pure

[nix-shell:~/nixpkgs]$ mktextfm wnr14
mktextfm: Running mf-nowin -progname=mf \mode:=ljfour; mag:=1; nonstopmode; input wnr14
This is METAFONT, Version 2.7182818 (Web2C 2015/NixOS.org) (preloaded base=mf)

(/home/igor/.texlive2014/texmf-var/fonts/source/lh/lh-ot2/wnr14.mf
(/nix/store/sf01qa4yvigrqw206c25397w4y3vh6pk-texlive-combined-2015/share/texmf/
fonts/source/lh/base/fikparm.mf
(/nix/store/sf01qa4yvigrqw206c25397w4y3vh6pk-texlive-combined-2015/share/texmf/
fonts/source/public/cm/cmbase.mf)
(/nix/store/sf01qa4yvigrqw206c25397w4y3vh6pk-texlive-combined-2015/share/texmf/
fonts/source/lh/base/lcyrbeg.mf)
...
(/nix/store/sf01qa4yvigrqw206c25397w4y3vh6pk-texlive-combined-2015/share/texmf/
fonts/source/lh/lh-ot2/wnliker.mf) ) ) )
Font metrics written on wnr14.tfm.
Output written on wnr14.600gf (128 characters, 35564 bytes).
Transcript written on wnr14.log.
mktextfm: /home/igor/.texlive2014/texmf-var/fonts/tfm/lh/lh-ot2/wnr14.tfm: successfully generated.
/home/igor/.texlive2014/texmf-var/fonts/tfm/lh/lh-ot2/wnr14.tfm

[nix-shell:~/nixpkgs]$

Technical details

• System: NixOS: 16.09pre88185.52a875f (Flounder)
• Nix version: nix-env (Nix) 1.11.2
• Nixpkgs version: 16.09pre88185.52a875f and 16.09.git.a18abd2M

[vcunat]

Well, yes, I know about that. I specifically purged metafont from the most basic dependencies, because it needs nontrivial dependencies and "standard LaTeX making" don't require it.

Do you think the situation would be better if mktextfm was removed from envs without metafont? I don't really know what most of the mktex* executables are for...

[igsha]

Yes, it is better to remove mktex* from envs without metafont. As far as I know, all of mktex* are used for font generations. E.g., mktextfm converts font to tfm format that would be placed in local cache. LaTeX can use them on the fly (that's why some document compilations may fail). It may confuse users that commands are presented but does not work. However, I thouhgt that scheme-full includes metafont package, but it does not.

[vcunat]

However, I thought that scheme-full includes metafont package, but it does not.

I see now; that is a bug caused by the purging I've done.

[deepfire]

@vcunat, switching from Aurulent Sans to LucidaBright made me see this error (on master as of 26 Mar 2017). What should I do?

[vcunat]

@deepfire: adding texlive.metafont into your texlive.combine might solve it.

[deepfire]

@vcunat, thanks! Maybe I'll try it..

[tomberek]

@deepfire progress?

[veprbl]

This appears to be working fine. Closing for now.

[kidmose]

Encountered this error with \usepackage[clock]{ifsym}:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[clock]{ifsym}
\begin{document}
\VarClock
\end{document}

I can confirm that the problem was solved for my by adding the metafont line below:

environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
    # LaTeX stuff
    (texlive.combine {inherit (texlive) scheme-minimal
      collection-langeuropean # danish in babel
      collection-langenglish
      collection-publishers # elsarticle.sty
      collection-fontsextra # dsfont.sty
      collection-fontsrecommended # scalable fonts
      collection-latex
      collection-latexrecommended
      collection-latexextra # fixme.sty
      metafont # mf command line util for fonts (latex package ifsym)    
                      ;})
  ];

[veprbl]

I can confirm that the problem was solved for my by adding the metafont line below:

I guess, the general rule of thumb is that if it doesn't reproduce with scheme-full, it's likely not a bug. In this case, as @vcunat, mentioned it's a feature:

nixpkgs/pkgs/tools/typesetting/tex/texlive/default.nix

Lines 49 to 59 in 3c3840e

	# remove dependency-heavy packages from the basic collections
	collection-basic = orig.collection-basic // {
	deps = removeAttrs orig.collection-basic.deps [ "metafont" "xdvi" ];
	};
	# add them elsewhere so that collections cover all packages
	collection-metapost = orig.collection-metapost // {
	deps = orig.collection-metapost.deps // { inherit (tl) metafont; };
	};
	collection-plaingeneric = orig.collection-plaingeneric // {
	deps = orig.collection-plaingeneric.deps // { inherit (tl) xdvi; };
	};