Make "latexml --help" do something helpful

[bfirsh]

It seems to just print the source code of the script. Ideally it'd display the usage for the command, along with stuff like this: http://dlmf.nist.gov/LaTeXML/manual/usage/usage.conversion.html

[brucemiller]

My documentation could be improved, but it's usually better than source code! :>

It sounds like the proper POD documentation isn't getting printed for some reason. What platform are you using?

[bfirsh]

Ah, I see! Probably something I haven't installed on my part then. To re-report this bug, perhaps it should print an error telling me what to install instead of just printing source code. ;)

Platform is Linux inside Docker. Here's the environment: https://github.com/arxiv-vanity/engrafo/blob/6c995a99dbfa5305b9709bdb1633694b2158dd08/Dockerfile

[brucemiller]

I don't know docker, but the code looks like it should be doing the right thing. The usage display should only depend on Pod::Usage, which ought to be a core module, so I don't think you've missed a dependence. I'll have to see if I can google something up; It Shouldn't Happen!

In the meantime, hopefully perldoc latexml would give you useful info? (or just more source code!)

[bfirsh]

Yeah, Docker's doing nothing, it's just plain Debian with the commands listed in Dockerfile run on it.

root@8e0d3208d5b1:/app# perldoc latexml
You need to install the perl-doc package to use this program.

That explains it. :)

[dginev]

I managed to reproduce on Ubuntu 17.10. Interestingly latexmlc is not affected, but latexml and latexmlpost --help both print the source. Reason:

$ latexml --help
latexml (LaTeXML version 0.8.2; revision e97a0e37)
You need to install the perl-doc package to use this program.

I will reopen until we update the docs for Debain installs 👍 Thanks for the report!

[dginev]

P.S. Hope I am not spotting a trend of Perl getting gradually phased out of the default ubuntu packages...

[dginev]

We can also reorganize latexml and latexmlpost --help to use the Config.pm-based machinery for the latexmlc report. It works without the dependency, which is neat.

[bfirsh]

It's not default Debian, FWIW, it's a very minimal distribution. (debian-minimal or whatever it is, or even less stuff.) Effectively nothing's installed on it.

[dginev]

Oh, thanks for clarifying. I'm on a mainstream "bloated" distro though, so if Ubuntu is not offering it, we can't be silently expecting it, sadly

[brucemiller]

Jeez, why's everything keep changing... and btw, stay off my lawn!

[brucemiller]

You could be right, but you could be over-interpreting; there's less installed-by-default programming stuff these days on lots of systems (minimal, ubuntu, etc)... more "user" oriented.

[brucemiller]

Well, whatever the reason behind the change, I've updated the installation guide (should appear on the site soon). This detail is probably somewhat lost amongst all the special cases, but it is there. Thanks for the report!