latest update 'breaks' lualatex

[cooch17]

Just updated my MikTeX 2.9 install - newest version of fontspec. Upon update, following mwe doesn't compile:

\documentclass[11pt,letterpaper]{article}

\usepackage{fontspec}
\setmainfont{XITS}

\begin{document}

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent in tincidunt nulla. Donec quis laoreet est.

\end{document}

Generates following error message:

("C:/Program Files (x86)/MiKTeX 2.9/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec.cfg")))
luaotfload | Font names database loaded: C:/Users/egc/AppData/Local/MiKTeX/2.9/
luatex-cache/generic/names/otfl-names.lua(load: C:/Users/egc/AppData/Local/MiKT
eX/2.9/luatex-cache/generic/fonts/otf/temp-xits-regular.lua)
! LuaTeX error ...les (x86)/MiKTeX 2.9/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec.lua:45: atte
mpt to call upvalue 'check_script' (a nil value)
stack traceback:
...les (x86)/MiKTeX 2.9/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec.lua:45: in function 'check
_ot_script'
<\directlua >:1: in main chunk.
\fontspec_check_script:nTF ...ontspec_font","#1")}
\if@tempswa \prg_return_tr...
l.4 \setmainfont{XITS}

?

[phi-gamma]

We can add check_*() functions to the legacy fontloader (would require porting the old fontspec code).

[phi-gamma]

@cooch17 can you try this version https://raw.github.com/lualatex/luaotfload/master/luaotfload-legacy.lua of luaotfload-legacy.lua with your luaotfload? It should restore the functionality that was removed from fontspec.

[khaledhosny]

Latest fontspec requires latest luaotfload, LaTeX should give you a big warning if you are using older luaotfload.

[cooch17]

Quick replies:

1\ yes, I realized after the fact that fontspec requires the latest luaotfload (discoered this when I looked at the fontspec changelog). For a variety of reasons (discussed in some detail on the lualatex maillist), the MikTeX binaries from some lua* elements are at least one update behind), It would seem that luaotfload is one such program. Which, of course, is what breaks with the latest update to fontspec. There is a warning in the MikTeX log, but not what I would call 'big' (if 'big' relates to size, or being obvious).

2\ I'll give luaotfload-legacy.lua a try tomorrow, when I'm at one of my 'work' machines.

Seems to me there is sort of Red Queen optimization problem in play for MikTeX users (and there are a lot of us) - the larger majority of recent updates to lua* pckages/libs, or things related to the lualatex have broken something. My (limited) understanding is that a lot of the lua* dev (and perhaps fontspec?) is TeX Live centric, and is based on assumptions about synched updateds to all the various parts which no doubt test without probs for TeX Live. But for MikTeX, this has been a problem, since when I now see an update to lua*, or anything related to it in common practice (like fontspec), I can bet with high likelihood that at least one of the interacting pieces will not 'play nice' with others, and will 'break' LuaLaTeX. At least for MikTeX users.

This isn't intended as a complaint, either for lua* dev types, or MikTeX - merely an observation.