Compilation of a beamer document fails.

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Hi,

The Makefile fails to compile a beamer document including a graphic image in 
eps.gz or in eps formats.

Compilation is successful if the same image is in pdf format.

The same document is compiled successfully if the style used is "report", even 
if the image included is in eps.gz format.

The source files along with all log-files are attached.

Thanks,
Slavik

Original issue reported on code.google.com by viatches...@gmail.com on 9 May 2011 at 10:14

Attachments:

• make.log
• test_beamer_2.2.1.tar.bz2

[GoogleCodeExporter]

So, this is interesting.  I can't reproduce this issue on my computer.  
Downloading and unzipping these files, then running

make clean
make foo

Everything just works.  The pdf looks good, too.  I'm even using the older 
version of the makefile that you included in the tarball.

Shall we start doing the binary-version dance to see what might be different?

Original comment by shiblon on 10 May 2011 at 5:53

[GoogleCodeExporter]

> I can't reproduce this issue on my computer.
Hmm... That is strange.

> Shall we start doing the binary-version dance to see what might be different?
Tell me what I should do.

Original comment by viatches...@gmail.com on 10 May 2011 at 7:53

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Well, I'm not totally sure where to take it from here.  Perhaps latex versions, 
beamer version, etc. would be a good start.

Here's the output of latex -version on my system:

pdfTeX 3.1415926-1.40.10-2.2 (TeX Live 2009)
kpathsea version 5.0.0
Copyright 2009 Peter Breitenlohner (eTeX)/Han The Thanh (pdfTeX).
There is NO warranty.  Redistribution of this software is
covered by the terms of both the pdfTeX copyright and
the Lesser GNU General Public License.
For more information about these matters, see the file
named COPYING and the pdfTeX source.
Primary author of pdfTeX: Peter Breitenlohner (eTeX)/Han The Thanh (pdfTeX).
Compiled with libpng 1.2.39; using libpng 1.2.39
Compiled with zlib 1.2.3; using zlib 1.2.3
Compiled with xpdf version 3.02pl3

Here's the beamer version info in my foo.log file:

(/usr/local/texlive/2009/texmf-dist/tex/latex/beamer/beamer.cls (/usr/local/tex
live/2009/texmf-dist/tex/latex/beamer/beamerbasercs.sty                         

Package: beamerbasercs 2007/01/28 (rcs-revision 1.4)
)
Document Class: beamer 2007/03/11 cvs version 3.07 A class for typesetting pres
entations (rcs-revision 1.70)
(/usr/local/texlive/2009/texmf-dist/tex/latex/beamer/beamerbasemodes.sty
Package: beamerbasemodes 2007/01/28 (rcs-revision 1.22)
\beamer@tempbox=\box26
\beamer@tempcount=\count79
\c@beamerpauses=\count80
(/usr/local/texlive/2009/texmf-dist/tex/latex/beamer/beamerbasedecode.sty
Package: beamerbasedecode 2007/01/28 (rcs-revision 1.20)
\beamer@slideinframe=\count81
\beamer@minimum=\count82
)
\beamer@commentbox=\box27
\beamer@modecount=\count83
)
\headheight=\dimen102
\headdp=\dimen103
\footheight=\dimen104
\sidebarheight=\dimen105
\beamer@tempdim=\dimen106
\beamer@finalheight=\dimen107
\beamer@animht=\dimen108
\beamer@animdp=\dimen109
\beamer@animwd=\dimen110
\beamer@leftmargin=\dimen111
\beamer@rightmargin=\dimen112
\beamer@leftsidebar=\dimen113
\beamer@rightsidebar=\dimen114
\beamer@boxsize=\dimen115
\beamer@vboxoffset=\dimen116
\beamer@descdefault=\dimen117
\beamer@descriptionwidth=\dimen118
\beamer@lastskip=\skip41
\beamer@areabox=\box28
\beamer@animcurrent=\box29
\beamer@animshowbox=\box30
\beamer@sectionbox=\box31
\beamer@logobox=\box32
\beamer@linebox=\box33
\beamer@sectioncount=\count84
\beamer@subsubsectionmax=\count85
\beamer@subsectionmax=\count86
\beamer@sectionmax=\count87
\beamer@totalheads=\count88
\beamer@headcounter=\count89
\beamer@partstartpage=\count90
\beamer@sectionstartpage=\count91
\beamer@subsectionstartpage=\count92
\beamer@animationtempa=\count93
\beamer@animationtempb=\count94
\beamer@xpos=\count95
\beamer@ypos=\count96
\beamer@showpartnumber=\count97
\beamer@currentsubsection=\count98
\beamer@coveringdepth=\count99
\beamer@sectionadjust=\count100
\beamer@tocsectionnumber=\count101
(/usr/local/texlive/2009/texmf-dist/tex/latex/beamer/beamerbaseoptions.sty
Package: beamerbaseoptions 2007/01/28 (rcs-revision 1.8)

Original comment by shiblon on 10 May 2011 at 8:10

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I see that our LaTeX packages are different - I have Web2C, your LaTeX is TeX 
Live. The beamer versions are same:

bash-3.2$ latex -version
pdfeTeX 3.141592-1.21a-2.2 (Web2C 7.5.4)
kpathsea version 3.5.4
Copyright (C) 1997-2004 Peter Breitenlohner (eTeX)/Han The Thanh (pdfTeX).
Kpathsea is copyright (C) 1997-2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
There is NO warranty.  Redistribution of this software is
covered by the terms of both the pdfeTeX copyright and
the GNU General Public License.
For more information about these matters, see the files
named COPYING and the pdfeTeX source.
Primary author of pdfeTeX: Peter Breitenlohner (eTeX)/Han The Thanh (pdfTeX).
Kpathsea written by Karl Berry and others.

My foo.log:

(/Network/Servers/jelley.lexas/Volumes/Home/bugaev/texmf/tex/latex/latex-beamer
-3.07/base/beamer.cls
(/Network/Servers/jelley.lexas/Volumes/Home/bugaev/texmf/tex/latex/latex-beamer
-3.07/base/beamerbasercs.sty
Package: beamerbasercs 2007/01/28 (rcs-revision 1.4)
)
Document Class: beamer 2007/03/11 cvs version 3.07 A class for typesetting pres
entations (rcs-revision 1.70)

(/Network/Servers/jelley.lexas/Volumes/Home/bugaev/texmf/tex/latex/latex-beamer
-3.07/base/beamerbasemodes.sty
Package: beamerbasemodes 2007/01/28 (rcs-revision 1.22)
\beamer@tempbox=\box26
\beamer@tempcount=\count79
\c@beamerpauses=\count80

(/Network/Servers/jelley.lexas/Volumes/Home/bugaev/texmf/tex/latex/latex-beamer
-3.07/base/beamerbasedecode.sty
Package: beamerbasedecode 2007/01/28 (rcs-revision 1.20)
\beamer@slideinframe=\count81
\beamer@minimum=\count82
)
\beamer@commentbox=\box27
\beamer@modecount=\count83
)
\headheight=\dimen102
\headdp=\dimen103
\footheight=\dimen104
\sidebarheight=\dimen105
\beamer@tempdim=\dimen106
\beamer@finalheight=\dimen107
\beamer@animht=\dimen108
\beamer@animdp=\dimen109
\beamer@animwd=\dimen110
\beamer@leftmargin=\dimen111
\beamer@rightmargin=\dimen112
\beamer@leftsidebar=\dimen113
\beamer@rightsidebar=\dimen114
\beamer@boxsize=\dimen115
\beamer@vboxoffset=\dimen116
\beamer@descdefault=\dimen117
\beamer@descriptionwidth=\dimen118
\beamer@lastskip=\skip41
\beamer@areabox=\box28
\beamer@animcurrent=\box29
\beamer@animshowbox=\box30
\beamer@sectionbox=\box31
\beamer@logobox=\box32
\beamer@linebox=\box33
\beamer@sectioncount=\count84
\beamer@subsubsectionmax=\count85
\beamer@subsectionmax=\count86
\beamer@sectionmax=\count87
\beamer@totalheads=\count88
\beamer@headcounter=\count89
\beamer@partstartpage=\count90
\beamer@sectionstartpage=\count91
\beamer@subsectionstartpage=\count92
\beamer@animationtempa=\count93
\beamer@animationtempb=\count94
\beamer@xpos=\count95
\beamer@ypos=\count96
\beamer@showpartnumber=\count97
\beamer@currentsubsection=\count98
\beamer@coveringdepth=\count99
\beamer@sectionadjust=\count100
\beamer@tocsectionnumber=\count101

(/Network/Servers/jelley.lexas/Volumes/Home/bugaev/texmf/tex/latex/latex-beamer
-3.07/base/beamerbaseoptions.sty
Package: beamerbaseoptions 2007/01/28 (rcs-revision 1.8)

But again, if Makefile doesn't have to convert my graphic file to pdf format 
(it was previously converted), then compilation is successful. So, it makes me 
think that my LaTeX is not corrupted in some way, it is something related to 
differences in LaTeX packages.

Original comment by viatches...@gmail.com on 10 May 2011 at 8:40

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Hmmm.  Actually, I wonder if this is because you are on a networked file system 
and flushing data is slow?  I see these kinds of race conditions occasionally 
where a file is generated, but a subsequent step of the build process can't 
find it, even though make has built it and knows that it is done.

If that's really what's going on, it's super hard to fix.  I haven't had 
consistent success with it pretty much ever.

If inserting a sleep call in the eps -> pdf generation rule helps, that will 
tell us a lot (look for /^%.pdf:\s+%.eps/ and add "$(SLEEP) 5" as the last 
line).

Original comment by shiblon on 11 May 2011 at 4:26

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I inserted "$(SLEEP) 5" in the Makefile. You can see it in the output of make. 
The problem is still there:

bash-3.2$ make
NOTE: You may ignore warnings about the following files:

     foo.d

Makefile:2597: foo.d: No such file or directory
= foo.tex --> foo.d foo.pdf.1st.make (0-1) =
= foo.tex --> foo.d foo.pdf.1st.make (1-1) =
= bar.eps.gz --> bar.eps =
= bar.eps --> bar.pdf =
sleep 5
./foo.tex:29: You can't use `\\prevdepth' in horizontal mode.\\nointerlineskip 
->\\prevdepth 
                              -\\@m \\p@ 
l.29 \\end{frame}

Sorry, but I'm not programmed to handle this case;
I'll just pretend that you didn't ask for it.
If you're in the wrong mode, you might be able to
return to the right one by typing `I}' or `I$' or `I\\par'.
./foo.tex:29: Missing $ inserted.<inserted text> 
                $
l.29 \\end{frame}

I've inserted a begin-math/end-math symbol since I think
you left one out. Proceed, with fingers crossed.
./foo.tex:29: Missing number, treated as zero.<to be read again> 
                   \\let 
l.29 \\end{frame}

A number should have been here; I inserted `0'.
(If you can't figure out why I needed to see a number,
look up `weird error' in the index to The TeXbook.)
./foo.tex:29: Illegal unit of measure (pt inserted).<to be read again> 
                   \\let 
l.29 \\end{frame}

Dimensions can be in units of em, ex, in, pt, pc,
cm, mm, dd, cc, bp, or sp; but yours is a new one!
I'll assume that you meant to say pt, for printer's points.
To recover gracefully from this error, it's best to
delete the erroneous units; e.g., type `2' to delete
two letters. (See Chapter 27 of The TeXbook.)
./foo.tex:29: LaTeX Error: Command \\bfseries invalid in math mode.
./foo.tex:29: Missing $ inserted.<inserted text> 
                $
l.29 \\end{frame}

I've inserted a begin-math/end-math symbol since I think
you left one out. Proceed, with fingers crossed.
make: *** [foo.pdf] Error 1
rm bar.eps

Original comment by viatches...@gmail.com on 11 May 2011 at 9:18

[GoogleCodeExporter]

The compilation also fails if the source files are located on a local disk. 
Latex and other utilities are still on a networked file system, though.

Original comment by viatches...@gmail.com on 11 May 2011 at 9:32

[GoogleCodeExporter]

OK, disappointing though it may be to not have narrowed the problem down, yet, 
I'm *very* glad that the sleep idea didn't work.  Those kinds of problems are 
nearly impossible to work around in a principled way.

So, that leaves us with other stuff.  Looking over your log file, I am 
beginning to wonder if your version of latex doesn't handle the 
\center{\includegraphics{bar}} case very well.

Have you tried the following instead?

{\centering \includegraphics{bar}}\par

Or, barring that,

\begin{center}
\includegraphics{bar}
\end{center}

Also, beamer often likes to see an ending paragraph before the end of its 
frame.  This can be accomplished by using either of the above examples (the 
first manually inserts \par, the second uses the center environment, which does 
that for you).

I'm fervently hoping (and believing, actually), that this is the core of the 
problem.  I don't see anything amiss with the graphics inclusion, really.

That it works after the graphics have been built separately is really a 
mystery, though, so I'm continuing to dig into this in case I'm completely out 
of my mind with the above.  :-)

Original comment by shiblon on 12 May 2011 at 2:17

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Oh, come to think of it, I don't think that there is any such thing as \center.

I mean, yes it exists, but it is part of the center environment.  Using 

\begin{center}
stuff here
\end{center}

is equivalent to

\center
stuff here
\endcenter

(the environment creates those commands, and they are meant to be a pair).  So, 
I think that, even if this doesn't solve the make problem, it is incorrect as 
written.

Original comment by shiblon on 12 May 2011 at 2:19

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Hurray! I am totally impressed by your observations which lead to a successful 
compilation of my beamer document on a network disk without any sleep commands 
added to the Makefile.

You were right about \center{}. There is no such a thing. Effectively, it means 
that I opened an environment with \center and didn't close it with \endcenter 
before the end of the frame. And I was not aware that I had this error since 
using latex alone without the Makefile would compile the document. At the same 
time, make would notice the problem somehow (by the exit status of a latex 
command or by parsing the log output?).

What I don't understand is why make is less strict in case of inclusion of a 
ready-to-use pdf graphic compared to the case when it has to convert eps.gz to 
pdf first.

Thank you for a great tool and for a continuous support!

Original comment by viatches...@gmail.com on 12 May 2011 at 4:05

[GoogleCodeExporter]

No problem.

I am also confused about why the make file is less strict when the graphic 
already exists.  If you want me to continue pursuing that, the following would 
be helpful:

Leave the \center bug in the file.
Run "make bar.pdf"
Run make foo
Attach all of the foo*.log files to this bug.

I should be able to glean something from the logs.

And yes, what's happening is the makefile is parsing the log output and looking 
for errors.  I'm willing to bet that you *do* see the error when you run latex, 
but latex's output is so incredibly spammy that it gets lost in the noise.  
Latex still successfully builds the document in this case, but that's always a 
gamble, so the makefile alerts you to it and refuses to build it.  It's a fine 
line to walk.

Original comment by shiblon on 12 May 2011 at 6:31

• Changed state: Done

[GoogleCodeExporter]

> Leave the \center bug in the file.
> Run "make bar.pdf"
> Run make foo
> Attach all of the foo*.log files to this bug.

The log files are attached.

Original comment by viatches...@gmail.com on 12 May 2011 at 7:44

Attachments:

• bar.eps.log
• foo.0-1.log
• foo.1-2.log
• foo.log

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Aha!  I think I get it.  This is somewhat subtle, unfortunately, so you might 
want to get comfortable (and note that this is still conjecture - it's just 
what I think is the most likely problem).

First, this is definitely not a makefile problem, but *it is made manifest by 
typical makefile usage*.

Here's what happens.

If the file bar.pdf exists, it is included *directly* by latex in the pdf 
output.  It would appear that doing so closes some environments automatically 
for you.  I don't know why that is the case, but if you look at foo.0-1.log, 
you'll notice that the error is simply not there - beamer doesn't complain.

But, when bar.pdf does not exist, the initial run of pdflatex produces errors 
that tell the makefile how to create bar.pdf.  Unfortunately, that also means 
that it produces other errors that are masked when bar.pdf is already present.

So, this is a latex issue that just shows up more often for typical makefile 
use (when not using the makefile, people just make sure that their graphics are 
all there, and then they wouldn't see this error - the makefile just encourages 
folks to not pre-build their graphics, which is sort of the point :-).

Anyway, if it's okay with you, I'm going to leave this issue closed and chalk 
it up to another latex subtlety.

Please don't hesitate to reopen if you find something else, or (naturally) to 
file other issues as you see them.

Original comment by shiblon on 13 May 2011 at 4:05

[GoogleCodeExporter]

> Unfortunately, that also means that it produces other errors that are masked 
when bar.pdf is already present.

Instead, I would say "fortunately" because make prevents LaTeX errors from 
piling up. Combined with the pre-existing errors in LaTeX source code, new 
errors would be more difficult to debug. So, I think it is good that make spots 
problems so well.

I believe this issue is closed.

Thank you again for a very useful tool and for making it public!

Original comment by viatches...@gmail.com on 13 May 2011 at 8:20

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Thanks for your kind words, and I'm glad that everything is working for you.

Original comment by shib...@google.com on 13 May 2011 at 9:12