Re: Using Latex to create PDFs

[Stroller <..hidden..>]

On 1 Jun 2007, at 08:32, Dave Coventry wrote:
> Stroller wrote:
> > ...
> >  Nevertheless, the above seems to suggest you have LaTeX installed
> >  properly.
> >
> >  <much searching later...>
> >
> >  Seems like my suggestion to "try any .tex file you can Google" was a
> >  little flip.
> >
> >  Try this:
> <http://meos.cvs.sourceforge.net/*checkout*/meos/eoslx/kernel/doc/ 
> Documentation/devices.tex>
> >  The invoice templates in Ledger-SMB (& SL) use only LaTeX's standard
> >  features, as does the above.
>
> Pretty much the same result for that document:
> =================== snip ==========================
> bayserver:~ # latex devices.tex && dvipdf devices.dvi
> This is pdfeTeX, Version 3.141592-1.21a-2.2 (Web2C 7.5.4)
> entering extended mode
> (./devices.tex
> LaTeX2e <2003/12/01>
> Babel <v3.8d> and hyphenation patterns for american, french, german,
> ngerman, b
> ahasa, basque, bulgarian, catalan, croatian, czech, danish, dutch,
> esperanto, e
> stonian, finnish, greek, icelandic, irish, italian, latin, magyar,
> norsk, polis
> h, portuges, romanian, russian, serbian, slovak, slovene, spanish,
> swedish, tur
> kish, ukrainian, nohyphenation, loaded.
>
> ! LaTeX Error: File `latex209.def' not found.
>
> Type X to quit or <RETURN> to proceed,
> or enter new name. (Default extension: def)
>
> Enter file name: x
>
> dvips: ! Couldn't find header file tex.pro
>
> =================== snip ==========================

Hmmmn,


  $ locate atex209.def
  /usr/share/texmf/tex/latex/base/latex209.def
  $ equery belongs `!!`
  equery belongs `locate atex209.def`
  [ Searching for file(s) /usr/share/texmf/tex/latex/base/ 
latex209.def in *... ]
  app-text/tetex-3.0_p1-r3 (/usr/share/texmf/tex/latex/base/ 
latex209.def)
  $ locate tex.pro
  /var/lib/texmf/dvips/base/tex.pro
  $ equery belongs `!!`
  equery belongs `locate tex.pro`
  [ Searching for file(s) /var/lib/texmf/dvips/base/tex.pro in *... ]
  app-text/tetex-3.0_p1-r3 (/var/lib/texmf/dvips/base/tex.pro)
  $

equery is my distro's tool for finding which package provides which  
file. It looks to me like these missing files should be provided by  
the basic part of your LaTeX distribution. My best suggestion is to  
try reinstalling LaTeX with your distro's package manager and/or use  
it to try a different version of LaTeX.

Although I know it sounds like a bit of a cop-out I suggest you  
resolve this - and get devices.tex to compile - before posting here  
further. You can also copy invoice.tex from your templates directory,  
edit the LSMB variables out of it and very easily mock up a "fake"  
invoice - you should be able to get this to compile.

comp.text.tex is very helpful for LaTeX problems: <http:// 
groups.google.com/group/comp.text.tex/>

> >  Is sendmail (or a /usr/sbin/sendmail substitute such as Postfix or
> >  SSMTP) installed correctly? What does `grep -i sendmail
> >  /usr/local/ledger-smb/ledgersmb.conf` say? (or the SL equivalent, I
> >  mean)
>
> I believe sendmail is installed correctly:
> =================== snip ==========================
> bayserver:~ # which sendmail
> /usr/sbin/sendmail
> bayserver:~ # grep -i sendmail /opt/sql-ledger/sql-ledger.conf
> use vars qw($userspath $spool $memberfile $templates $sendmail  
> $language
> $sid $latex %printer $gzip);
> # location of sendmail
> $sendmail = "| /usr/sbin/sendmail -t";
> =================== snip ==========================

`sendmail -t` is the way to call Postfix's "Sendmail compatibility  
interface" so that it respects "To: "  headers included in the  
message. I don't think "-t" is a valid parameter to Ye Olde Sendmail,  
so make sure it's Postfix you've got installed, not any of the other  
replacements.

With Postfix you should be able to make a text file with the contents:
   To: ..hidden..
   Subject: Here's an invoice
   Hi, pay up, or the fluffy kitten gets it.
and send it by typing `sendmail -t < /path/to/textfile` (or `cat / 
path/to/textfile | sendmail -t`). If you're using some different  
transport then I guess the "-t" might not be needed (`sendmail < / 
path/to/textfile`) and should omitted from your .conf file.

Finally, I'm not sure about SL configuration, but L-SMB configuration  
is different from yours, omitting the pipe:
  $ grep sendmail /usr/local/ledger-smb/ledgersmb.conf
  ### How to send mail.  The sendmail command is used unless  
smtphost is set.
  sendmail   = /usr/sbin/sendmail -t
  $

> >  When you're composing an invoice do you see a set of 3 drop-downs at
> >  the foot of the page? The first says "Invoice", "Pick List",  
> > "Packing
> >  List" and the last lists configured printers. Does the middle
> >  drop-down give you Postscript & PDF options? There's also an HTML
> >  option on my system.
>
> see attached screenshots.
> The first has "Transaction" and "Receipt", no mention of  "Invoice",
> "Pick List", "Packing List".

Do you have invoice.html & invoice.tex in /usr/local/ledger-smb/ 
templates/dave/ (or /usr/local/ledger-smb/templates/$username/ rather)??

Stroller.