Document Classes ⇒ abc music package (again)

[LaTeXitty]

Thank you again, for your persistence localghost.
The compilation report is only showing the persistent shell-escape error, but the output PDF still shows only placeholder boxes. I am completely at a loss to resolve this (not that I was the brightest bulb on the tree to begin with! )

I hope the attached files might help in continuing diagnosis...

I have also requested help from the specialist abc usergroup. I can't believe this package is so difficult to get working with a Windows system or that nobody has managed to solve the problems and document the solution.

[phi]

The logfile lines like

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system(abcm2ps -O= -c  out-abc.abc )...disabled.

come from the compiler (the abc package doesn't output them). This means that the shell escape feature is still disabled.

[LaTeXitty]

Thanks Phi, that's one of the things I am struggling to understand:
the compiler is telling me shell-escape is disabled
the abc package is telling me to disable shell-escape

[phi]

The log file message is a bit misleading.

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Package abc Warning: You have set the `shellescape' option, but you ran
(abc)                (pdf)latex without the `-shell-escape' command line
(abc)                option. Fix it either with the `noshellescape' option
(abc)                in your document or the correct call of (pdf)latex.

This doesn't mean that you should disable shell escaping, but rather that it isn't enabled at the moment and that you should either tell the package this fact or enable shell escaping to make it work.

[localghost]

As phi already stated, there is one more step to get things work. You have to enable the compiler to execute external programs. Have a look at the picture in the attachment. You have to add the switch --enable-write18 to the command line arguments for the compiler (mouse cursor).

[LaTeXitty]

I have checked, and rechecked that the --enable-write18 switch is included in the options passed to the interpreter.

Thank you both, localghost and Phi. I have been in communication with Chris Walshaw, originator of the abc notation system, and Professor Gregorio, author of the abc package for LaTeX and I think perhaps, TeXnic Center is getting in my way. If I am to achieve the goals I am aiming for I will have to learn to compile documents from the console interface.
Once again I would like to express my sincere gratitude for you patience in trying to help me. While I doubt very much that there is anything I can do to recompense you for your help, I am open to suggestions.

Thank you

M

[localghost]

[...] I have been in communication with Chris Walshaw, originator of the abc notation system, and Professor Gregorio, author of the abc package for LaTeX and I think perhaps, TeXnic Center is getting in my way. If I am to achieve the goals I am aiming for I will have to learn to compile documents from the console interface. [...]

Everything you do on the command prompt to get the final result can be integrated into a build profile for TeXnicCenter (TXC). So, if you manage to get a document compiled successfully, list the single steps (compiler calls, scripts, ...) here like a protocol of the whole compilation process. Attach a minimal working example (MWE) that you compiled successfully so we can test it. Probably it then will possible to create a build profile for TXC. That's why I like TXC (when running Windows). It offers this unique mechanism of build profiles to do everything necessary with only hitting a single key.

[LaTeXitty]

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thorsten@localghost:~> ps2eps --help
ps2eps - convert PostScript to EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) files
(C)opyright 1998-2006 Roland Bless

Version: 1.61
Operation:
 Without any argument, ps2eps reads from standard input
 and writes to standard output.
 If filenames are given as arguments they are processed
 one by one and output files are written to filenames
 with extension '.eps'. If input filenames have the extension
 '.ps' or '.prn', this extension is replaced with '.eps'.
 In all other cases '.eps' is appended to the input filename.
 Please note that PostScript files for input should contain
 only one single page.

 If BoundingBox in output seems to be wrong, please try options --size or --ignoreBB.

ps2eps Windows console output

ps2eps help output.jpg (19 KiB) Viewed 8537 times

Comparing the output from your installation of ps2eps, something is clearly not right with my installation, ps2eps appears to be reading from standard input?.

The path to the Perl binary is:
C:\strawberry\perl\bin
To ps2eps.pl is:
C:\Program Files\MikTeX 2.7\scripts\
Windows executable search path is:
C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.7\miktex\bin;%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem;C:\Program Files\Common Files\Roxio Shared\DLLShared\;C:\Program Files\Common Files\Roxio Shared\DLLShared\;C:\Program Files\Common Files\Roxio Shared\9.0\DLLShared\;C:\strawberry\c\bin;C:\strawberry\perl\bin;C:\Program Files\gs\gs8.63\bin;

[localghost]

Remember that my output was given on a Linux machine where the script is already part of TeX Live 2008. At the moment it seems that making it work on a Windows system demands some more steps than only placing the script in the right path. I will see how to do this and report back. But there is to do some reading, which can become very time consuming.

[LaTeXitty]

Can you point me to any resources that might help me to solve the ps2eps problem?

Thanks,

M