texi2dvi / latex / fonts / permissions issue

[Dirk Eddelbuettel <edd@debian.org>]

I needed to rebuild r-base to have it use openjdk8 rather openjdk7, but I am
stumped at a font / permission / latexing issue.  I have built this package
hundreds of times, and the last time about three weeks ago for r-base_3.2.3-5.

But now it fails at

make[2]: Leaving directory '/build/r-base-3.2.3/tests'
you should 'make docs' now ...
make[2]: Entering directory '/build/r-base-3.2.3/doc'
creating NEWS
creating NEWS.pdf
Error in texi2dvi(file = file, pdf = TRUE, clean = clean, quiet = quiet,  : 
  Running 'texi2dvi' on 'NEWS.tex' failed.
Messages:

kpathsea: Running mktexpk --mfmode / --bdpi 600 --mag 1+0/600 --dpi 600 tctt1000
mkdir: cannot create directory '././nonexistent': Permission denied
mktexpk: Running mf-nowin -progname=mf \mode:=ljfour; mag:=1+0/600; nonstopmode; input tctt1000
This is METAFONT, Version 2.7182818 (TeX Live 2015/Debian) (preloaded base=mf)

(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/fonts/source/jknappen/ec/tctt1000.mf
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/fonts/source/jknappen/ec/exbase.mf)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/fonts/source/jknappen/ec/tctt.mf
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/fonts/source/jknappen/ec/txsymb.mf
 Ok (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/fonts/source/jknappen/ec/exaccess.mf
 Ok) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/fonts/source/jknappen/ec/txpseudo.mf
 Ok) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/fonts/source/jknappen/ec/txaccent.mf
 Ok [0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [27] [29])
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/fonts/source/jknappen/ec/txge
Calls: <Anonymous> -> texi2pdf -> texi2dvi
Execution halted
Makefile:64: recipe for target 'NEWS.pdf' failed
make[2]: *** [NEWS.pdf] Error 1
make[2]: Leaving directory '/build/r-base-3.2.3/doc'
Makefile:72: recipe for target 'docs' failed
make[1]: [docs] Error 2 (ignored)

Any idea?

Please CC me on replies.

Thanks so much,  Dirk

-- 
http://dirk.eddelbuettel.com | @eddelbuettel | edd@debian.org