Bug#170102: TeX doesn't work...

[Richard Levitte - VMS Whacker <levitte@stacken.kth.se>]

Package: tetex-bin
Version: 1.0.7+20021025-3
Severity: normal

I have no idea how to express this better.  Trying to latex a file, I
get things like this:

: ; latex slides2.tex
This is TeX, Version 3.14159 (Web2C 7.3.9)
kpathsea: Running mktexfmt  latex.fmt
fmtutil: config file `fmtutil.cnf' not found.
I can't find the format file `latex.fmt'!

Trying to run advi, I get a lot of:

kpathsea: Running mktexpk --mfmode / --bdpi 600 --mag 1+0/600 --dpi 600 cmtt10
mktexpk: Cannot find mktex.opt; check your installation.
kpathsea: Appending font creation commands to missfont.log.
Warning: cmtt10.pk is not found

I've looked for mktex.opt, fmtutil.cnf and latex.fmt.  They exist:

: ; locate mktex.opt
/var/lib/texmf/web2c/mktex.opt
: ; locate fmtutil.cnf
/etc/texmf/fmtutil.cnf
/etc/texmf/fmtutil.cnf.dpkg-old
/etc/texmf/jadetex/fmtutil.cnf
/usr/share/man/man5/fmtutil.cnf.5.gz
/usr/share/texmf/tex/jadetex/config-templates/fmtutil.cnf
/var/lib/texmf/web2c/fmtutil.cnf
: ; locate latex.fmt
/usr/share/texmf/source/latex/platex/latex.fmt
/var/lib/texmf/web2c/latex.fmt
/var/lib/texmf/web2c/pdflatex.fmt

If you have some way for me to trace the problem, please tell me.  I'm
even ready to give limited access to the machine where the problem
exists, if you're interested.

-- System Information
Debian Release: testing/unstable
Kernel Version: Linux lapdog 2.4.19 #1 Fri Oct 25 12:48:10 CEST 2002 i686 unknown unknown GNU/Linux

Versions of the packages tetex-bin depends on:
ii  debconf        1.2.16         Debian configuration management system
ii  debianutils    1.23           Miscellaneous utilities specific to Debian
ii  dpkg           1.10.9         Package maintenance system for Debian
ii  ed             0.2-19         The classic unix line editor
ii  libc6          2.3.1-5        GNU C Library: Shared libraries and Timezone
ii  libkpathsea3   1.0.7+20021025 shared libkpathsea for teTeX
ii  libpng12-0     1.2.5-6        PNG library - runtime
ii  libwww-ssl0    5.4.0-5        The W3C-WWW library (SSL support)
ii  libxaw7        4.2.1-3        X Athena widget set library
ii  perl-tk        800.024-1.1    Perl module providing the Tk graphics librar
ii  t1lib1         1.3.1-1        Type 1 font rasterizer library - runtime
ii  tetex-base     1.0.2+20011202 basic teTeX library files
ii  xlibs          4.2.1-3        X Window System client libraries
ii  zlib1g         1.1.4-7        compression library - runtime
ii  libwww-ssl0    5.4.0-5        The W3C-WWW library (SSL support)
	^^^ (Provides virtual package libwww0)