Bug#513468: xdvi fails to display \naput and \nbput of pstricks correctly
On 29.01.09 sasha mal (sasha.mal@excite.com) wrote:
Hi,
> Currently, I would install TL only if TL has another viewer for dvi
> files that does the job of rendering all pstricks stuff.
>
I've never used another dvi viewer on UNIX than xdvi. IIRC there
exists kdvi, but basically it uses the same code base.
> Otherwise I won't come to evaluation before TL 2008 moves into the
> stable distribution. Nevertheless thank you for the hint!
>
It will take a while until TL2008 is in stable. Actually it is not in
unstable, we won't upload before lenny. At the time TL 2008 is in
stable probably the next release is out.
> Independently of that, if you, maintainers, decide what is normal
> for xdvi and what is not, write it down. The limitations in the
> manpages doesn't say a word about naput and nbput.
>
I didn't check this, but I guess you can google and find everywhere
the statement that you have to use an PS viewer to see the PS
specials in the dvi file. If some specials even work in xdvi this is
a nice feature, but not a guaranteed functionality
> However, a DVI Previewer not displaying a perfectly valid DVI file
> produced by a perfectly valid latex from a perfectly valid source
> is a bug.
>
I agree that this a valid dvi-file, but some parts in it are not
created by TeX, but are just placeholder and need to be filled by ps
code when creating a PS file. When running dvips you notice the
following output:
hille@kloetzer:~ $ dvips a
This is dvips(k) 5.96.1 Copyright 2007 Radical Eye Software (www.radicaleye.com)
' TeX output 2009.01.30:1038' -> a.ps
</usr/share/texmf-texlive/dvips/base/tex.pro>
</usr/share/texmf-texlive/dvips/pstricks/pstricks.pro>
</usr/share/texmf-texlive/dvips/pstricks/pst-dots.pro>
</usr/share/texmf-texlive/dvips/pstricks/pst-node.pro>
</usr/share/texmf-texlive/dvips/pst-grad/pst-grad.pro>
</usr/share/texmf-texlive/dvips/pst-coil/pst-coil.pro>
</usr/share/texmf-texlive/dvips/pst-text/pst-text.pro>
</usr/share/texmf-texlive/dvips/base/texps.pro>
</usr/share/texmf-texlive/dvips/base/special.pro>
</usr/share/texmf-texlive/dvips/base/color.pro>.
These pro files contain PS code which has to be included in the final
output file and to be interpreted by the PS viewer. I dunno how xdvi
does the interpretation of PS special, but I guess it will need these
special files too. So, your dvi-file without the to be included PS
code is incomplete. I guess you won't be able to process/view it on a
system, where pstricks is not installed.
I hope I could give you a little insight how it works and why your
problem is not a bug.
H.
--
sigmentation fault
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