[fptex] fptex 0.7 - is \write18 working properly?

[LUK ShunTim]

Heiko Oberdiek wrote:

> On Wed, Oct 15, 2003 at 03:24:39PM +0800, LUK ShunTim wrote:
> 
> 
>>\usepackage[dvips]{graphicx}
>>\DeclareGraphicsRule{.jpg}{eps}{.bb}{`convert #1 eps:-}
>>
>>The about test file used to work in older versions but it's no longer 
>>working in fptex 0.7.
>>
>>I've set shell-escape to t in texmf.cnf and "convert test.jpg eps:-" 
>>works with no problem.
> 
> 
> Caution: In this case convert is not run by TeX. The graphics driver
> dvips.def only writes the command call into the DVI output.
> Then dvips sees it and runs convert, if it is allowed to run
> external programs.
> 
> Because running of external programs is a security risk, it
> is disabled by default either for TeX or dvips.
> See config.ps for enabling it in dvips:
> 
> % Execution of external programs is disabled by default. Set   
> % % to z0 if you want backticks in \special commands enabled.
> z1
> 
> The other case is pdfTeX. Here the graphics driver pdftex.def
> runs the external program, if you want to use epstopdf.sty
> for example. Then the \write18 feature is needed.
> 
> Yours sincerely
>   Heiko <oberdiek at uni-freiburg.de>


Thanks very much for the reply, and the caution. :-)

Enabling it in config.ps still won't work. Same error. My knowledge of 
TeX is limited but it appears that the error is caused by tex trying to 
create the file test.bb so that the BoundingBox information becomes 
available when the dvi file is being created.

Regards,
ST
-- 
+-----------------------------------------------+
|  LUK ShunTim                                  |
|                                               |
|  Civil and Structural Engineering Department  |
|  The Hong Kong Polytechnic University         |
|  Hong Kong                                    |
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|  email: shuntim.luk at polyu.edu.hk              |
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