[pdftex] Which texmf.cnf runtime option to edit

[Prof Brian D Ripley]

On 2 Jun 2001, Asger Graarup Overby wrote:

> Hi,
>
> As the number of fonts, packages, and pdf figures in our masters
> thesis increases we run in to trouble when compiling with pdflatex. We
> are quite sure this is due to the limit on string characters (not to
> some stupid error). We are on a site that has approximately 400 users,
> so we want to be sure, that we ask the administrators to edit the right
> runtime option in texmf.cnf, before they run texconfig init.

You can use your own texmf.cnf (set TEXMFCNF to point to it) and
experiment.  Mine has

% Max number of characters in all strings, including all error messages,
% help texts, font names, control sequences.  These values apply to TeX and
MP.
pool_size.context = 750000
pool_size.pdflatex = 750000
pool_size = 125000
% Minimum pool space after TeX/MP's own strings; must be at least
% 25000 less than pool_size, but doesn't need to be nearly that large.
string_vacancies.context = 45000
string_vacancies = 25000
% Maximum number of strings.
max_strings.context = 55000
max_strings.pdflatex = 55000
max_strings = 15000

So it is pool_size.pdflatex to increase (which you have as something very
much smaller).

By using your own texmf.cnf you don't need to disturb anyone else.


>
>
>
> This is what pdflatex said about memory uasge:
>
> This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159-13d (Web2C 7.3.1) (format=pdflatex 2000.5.15)
> ....
>
> If you really absolutely need more capacity,
> you can ask a wizard to enlarge me.
>
>
> Here is how much of TeX's memory you used:
>  4391 strings out of 10624
>  67279 string characters out of 67279
>  122530 words of memory out of 263001
>  7156 multiletter control sequences out of 10000+0
>  55232 words of font info for 113 fonts, out of 400000 for 1000
>  14 hyphenation exceptions out of 1000
>  34i,20n,42p,570b,672s stack positions out of 300i,100n,500p,50000b,4000s
> !  ==> Fatal error occurred, the output PDF file not finished!
>
>
> Now is hash_extra the right option to edit (what should is value be)?
> Currently it is 0.

That says

% Extra space for the hash table of control sequences (which allows 10K
% names as distributed).
hash_extra.context = 25000
hash_extra = 0

so no.

-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272860 (secr)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595