The LuaTeX manual vs. LMTX

[Johannes Hielscher]

Dear all,


no luck compiling the LuaTeX manual (distributed with TeXLive [1]) with
the ConTeXt binaries (LMTX-based) provided by TeXLive 2023 (release)
nor tlpretest/SVN [2].

I navigate to the directory `Master/texmf-dist/doc/luatex/base/` of the
TL source tree, and call `context luatex.tex` there. Compilation dies
with various errors that (to my ConTeXt-untrained eye) look like syntax
errors, unbalanced math mode delimiters, etc. The first error:

> tex error       > tex error on line 81 in file
> luatex-enhancements.tex: You can't use '\luatexrevision' in
> restricted horizontal mode
> [...]
> 81 >>  \stoptabulate
> [...]
> Sorry, but I'm not programmed to handle this case;
> I'll just pretend that you didn''t ask for it.
> If you're in the wrong mode, you might be able to
> return to the right one by typing 'I}' or 'I$' or 'I\par'.
> mtx-context     | fatal error: return code: 1

(I can send more details if required).

I was not able to debug this in-depth, but I bisected it so far that
the document compiles when the following chapters of the manual have
been commented out:

\component luatex-enhancements
\component luatex-modifications
\component luatex-languages
\component luatex-fonts
\component luatex-math
\component luatex-nodes
\component luatex-tex

I. e., the document is not completely broken, it's some (but not all)
chapters that make use of syntax which modern context/LMTX wouldn't
handle properly.


Success matrix based on platform (all on x86_64-linux):

TL2023 tlmgr installation, updates from yesterday: BROKEN.
pdfinfo | grep Creator
LuaMetaTeX 2.10 20230426 + ConTeXt LMTX 2023.05.05 18:36

TL binaries from SVN (-r69815): BROKEN.
pdfinfo | grep Creator
LuaMetaTeX 2.10 20230426 + ConTeXt LMTX 2023.05.05 18:36

TL2022 tlmgr installation (a machine not upgraded in some time): WORKS!
pdfinfo | grep Creator
LuaTeX 1.15 7509 + ConTeXt MkIV 2021.03.05 19:11

TL2022 from Ubuntu 22.04 DEB packages: WORKS!
pdfinfo | grep Creator
LuaTeX 1.14 7439 + ConTeXt MkIV 2021.03.05 19:11

https://tug.org/svn/texlive/trunk/Master/texmf-dist/doc/luatex/base/luatex.pdf?revision=69182&view=co
pdfinfo | grep Creator
LuaTeX 1.17 7591 + ConTeXt MkIV 2023.05.05 18:36


This was all from the identical document sources from SVN [1]. I notice
a strong correlation between usage of LuaMetaTeX + ConTeXt LMTX, and
troubles with the compilation. Meanwhile, traditional LuaTeX + MkIV
works fine.

Is this to be expected?

I'd be most happy if it's just stupid user error (no ConTeXt experience
on my side yet) or some subtle RTFM. I can't judge. Anyway, it feels
weird that LuaTeX cannot compile its own manual, and this presumably
since TeXLive switched to LuaMetaTeX with last year's release.


Best,
Johannes



PS: I'm posting this to the tex-live mailing list since it feels to me
like an inconsistency in TeXLive (in the end, TL is shipping PDFs
created from TeX files that cannot be compiled with official binaries).
If this is really more of an issue of LuaTeX, ConTeXt, and/or LMTX, I'm
happy to be directed there.



[1]
https://tug.org/svn/texlive/trunk/Master/texmf-dist/doc/luatex/base/
[OT: Lovin' the ViewVC facelift!]

[2]
I have not (yet) went through the install-tl of TL2024 pretest, but I am
using the binaries as uploaded to the SVN repo -- they are identical for
obvious reasons.