[XeTeX] I can't find the format file `xetex.xfmt'!

[Jonathan Kew]

On 13 Dec 2004, at 5:58 pm, Alan Curtis wrote:

>
> On Dec 11, 2004, at 8:47 PM, Alan Curtis wrote:
>
>> After updating iInstaller and TeX, I installed XeTeX and when I ran
>>
>> xetex XeTeX-notes.tex
>>
>> I got this error.
>>
>> This is XeTeX, Version 3.14159-2.1-0.88 (Web2C 7.5.2)
>> kpathsea: Running mktexfmt xetex.xfmt
>> fmtutil: no info for format `xetex'.
>> I can't find the format file `xetex.xfmt'!
>>
>>
>
> I meant also to say that I have read the FAQ entry, looked at the 
> install log and could not find any clue as to what the problem could 
> be.
>

xetex.xfmt should have been created and placed into 
/usr/local/teTeX/texmf.local/web2c/ during the xetex installation. 
Apparently this failed, and so an on-the-fly creation is being 
attempted. But this is also failing, because fmtutil doesn't know how 
to build it.

The information on how to build xetex.xfmt (and xelatex.xfmt) should 
have been added to fmtutil.cnf by the installer. It looks as though 
this failed, or perhaps the wrong copy of fmtutil.cnf was modified 
(i.e., the installer found and patched one copy, but when fmtutil 
actually runs it reads a different file).

The install log should indicate when fmtutil.cnf is being patched, and 
the creation of the xetex and xelatex formats; these are the areas 
where I'd look for problems.

Oh, another possibility: have you got (or have you previously had) a 
Fink TeX installation, in addition to the i-Installer one? If there are 
multiple TeX installations around, or residual Fink tools in your 
command path, these can easily confuse the XeTeX installer. For 
example, if it finds Fink's kpsewhich, that may in turn find a 
different fmtutil.cnf than the gwTeX one.

JK