[XeTeX] How to make externalizing work with xelatex?

[enrico.gregorio at univr.it]

> Hi,
> 
> With pdflatex, I can use '-shell-escape' to compile my latex source
> that contains tikz pictures with externalizing activated.  But when I
> enabled the ttf fonts support with fontspec package and compile the
> modified source with 'xelatex -shell-escape', I got errors and cannot
> pass the compiler.
> 
> Attached is an simple sample, it's just a modified version of 
> that in pgf manul.
> 
> The error message when run 'xelatex -shell-escape' is:
> 
> 
> ----------------- cut begin
> -------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-1.40.11 (TeX Live 2010)
>  restricted \write18 enabled.
> entering extended mode
> 
> ! Package tikz Error: Sorry, the system call 'pdflatex -halt-on-
> error -interaction=batchmode -jobname "foo-figure0" 
> "\def\tikzexternalrealjob{foo}\input{foo}"' did NOT result in a 
> usable output file 'foo-figure0' (expected one of .pdf:.j
> pg:.jpeg:.png:). Please verify that you have enabled system 
> calls. For pdflatex
> , this is 'pdflatex -shell-escape'. Sometimes it is also named 
> 'write 18' or something like that. Or maybe the command simply failed? Error 
> messages can be fo
> und in 'foo-figure0.log'. If you continue now, I'll try to 
> typeset the picture.
> 
> 
> See the tikz package documentation for explanation.
> Type  H <return>  for immediate help.
>  ...
> 
> l.22   \end{tikzpicture}
> 
> ?
> 
> -------------------------cut
> end--------------------------------------------------------------
> ---

You should pass the externalize library the compiler you have to use
(page 345 of the manual); in your case this should be

  \tikzset{external/system call={xelatex \tikzexternalcheckshellescape -halt-on-error 
    -interaction=batchmode -jobname "\image" "\texsource"}

as the default is "pdflatex".

Ciao
Enrico

--
Enrico Gregorio          + Dipartimento di Informatica          + Tel: +39 045 8027937
Enrico.Gregorio at univr.it + Università degli Studi di Verona     +
(gregorio at math.unipd.it) + Strada le Grazie 15 / I-37134 Verona + Fax: +39 045 8027928