Consider this ex-14-5.mf:
mode:=ljfour; % 600dpi for dvips (you must run "gftopk")
mode_setup;
beginchar("e",10pt#,7.5pt#,2.5pt#);
pickup pencircle scaled (.4pt+blacker);
draw fullcircle scaled .2w shifted (w/2,(h+d)/2-d);
draw fullcircle scaled .6w shifted (w/2,(h+d)/2-d);
draw fullcircle scaled w shifted (w/2,(h+d)/2-d);
endchar;
end
Run metafont on it. All is good:
$ mf ex-14-5
This is METAFONT, Version 2.7182818 (TeX Live 2017) (preloaded base=mf)
(ex-14-5.mf [101] )
Font metrics written on ex-14-5.tfm.
Output written on ex-14-5.600gf (1 character, 696 bytes).
Transcript written on ex-14-5.log.
Now run tex on this file. All is good:
\font\x=ex-14-5 \x e \bye
$ tex ex-14-5
This is TeX, Version 3.14159265
(ex-14-5.tex [1] )
Output written on ex-14-5.dvi (1 page, 260 bytes).
Transcript written on ex-14-5.log.
When running dvips -M0 ex-14-5 it tries to create the pk file automatically:
This is dvips(k) 5.998 Copyright 2018 Radical Eye Software (www.radicaleye.com)
' TeX output 2019.03.14:1625' -> ex-14-5.ps
kpathsea: Running mktexpk --mfmode ljfour --bdpi 600 --mag 1+0/600 --dpi 600 ex-14-5
<various errors follow>
If I generate the pk file manually before calling dvips ex-14-5, all is OK:
$ rm *pk
$ gftopk ex-14-5.600gf
$ dvips ex-14-5
This is dvips(k) 5.998 Copyright 2018 Radical Eye Software (www.radicaleye.com)
' TeX output 2019.03.14:1625' -> ex-14-5.ps
<./ex-14-5.600pk></usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/dvips/base/tex.pro>
</usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/dvips/base/texps.pro>.
</usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/fonts/type1/public/amsfonts/cm/cmr10.pfb>[1]
Except using -M0 command line option, I tried adding M0 to .dvipsrc - it does not help.
How to tell dvips not to attempt to generate pk file automatically?
gftopkworks butmktexpkdoes not, so perhaps a solution that involves callinggftopkinstead would also be acceptable. – ShreevatsaR Mar 14 at 18:57-Moption: "Turns off the automatic font generation facility. If any fonts are missing, commands to generate the fonts are appended to the file missfont.log...". That option seems to partially work for me (it doesn't write the missfont.log file), but it's not clear to me why the OP is trying-M0instead of-M. – ShreevatsaR Mar 14 at 21:05-Mmust be used instead of-M0! This works:dvips -M ex-14-5. I would better use this option globally. Do you know how to use this option via config file or environment variable? (Min.dvipsrcdoes not work - is this a bug?) – Igor Liferenko Mar 15 at 1:24