invalid filename for PDFExporter.latex_command

[GorgiAstro]

Dear all,

I am not able to generate a PDF via pdflatex in Windows. The same code with the same configuration works on Ubuntu 18.04 x64 but fails on Windows 10 x64, with nbconvert 5.4.1 installed from conda-forge.

My jupyter_nbconvert_config.py has the following definition for latex_command:

c.PDFExporter.latex_command = ['pdflatex', '{filename}']

In Windows, it looks like the notebook.tex filename gets an extra backslash:

[NbConvertApp] Running pdflatex 3 times: ['pdflatex', '.\\notebook.tex']

[NbConvertApp] CRITICAL | p failed: pdflatex .\notebook.tex

This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.19 (TeX Live 2018/W32TeX) (preloaded format=pdflatex)

restricted \write18 enabled.

entering extended mode

! Undefined control sequence.

<*> .\notebook

              .tex

?

! Emergency stop.

<*> .\notebook

              .tex

!  ==> Fatal error occurred, no output PDF file produced!

Whereas it works on Linux:
[NbConvertApp] Running pdflatex 3 times: ['pdflatex', './notebook.tex']

Thank you,
Cheers
GorgiAstro

[MSeal]

There's been a few filename issues in the pdf exporter, I've asked for some for some of the other contributors to try and take a look at that code.

[t-makaro]

I cannot replicate this on windows. I see the double backslash too, so I don't think that's the issue. At first, I thought it was pdflatex, but I switched my config to use pdflatex instead of the default XeLaTeX and it still worked fine. The ! Undefined control sequence. makes it look like .\notebook.tex is being placed inside the .tex file itself, and not any error with finding the file.

@GorgiAstro If you send me a .tex file (and other output files) from the output of Jupyter nbconvert --to latex notebook.ipynb. I'd be happy to attempt to search the file .tex file for the cause.

Additional question: Does your notebook have a space in the filename? If so, try removing the space from the filename.

[DevinCharles]

I think this is the same issue, accidentally started in the Jupyter Core repo.

https://github.com/jupyter/jupyter_core/issues/144

[t-makaro]

I believe the problem was diagnosed on discourse, but I am still unable to replicate the issue.

[asteppke]

Same issue here on Windows 10 with current Jupyter installation (nbconvert 5.6.1):

(base) F:\VTI\>jupyter nbconvert --to pdf "Quick analysis.ipynb"                      
[NbConvertApp] Converting notebook Quick analysis.ipynb to pdf                                                   
[NbConvertApp] Support files will be in Quick analysis_files\                                                    
[NbConvertApp] Making directory .\Quick analysis_files                                                           
[NbConvertApp] Making directory .\Quick analysis_files                                                           
[NbConvertApp] Making directory .\Quick analysis_files                                                           
[NbConvertApp] Writing 48019 bytes to .\notebook.tex                                                                    
[NbConvertApp] Building PDF                                                                                             
[NbConvertApp] Running xelatex 3 times: ['xelatex', '.\\notebook.tex', '-quiet']                                        
[NbConvertApp] CRITICAL | x failed: xelatex .\notebook.tex -quiet                                                       
This is XeTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-0.999992 (TeX Live 2020/W32TeX) (preloaded format=xelatex)                        
 restricted \write18 enabled.                                                                                           
entering extended mode                                                                                                  
! Undefined control sequence.                                                                                           
<*> .\notebook                                                                                                          
              .tex -quiet                                                                                               
?                                                                                                                       
! Emergency stop.                                                                                                       
<*> .\notebook                                                                                                          
              .tex -quiet                                                                                               
No pages of output.                                                                                                     
Transcript written on ?.                                                                                                

When changing the directory in pdf.py from nbconvert at line 66 from

    writer = Instance("nbconvert.writers.FilesWriter", args=(), kw={'build_directory': '.'})

to

    writer = Instance("nbconvert.writers.FilesWriter", args=(), kw={'build_directory': ''})

then the xelatex run at least gets much further. Unfortunately it still ends with an error message:

[...]
* (1in=72.27pt=25.4mm, 1cm=28.453pt)

(c:/texlive/2020/texmf-dist/tex/latex/ucs/ucsencs.def)
(c:/texlive/2020/texmf-dist/tex/latex/hyperref/nameref.sty
(c:/texlive/2020/texmf-dist/tex/latex/refcount/refcount.sty)
(c:/texlive/2020/texmf-dist/tex/generic/gettitlestring/gettitlestring.sty))

Package hyperref Warning: Rerun to get /PageLabels entry.

(c:/texlive/2020/texmf-dist/tex/latex/amsfonts/umsa.fd)
(c:/texlive/2020/texmf-dist/tex/latex/amsfonts/umsb.fd)
(c:/texlive/2020/texmf-dist/tex/latex/jknapltx/ursfs.fd)

LaTeX Warning: No \author given.

(c:/texlive/2020/texmf-dist/tex/generic/stringenc/se-ascii-print.def) [1]
(./notebook.aux)

Package rerunfilecheck Warning: File `notebook.out' has changed.
(rerunfilecheck)                Rerun to get outlines right
(rerunfilecheck)                or use package `bookmark'.

 )
Error -1073741819 (driver return code) generating output;
file notebook.pdf may not be valid.
Transcript written on notebook.log.

[jayqi]

@t-makaro

I recently ran into this issue when running GitHub Actions CI for a project that uses nbconvert. Ubuntu and MacOS builds ran with no problem, but I saw the same error in this issue show up for the Windows build.

I've managed to create a minimal reproducible example using GitHub Actions CI. You can see the details in this repository: jayqi/nbconvert-windows-pdf-repro

I have links to the particular failing build and some notes in the README. To respond to some of the comments you made in this thread:

• I am seeing the double-back-slash show up in the logs for the xelatex command: [NbConvertApp] Running xelatex 3 times: ['xelatex', '.\\notebook.tex', '-quiet']
• When using --to latex, after converting line endings from CRLF to LF for the .tex file produced by Windows, it seems like it is identical to the .tex files produced by Ubuntu and MacOS
• My notebook name does not have a space in it.

Please let me know if you have any questions. I hope we can get to the bottom of this!