Error: could not start the command in Texmaker when I run makeindex

Question

I'm trying to create a nomenclature but I'm getting the following error when I run makeindex:

Error: Could not start the command

This error appears even with this basic example:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[refpage]{nomencl}

\makenomenclature

\begin{document}
Example of nomenclature \nomenclature{A}{Area}

\printnomenclature
\end{document}

In the Configure Texmaker editor I wrote: makeindex %.nlo -s nomencl.ist -o %.nls in the makeindex slot. Then I run:

PdfLaTeX
MakeIndex

And the error appears... I also tried all suggestions here, but nothing seems to work.

I have installed MacTex 2012 distribution, Mac OS X 10.7.5

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@karlkoeller I installed MacTex 2012 distribution, Mac OS X 10.7.5 — garuch, Jun 04 '13 at 10:30
I'm not very familiar with them, but I think that /usr/texbin/ should be a symbolic link to the executables directory. Have a look there. — karlkoeller, Jun 04 '13 at 13:54
@karlkoeller ok, I'll try to figure it out... Thanks for the suggestions! :) — garuch, Jun 05 '13 at 09:11
Have you tried running makeindex from a terminal rather than via TeXmaker? — Nicola Talbot, Jun 06 '13 at 07:58
Try reset the TeXmaker settings (Options" -> "Settings file" -> "reset settings) also verify at terminal makeindex. — texenthusiast, Jun 06 '13 at 15:39
@garuch Open the Mac Terminal, then cd to the directory your document is in, then type makeindex mydoc.nlo -s nomencl.ist -o mydoc.nls, replacing mydoc with the base name of your tex file. — Nicola Talbot, Jun 06 '13 at 15:58

score 14 · Answer 1 · edited Jun 10 '20 at 12:32

For some strange reasons, TeXMaker finds the path to pdflatex, but not the one to makeindex.

The best solution is to specify the full path to makeindex in the corresponding slot of the 'Configure TeXMaker' -> 'Commands' dialog, by writing

"/usr/texbin/makeindex" -s nomencl.ist -t %.nlg -o %.nls %.nlo

-t %.nlg has been added to generate a .nlg log file so that it can be distinguished from the normal .ilg log file that makeindex generates when creating indexes.

Pressing F12 now you will be able to compile your nomenclatures.

If you now want to be able to perform the full compilation cycle and view your finished .pdf file by just pressing F1, you can configure your 'Quick Build' command, choosing the wizard in the 'Configure TeXMaker' -> 'Quick Build' dialog, and adding, in the following sequence:

PdfLaTeX

Makeindex

PdfLaTeX

Pdf Viewer

In this way one can achieve the same result obtainable with the arara tool (which is anyway a very nice tool) but without its need.

Now, if you press F1 when your MWE is active, you obtain the following result:

result

score 6 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 06 '13 at 16:02

If I change the MakeIndex slot into

"/usr/texbin/makeindex" %.nlo -s nomencl.ist -o %.nls

doing "PDFLaTeX", then "MakeIndex" and again "PDFLaTeX" results in correct compilation.

If you have an updated distribution, you also have Arara. Edit the User commands; in a free slot add "Arara" as menu item and

"/usr/texbin/arara" -v %

in the second box, like in the following picture:

enter image description here

Then change your input as

% arara: pdflatex
% arara: nomencl
% arara: pdflatex
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[refpage]{nomencl}

\makenomenclature

\begin{document}
Example of nomenclature \nomenclature{A}{Area}

\printnomenclature
\end{document}

and for compiling choose the just defined user command. You'll enjoy the experience. :)

I tried this with another document in which I was having the same problem and now it works! thanks a lot! :-) — garuch, Jun 06 '13 at 17:00
+1 this is definitely the way to go- arara has solved so many of these types of problems :) — cmhughes, Jun 08 '13 at 21:26

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 06 '13 at 17:21

I found a solution for TeXnicCenter:

The MakeIndex slot should be (see figure):

"%tm.nlo" -s "nomencl.ist" -o "%tm.nls"

enter image description here

And, of course, your file should look:

\documentclass{report}

\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}   
\usepackage[refpage]{nomencl}
\usepackage[english]{babel}

\makenomenclature

\begin{document}
Example of nomenclature \nomenclature{A}{Area}

\printnomenclature

\end{document}

score 2 · Answer 4 · answered Jun 03 '13 at 21:16

2

1) Be sure that make index is installed

2) For the makeindex command line in Texmaker, you should use :

makeindex %.nlo -s nomencl.ist -o %.nls -t %.nlg

(see here )

3) You can automatize the compilation by using the "user quick build command" or one of the "user" commands ("User" menu) : click on the "wizard" button at the end of the line and select the sequence :

Pdflatex+MakeIndex+PdfLatex+View Pdf

answered Jun 03 '13 at 21:16

user27168

1,013
6
7

I already tried your suggestions but they didn't work. When I run Pdflatex+MakeIndex+PdfLatex+View Pdf, I get the error... :'( – garuch Jun 03 '13 at 21:46

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Jun 06 '18 at 03:31

Check if there is "@" in the filename or any other special symbol, for some reason beamer presentation was not working if there was @ in the filename, once removed all worked very smoothly.

All the other documentclass was working, so I knew that there is no problem in configuration.

Error: could not start the command in Texmaker when I run makeindex

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