Strange dvi output from `latex`

Question

I've just compiled a .tex file from the shell using the latex command, and it looks as if the entire text of the file has been passed through some strange substitution cipher. Part of the .dvi output is below:

The strange DVI output

As you can see, the math-mode is basically fine, but the text has been garbled. What am I doing wrong?

Update: The following code produces the figure above when compiled with latex.

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{times}
\usepackage{url}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{alltt}
\usepackage[final]{graphicx}    
\begin{document}

\subsubsection{Tandem mismatches effect}

    The tandem mismatches (two adjacent mismatches) are taken into account but 
the two first and positions cannot
    be mismatched. Moreover the thermodynamic parameters are still not 
available for every possible cases.
    In such a case, the program, unable to compute any relevant result, will 
quit with a warning.

For DNA duplexes, this program computes the hybridisation enthalpy and entropy from the elementary 
parameters of each Crick's pair containing the mismatch(es). 
\begin{multline*}
\Delta{}h_\mathrm{tandem-mismatch} =
\delta{}h_\mathrm{Crick's-pair-containing-tandem-mismatch} \\ + 
\sum \delta{}h_\mathrm{Crick's-pair-containing-single-mismatch}
\end{multline*}

\end{document}

Update: Loading the times package causes the problem. The document

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{times}

\begin{document}

hello

\end{document}

produces

Not hello

Leaving out the \usepackage{times} line gives the output you would expect.

I use Document Viewer 2.28.2 (http://www.gnome.org/projects/evince). I'm using pdfTeXk, Version 3.141592-1.40.3 (Web2C 7.5.6) — John Gowers, Aug 12 '13 at 12:26
I see no problem with either latex or pdflatex on your sample document. What happens if you cut and paste the posted example from above back to a new document? Is it still corrupted? — David Carlisle, Aug 12 '13 at 12:33
Does it help simply killing Evince, it sometimes get struck by cosmic rays. — daleif, Aug 12 '13 at 12:34
To check whether the dvi file is broken or it's the viewer's fault, try dvitype foo.dvi | fgrep '[' and see whether the original text is intact. — lhf, Aug 12 '13 at 12:38
Package times is outdated, please use instead package mathptmx. (see package times on ctan) — Mensch, Aug 12 '13 at 12:42
Thanks; changing to mathptmx doesn't solve the problem, though. — John Gowers, Aug 12 '13 at 12:45
Surprisingly, I haven't got dvitype. I would have thought it would be included with the TeX distribution. — John Gowers, Aug 12 '13 at 12:48
I think the problem might be that I haven't got the Times font on my computer. Do all of you who are compiling the code with no problems have that font? — John Gowers, Aug 12 '13 at 12:49
I opened the dvi file for my second example in vim and it had the word 'hello' in it rather than any nonsense. — John Gowers, Aug 12 '13 at 12:51
Why use dvi mode when using a postscript font such as Times? Is there a reason you are not using pdflatex here? I do not know how evince displays dvi, but older dvi viewers would not display scalable font formats. — David Carlisle, Aug 12 '13 at 12:52
My distribution says to email bug reports to pdftex@tug.org, so I think it's TUG TL. — John Gowers, Aug 12 '13 at 12:52
I want to have separate .pdf, .ps and .dvi files in case people want to open the file in those formats. — John Gowers, Aug 12 '13 at 12:53
Yes it is a viewing problem. Do you think it could be caused by my not having the Times font on my computer? — John Gowers, Aug 12 '13 at 12:58
Hmm, just didn't try Evince in my earlier attempt. My Evince will not display the dvi at all. Have you tried xdvi instead, that works. — daleif, Aug 12 '13 at 13:03
I think you can easily remove .dvi and .ps no-one publishes that online anymore. — daleif, Aug 12 '13 at 13:04
This question appears to be off-topic because it is about a non reproducible problem — egreg, Oct 04 '14 at 21:25

Strange dvi output from `latex`

0 Answers0