1

In previous versions of xetex, I had no problems using lettrine inside a polyglot document (English and Pashto). Some recent update, however, seems to have broken things, and I'm not sure how to proceed.

Here's an minimal working example, where the \firstword command works fine.

\documentclass{memoir}
\usepackage{polyglossia} % Babel replacement for XeTeX
\usepackage{lettrine}

\newcommand{\firstword}[2]{\lettrine[lines=2]{\textbf{#1}}{#2}}

\setdefaultlanguage{english} % Set default language for the Polyglossia package
%\setotherlanguage{arabic}

% START DOCUMENT ---------------------------------------------------------------

\begin{document}
\book*{}

\chapter{Test}

\firstword{I} was occupied, during many working hours of two years. I must have
been very ill employed, if I could not leave its merits and demerits as a whole,
to express themselves on its being read as a whole.


\end{document}

Compilation works fine and the output is as expected:

$ xelatex mwe_lettrine
This is XeTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-0.99999 (TeX Live 2019/dev/Debian) (preloaded format=xelatex)
 restricted \write18 enabled.
entering extended mode
(./mwe_lettrine.tex
LaTeX2e <2018-04-01> patch level 5
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/memoir/memoir.cls
Document Class: memoir 2018/04/04 v3.7g configurable book, report, article docu
ment class
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/ifpdf.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/ifetex/ifetex.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/plain/ifetex/ifetex.tex))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/ifxetex/ifxetex.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/ifluatex.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/memoir/mem10.clo))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/polyglossia/polyglossia.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/etoolbox/etoolbox.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/makecmds/makecmds.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/xkeyval/xkeyval.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/xkeyval/xkeyval.tex
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/xkeyval/xkvutils.tex
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/xkeyval/keyval.tex))))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3packages/xparse/xparse.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3kernel/expl3.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3kernel/expl3-code.tex)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3kernel/l3xdvipdfmx.def)))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec-xetex.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/fontenc.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/tuenc.def))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec.cfg))))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/lettrine/lettrine.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/minifp/minifp.sty)
Loading lettrine.cfg
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/lettrine/lettrine.cfg))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/polyglossia/gloss-english.ldf)
(./mwe_lettrine.aux) [1] [2] [3] (./mwe_lettrine.aux) )
Output written on mwe_lettrine.pdf (3 pages).
Transcript written on mwe_lettrine.log.

But simply uncommenting the line below in the source file:

\setotherlanguage{arabic}

And rerunning xelatex causes a failure:

$ xelatex mwe_lettrine
This is XeTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-0.99999 (TeX Live 2019/dev/Debian) (preloaded format=xelatex)
 restricted \write18 enabled.
entering extended mode
(./mwe_lettrine.tex
LaTeX2e <2018-04-01> patch level 5
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/memoir/memoir.cls
Document Class: memoir 2018/04/04 v3.7g configurable book, report, article docu
ment class
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/ifpdf.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/ifetex/ifetex.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/plain/ifetex/ifetex.tex))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/ifxetex/ifxetex.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/ifluatex.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/memoir/mem10.clo))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/polyglossia/polyglossia.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/etoolbox/etoolbox.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/makecmds/makecmds.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/xkeyval/xkeyval.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/xkeyval/xkeyval.tex
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/xkeyval/xkvutils.tex
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/xkeyval/keyval.tex))))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3packages/xparse/xparse.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3kernel/expl3.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3kernel/expl3-code.tex)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3kernel/l3xdvipdfmx.def)))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec-xetex.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/fontenc.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/tuenc.def))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec.cfg))))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/lettrine/lettrine.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/minifp/minifp.sty)
Loading lettrine.cfg
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/lettrine/lettrine.cfg))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/polyglossia/gloss-english.ldf)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/polyglossia/gloss-arabic.ldf
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/polyglossia/arabicnumbers.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/polyglossia/hijrical.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/tools/calc.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/polyglossia/cal-util.def))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/xelatex/bidi/bidi.sty
****************************************************
* 
* bidi package (Bidirectional typesetting in
* plain TeX and LaTeX, using XeTeX engine)
* 
* Description: A convenient interface for
* typesetting bidirectional texts in plain TeX
* and LaTeX. The package includes adaptations
* for use with many other commonly-used packages.
* 
* Copyright (c) 2009--2018 Vafa Khalighi
* 
* v33.1, 2018/08/12
* 
* License: LaTeX Project Public License, version
* 1.3c or higher (your choice)
* 
* Location on CTAN: /macros/xetex/latex/bidi
* 
* Issue tracker: https://sourceforge.net/p/persian-tex-dist/tickets
* 
* Support: http://persian-tex.com
* 
****************************************************
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/iftex/iftex.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/xelatex/bidi/biditools.sty

LaTeX Warning: Command \InputIfFileExists  has changed.
               Check if current package is valid.

) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/oberdiek/zref-abspage.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/oberdiek/zref-base.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/ltxcmds.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/infwarerr.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/kvsetkeys.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/etexcmds.sty))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/kvdefinekeys.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/pdftexcmds.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/oberdiek/auxhook.sty))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/atbegshi.sty))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/xelatex/bidi/latex-xetex-bidi.def
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/xelatex/bidi/footnote-xetex-bidi.def)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/xelatex/bidi/memoir-xetex-bidi.def)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/graphics/graphicx.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/graphics/graphics.sty
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/graphics/trig.sty)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/graphics-cfg/graphics.cfg)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/graphics-def/xetex.def)))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/xelatex/bidi/graphicx-xetex-bidi.def)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/xelatex/bidi/tabularx-xetex-bidi.def)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/xelatex/bidi/lettrine-xetex-bidi.def)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/xelatex/bidi/array-xetex-bidi.def))
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/xelatex/bidi/loadingorder-xetex-bidi.def)))
(./mwe_lettrine.aux) [1] [2]
! Undefined control sequence.
<argument> \L@factor 
                     \L@height 
l.17 \firstword{I} w
                    as occupied, during many working hours of two years. I m...

?

I'm running Ubuntu 18.10 and installed xetex using the package manager:

$ sudo apt-get install texlive-xetex

My installation seems to be located under:

/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/

And I found the letterine package at:

/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/lettrine

I would really appreciate any help or pointers. Again, there seems to have been some kind of regression recently because my document compiled just fine a few months back.

A. Ahmad
  • 393
  • 2
    It should be \firstword{I}{}, but that's a different matter. Anyway, I get no error with or without Arabic loaded. – egreg Nov 28 '19 at 20:46

1 Answers1

1

Following the steps in How to remove everything related to TeX Live for fresh install on Ubuntu?, I completely deleted my TeX installation and installed the latest version of TeX Live (2019) using the installer they provide. This resolved the issue.

A. Ahmad
  • 393