TeX format does not work in pdftex

Question

I have format Finnish.fmt it works on TeX like:

tex --fmt=Finnish letter.tex

On pdftex i get:

pdftex --fmt=Finnish letter.tex

error:
---! Finnish.fmt was written by tex
(Fatal format file error; I'm stymied)

what can be the challenge? can this be remedied.

I am running linux on 64 bit debian

you must have made Finish.fmt with something like tex --ini Finish you need to make a pdffinish.fmt with something like pdftex --ini --jobname=pdffinish Finish then specify pdffinish as your format — David Carlisle, Jan 31 '17 at 00:53
I've never heard of a Finnish.fmt. What's the problem you are trying to solve? — Martin Schröder, Jan 31 '17 at 09:13
Finnish.fmt is a format I made with finnish hyphenation and the characters of öä and ÖÄ from finnish linux and windows keyboard. — Hannu Rouhiainen, Jan 31 '17 at 12:35
@HannuRouhiainen: So what's the problem you are trying to solve and why do you need a special format for that (and can not use e.g. LuaLaTeX)? Note that special formats might make your documents unportable. — Martin Schröder, Jan 31 '17 at 12:57
David, could you make your comment into an answer as suggested by samcarter. — Hannu Rouhiainen, Jan 31 '17 at 19:41

score 2 · Answer 1 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:35

2

Format files are binary memory dumps that are closely tied to the engine they have been created with, so you would need a format file created by pdftex. But I strongly suggest that you don't import some binary blob from somewhere on the internet but instead create it yourself.

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:35

Community

1

answered Jan 31 '17 at 09:11

Martin Schröder

15,156

This format is made by me, it is not downloaded. – Hannu Rouhiainen Jan 31 '17 at 12:36
See http://tex.stackexchange.com/a/83486/36296 for explanation about precompiling – samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz Jan 31 '17 at 18:45

score 2 · Answer 2 · edited Jan 31 '17 at 19:38

2

pdftex format needs to be done with pdftex, like David Carlisle suggested in his comment:

you need to make a pdffinish.fmt with something like pdftex --ini --jobname=pdffinish Finish then specify pdffinish as your format

This resolved my problem.

edited Jan 31 '17 at 19:38

Jan

5,293

answered Jan 31 '17 at 18:35

Hannu Rouhiainen

175

Ok, I did not know. – Hannu Rouhiainen Jan 31 '17 at 19:40

TeX format does not work in pdftex

2 Answers2