Re: [MiKTeX] Metapost will not compile

[David A. <dra...@me...>]

José Carlos Santos wrote:
> On 19-01-2010 5:00, wke...@co... wrote:
> 
> > jobname.mp will not compile using metapost. File compiled with miktex
> 2.7 but now in miktex 2.8 I get the following error message:
> >
> > C:\Documents and Settings\user\My
> > Documents\Classes\120-Intermediate-2009-10-Sp>
> > mpost -tex=latex ce01-pts-lines-120-Sp10.mp
> >
> > (C:\Documents and Settings\user\My
> > Documents\Classes\120-Intermediate-2009-10-S
> > p\ce01-pts-lines-120-Sp10.mpmakempx: File
> > C:/Documents*and*Settings/user/My*Docu
> > ments/Classes/120-Intermediate-2009-10-Sp/ce01-pts-lines-120-Sp10.mp
> > could not b e found.
> > mp: The operation failed for some reason.
> > mp: Data: C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.8\miktex\bin\makempx.EXE
> >
> > I have updated, compiled fndb and formats and still get this message.
> Any suggestions?
> 
> The problem has to do with the makempx program (which typesets the
> labels), not MetaPost per se. It happens that the version of makempx
> which is part of MiKTeX 2.8 does not work when there are spaces in the
> path to file that you are working with. That's your case: the path
> starts with:
> 
> C:\Documents and Settings\user\My Documents\
> 
> Strange as it may seem, this problem was reported months ago:
> 
> http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_name=4AD6BF8A.501010
> 9%40fc.up.pt&forum_name=miktex-users
> 
> but nothing was done about it. My way around it is to copy the file that
> I want to compile to a pen-drive and to compile it there.

A far easier way would be to use the subst command to create a temporary
drive mapping to eliminate the path:

subst x: "C:\Documents and Settings\user\My Documents"
x:
{your commands here}
c:
subst x: /d


David