[Tex/LaTex] Uninformative error message when using AUCTeX

auctexemacserrors

I often have this error when using AUCTeX:

TeX-error: Error occured after last TeX file closed

However, when running for instance pdflatex on the command line, I have a proper error message. But the line number information is not always useful, especially if multiple files are included. I'd like to be able to see the error in Emacs.

Best Answer

AUCTeX 11.89

Starting from this version of AUCTeX, the option TeX-file-line-error enables by default the file:line:error messages that solve the problem. Thus, from this version you shouldn't run anymore into this kind of problems. I also suggest to revert any change to LaTeX-command-style, in order to be sure to use the default value.

See below for previous versions.

AUCTeX 11.88 or earlier

Instead of editing the texmf.cnf file you can just add -file-line-error option to your TeX processor. To do this add the following code to your .emacs:

(setq LaTeX-command-style '(("" "%(PDF)%(latex) -file-line-error %S%(PDFout)")))

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Error when trying to open pdf file from AUCTeX

Your default PDF-viewer is controlled by two variables called TeX-view-program-list and TeX-view-program-selection. There are several ways of modifying these:

Through the Emacs's interface

M-x customize-group <RET>
AUCTeX

Select the group called: Tex Command then find TeX View. Under TeX View Program List is all the list of known commands for viewing your generated pdf. In my case I use SumatraPDF.exe which I also have in my global PATH variable. Insert following:

Name: SumatraPDF
Command: SumatraPDF.exe %o

Under TeX View Program Selection the default viewer for pdf and dvi can be selected. Select the previously defined SumatraPDF.

Inserting setup in .emacs

Just insert following code in your .emacs configuration file:

(setq TeX-output-view-style '("^pdf$" "." "SumatraPDF.exe %o"))

(setq TeX-view-program-list
      '(("SumatraPDF" "SumatraPDF.exe %o")
        ))
(cond
 ((eq system-type 'windows-nt)
  (add-hook 'LaTeX-mode-hook
            (lambda ()
              (setq TeX-view-program-selection '((output-pdf "SumatraPDF")
                                                 (output-dvi "Yap"))))))

 ((eq system-type 'gnu/linux)
  (add-hook 'LaTeX-mode-hook
            (lambda ()
              (setq TeX-view-program-selection '((output-pdf "Okular")
                                                 (output-dvi "Okular")))))))

If you don't use SumatraPDF (I really recommend you do), then change the name and command. Remember to have your pdf-viewer in your PATH or refer directly to it through the full path.

[Tex/LaTex] How to increase (relevant) verbosity of compilation errors with Emacs+AucTeX

Since version 11.88, AUCTeX comes with an error overview, accessible via TeX-error-overview.

There are two possible setups: overview in the same frame of the TeX buffer and in a separate dedicated frame. This is how it looks like:

Same frame setup

Separate frame setup

You can visit an error by clicking on its message or pressing RET. n and p can also be used to go to the next or previous error. Other suggestions welcome :-)

The message

TeX-error: Error occured after last TeX file closed

refers to a difficulty for AUCTeX to correctly parse the output log. This issue should have been already fixed in version 11.90.