July 2026 - ntg-context - Mailing Lists

Recent releases of ConTeXt LMTX crash at \starttext when expl3 is loaded
by witiko＠gmail.com 28 Aug '26

28 Aug '26

Assume the following text file `test.tex`: ``` \def\ExplFileDate{2026-06-18} \starttext foo \stoptext ``` Using a recent version of ConTeXt (2026.07.06), compiling this file with the command `context --luatex test.tex` works OK and produces the expected PDF output. Compiling this file with the command `context test.tex` produces the warnings "latex expl stuff loaded, beware of side effects", "latex backend code loaded, this can badly interfere", and "quitting run, use --fragile" in the log and the resulting PDF is incomplete (only 21 bytes). Using the command `context --fragile test.tex` only silences the last two warnings but still produces an incomplete PDF; this seems to be a bug, since I assume that the purpose of the flag `--fragile` is precisely to allow the compilation even if expl3 use is suspected.

7 18

Trimbox and crop marks on cover page
by Jeroen 03 Aug '26

03 Aug '26

I want to generate a press-ready PDF book with cover with the following but I dont seem to get the cover correct. - Trim size 320 × 240 mm - MediaBox enlarged using \setuppapersize[cover][oversized] - Crop marks (marking=color) - Artwork extending into the bleed outside the TrimBox - I am using LMTX v. 2026.04.27 on windows 11 Pro, 25H2 1. With the minimal example below, \startMPpage is clipped to Page so the bleed area in the enlarged MediaBox remains white 2. Is this the intended behaviour of \startMPpage? If so, what is recommended to create artwork that extends into the bleed while keeping the TrimBox and crop marks? \definepapersize[cover][width=320mm,height=240mm] \definepapersize[book][width=160mm,height=240mm] \setuppapersize[distance=38mm] \setuplayout[backspace=18mm, width=129mm, height=223mm, marking=color] \setuplayout[location=middle] \starttext \pagebreak \setuppapersize[cover][oversized] %\startoverlay{ \startMPpage StartPage; numeric w, h, m; w := bbwidth(Page); h := bbheight(Page); m := 19mm; path p; p := unitsquare xyscaled (w-2m,h-2m) shifted (m,m); fill p withcolor \MPcolor{yellow}; \stopMPpage %}\stopoverlay \pagebreak \setuppapersize[book][oversized] \dorecurse{5}{\input{tufte}} \stoptext

6 8

update / new features
by Hans Hagen 29 Jul '26

29 Jul '26

Hi, I uploaded a new context version. Already for a while we have some ways to render #D graphics but the manual is pending so we keep a low profile. However, you can play with it and can find some information in luametafun-threed.tex (which you can compile). As usual with graphics, we hook this into MetaPost so that we can mix with other graphics, although for MetaPost of course it's just some abstraction. We focus on parametric, implicit, plane and intersections. The results are rather high quality bytemaps so they are quite efficient. Of course there is some runtime involved but one can cache. We are curious to know how performance is perceived because my 2018 laptop is not the best one to measure. Stippling is also possible. There are no dependencies on additional tools. One of the features is that we can import so called stl files (e.g. from mapple or mathematica) but we only did limited tests. Again, more info in the luametafun part of the manual; the more extensive manual will become available around the meeting, given that we have time. We're curious if users (if there are any) can test this. There are some postprocessing capabilities and Keith is exploring textures and animations, again something for a dedicated manual and later (but tests look stunning). A second new feature, a 2D side effect of 3D, is that we support voronoi rendering as described in luametafun-voronoi.tex and if there is enough interest we can look into 3D. First we need to know about applications in documents (there are plenty of examples in nature once you know about it). All is of course still somewhat experimental but the interfaces are okay. To what extend we will speed up matters (for voronoy) depends on usage. On a modern macine (we suppose) all is fine anyway btu we simply have no clue about possible user applications. Hans (with Mikael and Keith) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands tel: 038 477 53 69 | www.pragma-ade.nl | www.pragma-pod.nl -----------------------------------------------------------------

4 14

[zlists+context@jdvb.ca: Re: Re: update / new features]
by Jim Diamond 29 Jul '26

29 Jul '26

On Wed, Jul 29, 2026 at 18:40 (+0200), Hans Hagen wrote: > On 7/29/2026 6:26 PM, Jim Diamond wrote: >> My poor old laptop (Ryzen 4700U, but not quite as old as yours) took >> context test-mp.tex 6.67s user 0.15s system 99% cpu 6.852 total >>> (5.866 metapost) .. >> Pray tell: where/what are you reading for that number? When I >> grep -i metapost the-log-file.log >> I only find >> mkxl run stats > metapost: 0.014 seconds, loading: 0.030, execution: 0.005, n: 3, average: 0.016, instances: 1, luacalls: 16452 (file: 15976, text: 0, script: 456, log: 20), memory: 0.000 M >> If you spent 5.866 in metapost, it seems extremely unlikely I finished up >> in 14 millis. > i bet you had a second run .. was cache set to true? No, that was on the first run. If I run it again, I get context test-mp.tex 0.36s user 0.07s system 99% cpu 0.436 total and, indeed, it appears quite quickly. However, if I copy my .tex file to a new file, it takes "quite a while": ... mkxl run stats > metapost: 0.015 seconds, loading: 0.031, execution: 0.005, n: 3, average: 0.017, instances: 1, luacalls: 16452 (file: 15976, text: 0, script: 456, log: 20), memory: 0.000 M ... mkxl run stats > runtime: 0.372 seconds, 1 processed pages, 1 shipped pages, 2.689 pages/second system | total runtime: 6.461 seconds of 6.525 seconds context dog.tex 6.37s user 0.14s system 99% cpu 6.528 total So the shell says I used 6.37 seconds, which seems about right. But the two time reports from context say very little time was used. Is it possible that there is some peculiarity in some library version on my system which causes context's time reports to be incorrect? >> Aside from that, you will be pleased to know that it shows up well (*) in >> all of xpdf, evince and my venerable Acroread 9.5.5. > oh, even the old acrobat! You forgot "venerable". ;-) And I think JP would tell you the polite expression is "âgée" or "bien âgée". >> I saw a SGI machine on sale a number of years ago, at a price I could have >> afforded without crimping the budget substantially. But I resisted the >> temptation. Which saved me some time today, because otherwise I would have >> had to check your bet. > even worse, make luametatex compile on it, That might be a bit of a trick as well. Jim

1 0

Fwd: Re: update / new features
by Hans Hagen 29 Jul '26

29 Jul '26

-------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: Re: [NTG-context] Re: update / new features Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2026 18:40:55 +0200 From: Hans Hagen <j.hagen(a)xs4all.nl> To: Jim Diamond <zlists+context(a)jdvb.ca> On 7/29/2026 6:26 PM, Jim Diamond wrote: > I did? How careless of me. > I should have studied this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nks7C8JzyeA Oh, still online! > My poor old laptop (Ryzen 4700U, but not quite as old as yours) took > context test-mp.tex 6.67s user 0.15s system 99% cpu 6.852 total > >> (5.866 metapost) .. > > Pray tell: where/what are you reading for that number? When I > grep -i metapost the-log-file.log > I only find > mkxl run stats > metapost: 0.014 seconds, loading: 0.030, execution: 0.005, n: 3, average: 0.016, instances: 1, luacalls: 16452 (file: 15976, text: 0, script: 456, log: 20), memory: 0.000 M > > If you spent 5.866 in metapost, it seems extremely unlikely I finished up > in 14 millis. i bet you had a second run .. was cache set to true? > Aside from that, you will be pleased to know that it shows up well (*) in > all of xpdf, evince and my venerable Acroread 9.5.5. oh, even the old acrobat! > I saw a SGI machine on sale a number of years ago, at a price I could have > afforded without crimping the budget substantially. But I resisted the > temptation. Which saved me some time today, because otherwise I would have > had to check your bet. even worse, make luametatex compile on it, Hans ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands tel: 038 477 53 69 | www.pragma-ade.nl | www.pragma-pod.nl -----------------------------------------------------------------

1 0

Cron <context@cgl> /var/www/aanhet.net/context/bin/cron/context-mirror
by root＠ntg.nl 29 Jul '26

29 Jul '26

receiving incremental file list ./ ctan.lsr document-2.htm download-1.htm download-2.htm logo-ade.png logo-cts.png logo-pod.png rss.xml show-fil.pdf context/latest/ context/latest/cont-lmt.zip context/latest/cont-mpd.zip context/latest/cont-ppc.zip context/latest/cont-sci.zip context/latest/cont-tmf.zip context/latest/cont-tst.7z context/latest/cont-tst.tar.xz context/latest/cont-tst.zip general/manuals/ general/manuals/luametafun.pdf sent 237,832 bytes received 80,175,603 bytes 7,658,422.38 bytes/sec total size is 802,195,090 speedup is 9.98 Running archiver: New dir: /var/www/aanhet.net/context//htdocs/archives/context-2026-07-29.12 400957332 /var/www/aanhet.net/context//htdocs/archives/context-2026-07-29.12/latest 126741221 /var/www/aanhet.net/context//htdocs/archives/context-2026-07-29.12/current 527698553 /var/www/aanhet.net/context//htdocs/archives/context-2026-07-29.12 527698553 total

1 0

On \definemathcommand's options "limop" and "nolop"
by Jairo A. del Rio 28 Jul '26

28 Jul '26

Hi, list! I noticed the following after compiling some old documents and getting odd results. In math-ini.mkxl, "limop" and "nolop" are deprecated and no longer work: \setnewconstant\mathlimopcode \plusone % these will go away \setnewconstant\mathnolopcode \plusone % these will go away However, they are still cited in the Wiki: https://wiki.contextgarden.net/Mathematics/Functions Can I remove references to "limop" and "nolop"? Are there other changes to expect? Thanks in advance. Best regards. Jairo

1 0

system modes?
by Henning Hraban Ramm 28 Jul '26

28 Jul '26

Hi, since "mmodes.pdf" isn’t part of the distribution anymore, where are modes documented, and is there a current list of system modes? (Yes, I know https://www.pragma-ade.nl/general/manuals/mmodes.pdf and https://wiki.contextgarden.net/Input_and_compilation/Conditional_processing…) Are there modes that I can check for a left/right page, or is \ifodd\pageno the better way? Hraban

2 2

ConTeXt meeting – please register!
by Henning Hraban Ramm 27 Jul '26

27 Jul '26

Hi everyone, our ConTeXt meeting in Maibach is coming closer: August 24th–29th If you’re planning to attend, please register now! https://meeting.contextgarden.net/ Looking forward to meeting you (again), Hraban

1 1

weird behavior with PDF metadata?
by Pablo Rodriguez 22 Jul '26

22 Jul '26

Dear list, I have the following sample: \setupinteraction[ state = start, title= {a, b}, subtitle = {a, b}, author ={a, b}, keyword={a, b}, ] \starttext \null \stoptext Compiling it with current latest (2026.07.06 13:29) with both LMTX and LuaTeX, I get what I think it may be weird behavior. With LMTX, the suspicious results are: 1. No subtitle or author at all. 2. keywords contain not comma. With LuaTeX, I’m puzzled with: 1. Both issues from LMTX are present with LuaTeX. 2. title contains braces. I wonder whether any of these issues is intended. BTW, in my real–world document, I experience an even stranger issue: due to some unknown interaction (no pun intended), I get all metadata chars in uppercase. The metadata uppercase issue is important for me. I don’t have access to that document right now. Does anyone know (or have any idea about) what may be causing the issue or do I have to provide a minimal sample? Many thanks for your help, Pablo

2 2