General ⇒ dvi vs pdf problems

[PAv]

Hello all,
when using some packages, in particular xcolor, or graphicx, sometimes the DVI output is messed up, while by compiling with pdflatex, the pdf version is correct (similarly, but it might be a completely different problem, i need to use pdflatex with beamer otherwise I get errors). BTW I am using a Fedora distro.

I have been searching with google and it seems that the problem is related with some drivers used by the packages which are not "standard", however I have not yet found a clear answer regarding the fact that the problem can be fixed (e.g. can I compile with "latex" obtaining a correct .dvi output?) or I am doomed to use pdflatex forever...ok, it is not the worst thing in life, however I have problems in using backsearch with .pdf documents, while with the .dvi version there is no problem.

Thank you very much,
Paolo

[rais]

Hi,
did you try what happens when you run dvips on one of those garbled dvi's, followed by ps2pdf?
If the resulting pdf looks Ok, I'd say it's a problem of you dvi viewer.
IIRC, not all dvi viewer support all specials, to say the least. And you haven't even told us which program you use for viewing dvi.

If it remains garbled after converting to pdf, could you post a minimal working example?

KR
Rainer

[PAv]

Hi,
you found the problem,
(I suppose you meant dvipdf) I ran it and the corresponding pdf file is not corrupted.
So I think it is dvi and Okular... (I use Okular also for the pdf files, with no problem at all)

Does anybody know how to fix this? (maybe with some specific library?)
(btw Evince produces the same kind of errors, and in any case Okular is better suited for my needs)
thank you,
Paolo

[rais]

(I suppose you meant dvipdf)

No, I meant dvips / ps2pdf to get---just in case---the postscript file, as well. But since your dvipdf
(and I suppose you meant dvipdfm or dvipdfmx) already worked, you don't need to go that way.

Does anybody know how to fix this?

I think it would be prudent to show us exactly what you mean by `messed up' before anyone can fix this. If it even can be fixed. Don't get your hopes up, though: if memory serves, dvi was developed for ready-to-print text (and only text).

Then again, you better ask this question the developer(s) of okular, if nobody else here can tell you what to do about it.

KR
Rainer