General ⇒ babel error: unknown option 'spanish' for package 'babel'

[thedoctor818]

This is the result I get after running texhash:

Code: Select all

texhash: /usr/local/share/texmf: directory not writable. Skipping...
texhash: /var/lib/texmf: directory not writable. Skipping...
texhash: /var/lib/texmf: directory not writable. Skipping...
texhash: /var/lib/texmf: directory not writable. Skipping...
texhash: Done.

[frabjous]

Run with sudo:

sudo texhash

[thedoctor818]

I tried that but to no avail. The code spit out by my pc was:

Code: Select all

texhash: Updating /usr/local/share/texmf/ls-R... 
texhash: Updating /var/lib/texmf/ls-R-TEXMFMAIN... 
texhash: Updating /var/lib/texmf/ls-R-TEXLIVE... 
texhash: Updating /var/lib/texmf/ls-R... 
texhash: Done.

but, when I tried to tex the aforementioned doc, I got the same error message, which is:
unkown option 'spanish' for package 'babel'

[gmedina]

I am only guessing here, but maybe you installed some Spanish-specific files where TeX cannot find them... compile the following simple document and attach the .log file obtained:

Code: Select all

\listfiles
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[spanish]{babel}
\begin{document}
Hola
\end{document}

[thedoctor818]

This is my error message now:

LaTeX Error: Unknown option `spanish' for package `babel'.\begin

[thedoctor818]

Sorry, this is my .log file:

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This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-1.40.10 (TeX Live 2009/Debian) (format=latex 2010.5.11) 14 MAY 2010 10:59
entering extended mode
restricted \write18 enabled.
%&-line parsing enabled.
**sp02.tex
(./sp02.tex
LaTeX2e <2009/09/24>
Babel <v3.8l> and hyphenation patterns for english, usenglishmax, dumylang, noh
yphenation, bulgarian, ukrainian, russian, spanish, galician, catalan, loaded.
(/usr/share/texmf-texlive/tex/latex/base/article.cls
Document Class: article 2007/10/19 v1.4h Standard LaTeX document class
(/usr/share/texmf-texlive/tex/latex/base/size10.clo
File: size10.clo 2007/10/19 v1.4h Standard LaTeX file (size option)
)
\c@part=\count79
\c@section=\count80
\c@subsection=\count81
\c@subsubsection=\count82
\c@paragraph=\count83
\c@subparagraph=\count84
\c@figure=\count85
\c@table=\count86
\abovecaptionskip=\skip41
\belowcaptionskip=\skip42
\bibindent=\dimen102
) (./babel.sty
Style option `babel' version babel-3.0c <15 july 1991>
English documentation dated <6 juni 1991>
)
! LaTeX Error: Unknown option `spanish' for package `babel'.
See the LaTeX manual or LaTeX Companion for explanation.
Type H <return> for immediate help.
...
l.4 \begin
{document}
The option `spanish' was not declared in package `babel', perhaps you
misspelled its name. Try typing <return> to proceed.
(./sp02.aux)
\openout1 = `sp02.aux'.
LaTeX Font Info: Checking defaults for OML/cmm/m/it on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info: ... okay on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info: Checking defaults for T1/cmr/m/n on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info: ... okay on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info: Checking defaults for OT1/cmr/m/n on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info: ... okay on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info: Checking defaults for OMS/cmsy/m/n on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info: ... okay on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info: Checking defaults for OMX/cmex/m/n on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info: ... okay on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info: Checking defaults for U/cmr/m/n on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info: ... okay on input line 4.
[1
] (./sp02.aux)
*File List*
article.cls 2007/10/19 v1.4h Standard LaTeX document class
size10.clo 2007/10/19 v1.4h Standard LaTeX file (size option)
babel.sty
***********
)
Here is how much of TeX's memory you used:
217 strings out of 494762
2258 string characters out of 1177074
47783 words of memory out of 3000000
3490 multiletter control sequences out of 15000+50000
3640 words of font info for 14 fonts, out of 3000000 for 9000
238 hyphenation exceptions out of 8191
23i,4n,23p,162b,107s stack positions out of 5000i,500n,10000p,200000b,50000s
Output written on sp02.dvi (1 page, 216 bytes).

[thedoctor818]

I have tried texing the babel.ins file, but to no avail. Any help here, please?

[localghost]

It seems that your installation of babel is messed up. The log indicates two different file versions.

At the beginning everything seems to be alright as the according line in the log shows.

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Babel <v3.8l> and hyphenation patterns for english, usenglishmax, dumylang,
nohyphenation, bulgarian, ukrainian, russian, spanish, galician, catalan, loaded.

But later on there are hints that an older package file is used.

Code: Select all

) (./babel.sty
Style option `babel' version babel-3.0c <15 july 1991>
English documentation dated <6 juni 1991>
)
! LaTeX Error: Unknown option `spanish' for package `babel'.
See the LaTeX manual or LaTeX Companion for explanation.
Type H <return> for immediate help.
...
l.4 \begin
{document}
The option `spanish' was not declared in package `babel', perhaps you
misspelled its name. Try typing <return> to proceed.

Another problem is that the file list in the log seems to be incomplete.

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*File List*
article.cls 2007/10/19 v1.4h Standard LaTeX document class
size10.clo 2007/10/19 v1.4h Standard LaTeX file (size option)
babel.sty
***********

There should be similar information in the third line as in the two above. The log file as a whole appears incomplete to me.

I suggest to check the version of the »babel.sty« file by taking a direct look with an editor of your choice. The package should identify itself with name and version number in the first lines of its code.


Best regards
Thorsten

[thedoctor818]

How do I look at the babel.sty file, & what do I do after that???

[frabjous]

Open it in the editor of your choice. In Ubuntu, you could use gedit.

Copy the first few lines into a post here. Don't make any changes to it.