@c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*- @ignore Translation of GIT committish: FILL-IN-HEAD-COMMITTISH When revising a translation, copy the HEAD committish of the version that you are working on. See TRANSLATION for details. @end ignore @c \version "2.12.0" @node Running lilypond @chapter Running @command{lilypond} This chapter details the technicalities of running LilyPond. @menu * Normal usage:: * Command-line usage:: * Error messages:: * Common errors:: * Point and click:: * Text editor support:: @end menu @node Normal usage @section Normal usage Most users run LilyPond through a GUI; if you have not done so already, please read the @rlearning{Tutorial}. If you use an alternate editor to write lilypond files, see the documentation for that program. @node Command-line usage @section Command-line usage This section contains extra information about using LilyPond on the command-line. This may be desirable to pass extra options to the program. In addition, there are certain extra @q{helper} programs (such as @code{midi2ly}) which are only available on the command-line. By @q{command-line}, we mean the command line in the operating system. Windows users might be more familiar with the terms @q{DOS shell} or @q{command shell}. MacOS@tie{}X users might be more familiar with the terms @q{terminal} or @q{console}. Some additional setup is required for MacOS@tie{}X users; please see @rweb{MacOS X}. Describing how to use this part of an operating system is outside the scope of this manual; please consult other documentation on this topic if you are unfamiliar with the command-line. @menu * Invoking lilypond:: * Command line options for lilypond:: * Environment variables:: @end menu @node Invoking lilypond @unnumberedsubsec Invoking @command{lilypond} The @command{lilypond} executable may be called as follows from the command line. @example lilypond [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{file}@dots{} @end example When invoked with a filename that has no extension, the @file{.ly} extension is tried first. To read input from stdin, use a dash (@code{-}) for @var{file}. When @file{filename.ly} is processed it will produce @file{filename.ps} and @file{filename.pdf} as output. Several files can be specified; they will each be processed independently. @footnote{The status of GUILE is not reset after processing a @code{.ly} file, so be careful not to change any system defaults from within Scheme.} If @file{filename.ly} contains more than one @code{\book} block, then the rest of the scores will be output in numbered files, starting with @file{filename-1.pdf}. In addition, the value of @code{output-suffix} will be inserted between the basename and the number. An input file containing @example #(define output-suffix "violin") \score @{ @dots{} @} #(define output-suffix "cello") \score @{ @dots{} @} @end example @noindent will output @var{base}@file{-violin.pdf} and @var{base}@file{-cello-1.pdf}. @node Command line options for lilypond @unnumberedsubsec Command line options for @command{lilypond} @cindex Invoking @command{lilypond} @cindex command line options for @command{lilypond} @cindex options, command line @cindex switches The following options are supported: @table @code @item -e,--evaluate=@var{expr} Evaluate the Scheme @var{expr} before parsing any @file{.ly} files. Multiple @code{-e} options may be given, they will be evaluated sequentially. The expression will be evaluated in the @code{guile-user} module, so if you want to use definitions in @var{expr}, use @example lilypond -e '(define-public a 42)' @end example @noindent on the command-line, and include @example #(use-modules (guile-user)) @end example @noindent at the top of the @code{.ly} file. @item -f,--format=@var{format} which formats should be written. Choices for @code{format} are @code{svg}, @code{ps}, @code{pdf}, and @code{png}. Example: @code{lilypond -fpng @var{filename}.ly} @item -d,--define-default=@var{var}=@var{val} This sets the internal program option @var{var} to the Scheme value @var{val}. If @var{val} is not supplied, then @var{#t} is used. To switch off an option, @code{no-} may be prefixed to @var{var}, e.g. @cindex point and click, command line @example -dno-point-and-click @end example @noindent is the same as @example -dpoint-and-click='#f' @end example Here are a few interesting options. @cindex help, command line @table @samp @item help Running @code{lilypond -dhelp} will print all of the @code{-d} options available. @cindex paper-size, command line @item paper-size This option sets the default paper-size, @example -dpaper-size=\"letter\" @end example @noindent Note that the string must be enclosed in escaped quotes ( @code{\"} ). @c Match " in previous line to help context-sensitive editors @cindex safe, command line @item safe Do not trust the @code{.ly} input. When LilyPond formatting is available through a web server, either the @code{--safe} or the @code{--jail} option @b{MUST} be passed. The @code{--safe} option will prevent inline Scheme code from wreaking havoc, for example @quotation @verbatim #(system "rm -rf /") { c4^#(ly:export (ly:gulp-file "/etc/passwd")) } @end verbatim @end quotation The @code{-dsafe} option works by evaluating in-line Scheme expressions in a special safe module. This safe module is derived from GUILE @file{safe-r5rs} module, but adds a number of functions of the LilyPond API. These functions are listed in @file{scm/@/safe@/-lily@/.scm}. In addition, safe mode disallows @code{\include} directives and disables the use of backslashes in @TeX{} strings. In safe mode, it is not possible to import LilyPond variables into Scheme. @code{-dsafe} does @emph{not} detect resource overuse. It is still possible to make the program hang indefinitely, for example by feeding cyclic data structures into the backend. Therefore, if using LilyPond on a publicly accessible webserver, the process should be limited in both CPU and memory usage. The safe mode will prevent many useful LilyPond snippets from being compiled. The @code{--jail} is a more secure alternative, but requires more work to set up. @cindex output format, setting @item backend the output format to use for the back-end. Choices for @code{format} are @table @code @item ps @cindex PostScript output for PostScript. Postscript files include TTF, Type1 and OTF fonts. No subsetting of these fonts is done. When using oriental character sets, this can lead to huge files. @item eps @cindex Postscript, encapulated @cindex EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) for encapsulated PostScript. This dumps every page (system) as a separate @file{EPS} file, without fonts, and as one collated @file{EPS} file with all pages (systems) including fonts. This mode is used by default by @command{lilypond-book}. @item svg @cindex SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) for SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics). This creates a single SVG file, without embedded fonts, for every page of output. It is recommended to install the Century Schoolbook fonts, included with your LilyPond installation, for optimal rendering. Under UNIX, simply copy these fonts from the LilyPond directory (typically @file{/usr/share/lilypond/VERSION/fonts/otf/}) to @file{~/.fonts/}. The SVG output should be compatible with any SVG editor or user agent. @item scm @cindex Scheme dump for a dump of the raw, internal Scheme-based drawing commands. @item null do not output a printed score; has the same effect as @code{-dno-print-pages}. @end table Example: @code{lilypond -dbackend=svg @var{filename}.ly} @item preview @cindex preview, command line Generate an output file containing the titles and the first system @item print-pages Generate the full pages, the default. @code{-dno-print-pages} is useful in combination with @code{-dpreview}. @end table @item -h,--help Show a summary of usage. @item -H,--header=@var{FIELD} Dump a header field to file @file{BASENAME.@var{FIELD}}. @item --include, -I=@var{directory} Add @var{directory} to the search path for input files. @cindex file searching @cindex search path @item -i,--init=@var{file} Set init file to @var{file} (default: @file{init.ly}). @item -o,--output=@var{FILE} Set the default output file to @var{FILE}. The appropriate suffix will be added (e.g. @code{.pdf} for pdf) @cindex PostScript output @item --ps Generate PostScript. @cindex Portable Network Graphics (PNG) output @item --png Generate pictures of each page, in PNG format. This implies @code{--ps}. The resolution in DPI of the image may be set with @example -dresolution=110 @end example @cindex Portable Document Format (PDF) output @item --pdf Generate PDF. This implies @code{--ps}. @item -j,--jail=@var{user},@var{group},@var{jail},@var{dir} Run @command{lilypond} in a chroot jail. The @code{--jail} option provides a more flexible alternative to @code{--safe} when LilyPond formatting is available through a web server or whenever LilyPond executes externally provided sources. The @code{--jail} option works by changing the root of @command{lilypond} to @var{jail} just before starting the actual compilation process. The user and group are then changed to match those provided, and the current directory is changed to @var{dir}. This setup guarantees that it is not possible (at least in theory) to escape from the jail. Note that for @code{--jail} to work @command{lilypond} must be run as root, which is usually accomplished in a safe way using @command{sudo}. Setting up a jail is a slightly delicate matter, as we must be sure that LilyPond is able to find whatever it needs to compile the source @emph{inside the jail}. A typical setup comprises the following items: @table @asis @item Setting up a separate filesystem A separate filesystem should be created for LilyPond, so that it can be mounted with safe options such as @code{noexec}, @code{nodev}, and @code{nosuid}. In this way, it is impossible to run executables or to write directly to a device from LilyPond. If you do not want to create a separate partition, just create a file of reasonable size and use it to mount a loop device. A separate filesystem also guarantees that LilyPond cannot write more space than it is allowed. @item Setting up a separate user A separate user and group (say, @code{lily}/@code{lily}) with low privileges should be used to run LilyPond inside the jail. There should be a single directory writable by this user, which should be passed in @var{dir}. @item Preparing the jail LilyPond needs to read a number of files while running. All these files are to be copied into the jail, under the same path they appear in the real root filesystem. The entire content of the LilyPond installation (e.g., @file{/usr/share/lilypond}) should be copied. If problems arise, the simplest way to trace them down is to run LilyPond using @command{strace}, which will allow you to determine which files are missing. @item Running LilyPond In a jail mounted with @code{noexec} it is impossible to execute any external program. Therefore LilyPond must be run with a backend that does not require any such program. As we already mentioned, it must be also run with superuser privileges (which, of course, it will lose immediately), possibly using @command{sudo}. It is a good idea to limit the number of seconds of CPU time LilyPond can use (e.g., using @command{ulimit -t}), and, if your operating system supports it, the amount of memory that can be allocated. @end table @item -v,--version Show version information. @item -V,--verbose Be verbose: show full paths of all files read, and give timing information. @item -w,--warranty Show the warranty with which GNU LilyPond comes. (It comes with @strong{NO WARRANTY}!) @end table @node Environment variables @unnumberedsubsec Environment variables @cindex LANG @cindex LILYPOND_DATADIR @command{lilypond} recognizes the following environment variables: @table @code @item LILYPOND_DATADIR This specifies a directory where locale messages and data files will be looked up by default. The directory should contain subdirectories called @file{ly/}, @file{ps/}, @file{tex/}, etc. @item LANG This selects the language for the warning messages. @item LILYPOND_GC_YIELD With this variable the memory footprint and performance can be adjusted. It is a percentage tunes memory management behavior. With higher values, the program uses more memory, with smaller values, it uses more CPU time. The default value is @code{70}. @end table @node Error messages @section Error messages @cindex error messages Different error messages can appear while compiling a file: @table @emph @item Warning @cindex warning Something looks suspect. If you are requesting something out of the ordinary then you will understand the message, and can ignore it. However, warnings usually indicate that something is wrong with the input file. @item Error @cindex error Something is definitely wrong. The current processing step (parsing, interpreting, or formatting) will be finished, but the next step will be skipped. @item Fatal error @cindex fatal error Something is definitely wrong, and LilyPond cannot continue. This happens rarely. The most usual cause is misinstalled fonts. @item Scheme error @cindex trace, Scheme @cindex call trace @cindex Scheme error Errors that occur while executing Scheme code are caught by the Scheme interpreter. If running with the verbose option (@code{-V} or @code{--verbose}) then a call trace of the offending function call is printed. @item Programming error @cindex Programming error There was some internal inconsistency. These error messages are intended to help the programmers and debuggers. Usually, they can be ignored. Sometimes, they come in such big quantities that they obscure other output. @item Aborted (core dumped) @cindex Aborted (core dumped) This signals a serious programming error that caused the program to crash. Such errors are considered critical. If you stumble on one, send a bug-report. @end table @cindex errors, message format If warnings and errors can be linked to some part of the input file, then error messages have the following form @example @var{filename}:@var{lineno}:@var{columnno}: @var{message} @var{offending input line} @end example A line-break is inserted in the offending line to indicate the column where the error was found. For example, @example test.ly:2:19: error: not a duration: 5 @{ c'4 e' 5 g' @} @end example These locations are LilyPond's best guess about where the warning or error occurred, but (by their very nature) warnings and errors occur when something unexpected happens. If you can't see an error in the indicated line of your input file, try checking one or two lines above the indicated position. More information about errors is given in @ref{Common errors}. @node Common errors @section Common errors The error conditions described below occur often, yet the cause is not obvious or easily found. Once seen and understood, they are easily handled. @menu * Music runs off the page:: * An extra staff appears:: * Apparent error in ../ly/init.ly:: * Error message Unbound variable %:: * Error message FT_Get_Glyph_Name:: @end menu @node Music runs off the page @unnumberedsubsec Music runs off the page Music running off the page over the right margin or appearing unduly compressed is almost always due to entering an incorrect duration on a note, causing the final note in a measure to extend over the bar line. It is not invalid if the final note in a measure does not end on the automatically entered bar line, as the note is simply assumed to carry over into the next measure. But if a long sequence of such carry-over measures occurs the music can appear compressed or may flow off the page because automatic line breaks can be inserted only at the end of complete measures, i.e., where all notes end before or at the end of the measure. @warning{An incorrect duration can cause line breaks to be inhibited, leading to a line of highly compressed music or music which flows off the page.} The incorrect duration can be found easily if bar checks are used, see @ruser{Bar and bar number checks}. If you actually intend to have a series of such carry-over measures you will need to insert an invisible bar line where you want the line to break. For details, see @ruser{Bar lines}. @node An extra staff appears @unnumberedsubsec An extra staff appears If contexts are not created explicitly with @code{\new} they will be silently created as soon as a command is encountered which cannot be applied to an existing context. In simple scores the automatic creation of contexts is useful, and most of the examples in the LilyPond manuals take advantage of this simplification. But occasionally the silent creation of contexts can give rise to unexpected new staves or scores. For example, it might be expected that the following code would cause all note heads within the following staff to be colored red, but in fact it results in two staves with the note heads remaining the default black in the lower staff. @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2] \override Staff.NoteHead #'color = #red \new Staff { a } @end lilypond This is because a @code{Staff} context does not exist when the override is processed, so one is implicitly created and the override is applied to it, but then the @code{\new Staff} command creates another, separate, staff into which the notes are placed. The correct code to color all note heads red is @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2] \new Staff { \override Staff.NoteHead #'color = #red a } @end lilypond As a second example, if a @code{\relative} command is placed inside a @code{\repeat} command two staves result, the second offset from the first, because the @code{\repeat} command generates two @code{\relative} blocks, which each implicitly create @code{Staff} and @code{Voice} blocks. @lilypond[quote,verbatim] \repeat unfold 2 { \relative c' { c d e f } } @end lilypond The correct way is to reverse the @code{\repeat} and @code{\relative} commands, like this: @lilypond[quote,verbatim] \relative c' { \repeat unfold 2 { c d e f } } @end lilypond @node Apparent error in ../ly/init.ly @unnumberedsubsec Apparent error in @code{../ly/init.ly} Various obscure error messages may appear about syntax errors in @code{../ly/init.ly} if the input file is not correctly formed, for example, if it does not contain correctly matched braces or quote signs. The most common error is a missing brace, (@code{@}}), at the end of a @code{score} block. Here the solution is obvious: check the @code{score} block is correctly terminated. The correct structure of an input file is described in @rlearning{How LilyPond input files work}. Using an editor which automatically highlights matching brackets and braces is helpful to avoid such errors. A second common cause is no white space between the last syllable of a lyrics block and the terminating brace, (@code{@}}). Without this separation the brace is taken to be part of the syllable. It is always advisable to ensure there is white space before and after @emph{every} brace. For the importance of this when using lyrics, see @ruser{Lyrics explained}. This error message can also appear if a terminating quote sign, (@code{"}), is omitted. In this case an accompanying error message @c keep "-matching straight in fancy editors should give a line number close to the line in error. The mismatched quote will usually be on the line one or two above. @node Error message Unbound variable % @unnumberedsubsec Error message Unbound variable % This error message will appear at the bottom of the console output or log file together with a @qq{GUILE signalled an error ...} message every time a Scheme routine is called which (invalidly) contains a @emph{LilyPond} rather than a @emph{Scheme} comment. LilyPond comments begin with a percent sign, (@code{%}), and must not be used within Scheme routines. Scheme comments begin with a semi-colon, (@code{;}). @node Error message FT_Get_Glyph_Name @unnumberedsubsec Error message FT_Get_Glyph_Name This error messages appears in the console output or log file if an input file contains a non-ASCII character and was not saved in UTF-8 encoding. For details, see @ruser{Text encoding}. @node Point and click @section Point and click @cindex point and click Point and click lets you find notes in the input by clicking on them in the PDF viewer. This makes it easier to find input that causes some error in the sheet music. When this functionality is active, LilyPond adds hyperlinks to the PDF file. These hyperlinks are sent to the web-browser, which opens a text-editor with the cursor in the right place. To make this chain work, you should configure your PDF viewer to follow hyperlinks using the @file{lilypond-invoke-editor} script supplied with LilyPond. For Xpdf on UNIX, the following should be present in @file{xpdfrc}@footnote{On UNIX, this file is found either in @file{/etc/xpdfrc} or as @file{.xpdfrc} in your home directory.} @example urlCommand "lilypond-invoke-editor %s" @end example The program @file{lilypond-invoke-editor} is a small helper program. It will invoke an editor for the special @code{textedit} URIs, and run a web browser for others. It tests the environment variable @code{EDITOR} for the following patterns, @table @code @item emacs this will invoke @example emacsclient --no-wait +@var{line}:@var{column} @var{file} @end example @item gvim this will invoke @example gvim --remote +:@var{line}:norm@var{column} @var{file} @end example @item nedit this will invoke @example nc -noask +@var{line} @var{file}' @end example @end table The environment variable @code{LYEDITOR} is used to override this. It contains the command line to start the editor, where @code{%(file)s}, @code{%(column)s}, @code{%(line)s} is replaced with the file, column and line respectively. The setting @example emacsclient --no-wait +%(line)s:%(column)s %(file)s @end example @noindent for @code{LYEDITOR} is equivalent to the standard emacsclient invocation. @cindex file size, output The point and click links enlarge the output files significantly. For reducing the size of PDF and PS files, point and click may be switched off by issuing @example \pointAndClickOff @end example @noindent in a @file{.ly} file. Point and click may be explicitly enabled with @example \pointAndClickOn @end example Alternately, you may disable point and click with a command-line option: @example lilypond -dno-point-and-click file.ly @end example @warning{You should always turn off point and click in any LilyPond files to be distributed to avoid including path information about your computer in the .pdf file, which can pose a security risk.} @node Text editor support @section Text editor support @cindex editors @cindex vim @cindex emacs @cindex modes, editor @cindex syntax coloring @cindex coloring, syntax There is support for different text editors for LilyPond. @menu * Emacs mode:: * Vim mode:: * Other editors:: @end menu @node Emacs mode @unnumberedsubsec Emacs mode Emacs has a @file{lilypond-mode}, which provides keyword autocompletion, indentation, LilyPond specific parenthesis matching and syntax coloring, handy compile short-cuts and reading LilyPond manuals using Info. If @file{lilypond-mode} is not installed on your platform, see below. An Emacs mode for entering music and running LilyPond is contained in the source archive in the @file{elisp} directory. Do @command{make install} to install it to @var{elispdir}. The file @file{lilypond-init.el} should be placed to @var{load-path}@file{/site-start.d/} or appended to your @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.emacs.el}. As a user, you may want add your source path (e.g. @file{~/site-lisp/}) to your @var{load-path} by appending the following line (as modified) to your @file{~/.emacs} @c any reason we do not advise: (push "~/site-lisp" load-path) @example (setq load-path (append (list (expand-file-name "~/site-lisp")) load-path)) @end example @node Vim mode @unnumberedsubsec Vim mode For @uref{http://@/www@/.vim@/.org,VIM}, a @file{vimrc} is supplied, along with syntax coloring tools. A Vim mode for entering music and running LilyPond is contained in the source archive in @code{$VIM} directory. The LilyPond file type is detected if the file @file{~/.vim/filetype.vim} has the following content @example if exists("did_load_filetypes") finish endif augroup filetypedetect au! BufNewFile,BufRead *.ly,*.ily setf lilypond augroup END @end example Please include this path by appending the following line to your @file{~/.vimrc} @example set runtimepath+=/usr/local/share/lilypond/$@{LILYPOND_VERSION@}/vim/ @end example @noindent where $@{LILYPOND_VERSION@} is your LilyPond version. If LilyPond was not installed in @file{/usr/local/}, then change this path accordingly. The path may differ significantly. In Fedora the path leads to the current version of Vim instead of Lilypond: @example set runtimepath+=/usr/share/vim/vim72/ @end example @node Other editors @unnumberedsubsec Other editors Other editors (both text and graphical) support LilyPond, but their special configuration files are not distributed with LilyPond. Consult their documentation for more information. Such editors are listed in @rweb{Alternate editors}.