LuaLaTeX update(?): Space in File Name

Bernhard Fisseni <[email protected]> Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:43:40 +0100
Newsgroups gmane.comp.tex.live
Message-ID <[email protected]>
Hi,

Since this morning (but I haven't been TeXin for a few days), I get an 
error with LuaLaTeX when the file name has a space in it. The same file 
works with xelatex; a simple plain TeX file with a space in its name 
does compile with LuaTeX. I am on Linux, and

> This is LuaHBTeX, Version 1.24.0 (TeX Live 2026)
> Development id: 7724


Is this the right place to report this?  Do you need more information?


Details
=======

To reproduce, create a LaTeX file and call it, e.g. "test me.tex".  E.g. 
with the following content:

> \documentclass{article}
> \begin{document}
> (Type your content here.)
> \end{document}


LuaLaTeX
--------


Run

$ lualatex "test me.tex"

> This is LuaHBTeX, Version 1.24.0 (TeX Live 2026) 
>  restricted system commands enabled.
> ("./test me.tex"
> LaTeX2e <2025-11-01>
> L3 programming layer <2026-01-19>
>  (/usr/local/texlive/2026/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/article.cls
> Document Class: article 2025/01/22 v1.4n Standard LaTeX document class
> (/usr/local/texlive/2026/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/size10.clo))
> (/usr/local/texlive/2026/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3backend/l3backend-luatex.def)
> ("./test me.aux")
> 
> ! LaTeX Error: Missing \begin{document}.
> 
> See the LaTeX manual or LaTeX Companion for explanation.
> Type  H <return>  for immediate help.
>  ...                                              
>                                                   
> l.2 \begin{document}
>                     
> ? 
> 

Note that this creates a "test.log" and (empty) "test.tex" file.


XeLaTeX
-------

The same file compiles if I run:

$ xelatex test\ me.tex 
  


> This is XeTeX, Version 3.141592653-2.6-0.999998 (TeX Live 2026) (preloaded format=xelatex)
>  restricted \write18 enabled.
> entering extended mode
> (./test me.tex
> LaTeX2e <2025-11-01>
> L3 programming layer <2026-01-19>
> (/usr/local/texlive/2026/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/article.cls
> Document Class: article 2025/01/22 v1.4n Standard LaTeX document class
> (/usr/local/texlive/2026/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/size10.clo))
> (/usr/local/texlive/2026/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3backend/l3backend-xetex.def)
> (./test me.aux) [1] (./test me.aux) )
> Output written on test me.pdf (1 page).
> Transcript written on test me.log.


Plain LuaTeX
------------

Using a dummy "test it.tex" for plain LuaTeX works, too:

> oops.
> \bye

$ luatex test\ it.tex 
  


> This is LuaTeX, Version 1.24.0 (TeX Live 2026) 
>  restricted system commands enabled.
> ("./test it.tex" [1{/usr/local/texlive/2026/texmf-var/fonts/map/pdftex/updmap/p
> dftex.map}])</usr/local/texlive/2026/texmf-dist/fonts/type1/public/amsfonts/cm/
> cmr10.pfb>
> Output written on test it.pdf (1 page, 10846 bytes).
> Transcript written on "test it.log".
document_1.txt (text/plain, 70 B)
This is LuaHBTeX, Version 1.24.0 (TeX Live 2026)
Development id: 7724