Hello LuaTeX developers, Let me explain an issue I encountered. I'd like to know how to circumvent it. In latex tools bundle, there is a file ".tex", which has a file name with extension only. Its path is /usr/local/texlive/2022/texmf-dist/tex/latex/tools/.tex typically. This example loads that ".tex" successfully: lualatex --jobname=abcd '\input\relax' '\input' sample2e Here '\input\relax' actually directs to load ".tex". The console log is: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This is LuaHBTeX, Version 1.15.0 (TeX Live 2022) restricted system commands enabled. LaTeX2e <2021-11-15> patch level 1 L3 programming layer <2022-02-24> (/usr/local/texlive/2022/texmf-dist/tex/latex/tools/.tex File ignored) (/usr/local/texlive/2022/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/sample2e.tex ... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This is OK. Next, make a directory "build" for output directory by mkdir build . Then this command stalls with the following console output: lualatex --jobname=abcd --output-directory=build/ '\input\relax' '\input' sample2e ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This is LuaHBTeX, Version 1.15.0 (TeX Live 2022) restricted system commands enabled. LaTeX2e <2021-11-15> patch level 1 L3 programming layer <2022-02-24> ! I can't find file `'. <to be read again> \let <*> \input\relax \input sample2e (Press Enter to retry, or Control-D to exit) Please type another input file name: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This affects preview-latex: https://lists.gnu.org/r/auctex/2022-06/msg00020.html Is this a supposed behavior of lua(la)tex? If so, is there any workaround to load ".tex" when both --output-directory and \input are present? [Supplementary information with respect to this issue] (1) pdflatex doesn't have this issue: pdflatex --jobname=abcd --output-directory=build/ '\input\relax' '\input' sample2e ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This is pdfTeX, Version 3.141592653-2.6-1.40.24 (TeX Live 2022) (preloaded format=pdflatex) restricted \write18 enabled. entering extended mode LaTeX2e <2021-11-15> patch level 1 L3 programming layer <2022-02-24> (/usr/local/texlive/2022/texmf-dist/tex/latex/tools/.tex File ignored) (/usr/local/texlive/2022/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/sample2e.tex ... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (2) In actual usage, "\input\relax" is mandatory because it is an argument of mylatex.ltx written in temporal xxx.ini file created by (kinda) script and we are trying to dump format file with -ini like this: lualatex -ini --output-directory="build/" -interaction=nonstopmode "&lualatex" prv_tst-prv.ini "\nonstopmode\nofiles\PassOptionsToPackage{active,tightpage,auctex}{preview}\AtBeginDocument{\ifx\ifPreview\undefined\RequirePackage[displaymath,floats,graphics,textmath,sections,footnotes]{preview}[2004/11/05]\fi}" "\input" tst-prv.tex (3) When I answer the prompt "Please type another input file name:" providing ".tex", the process continues and completes. However, we can't take this way because we want to use it like batch operation by -interaction=nonstopmode option. (4) When I copy the ".tex" file in the "build" subdirctory, the above command succeeds: cp /usr/local/texlive/2022/texmf-dist/tex/latex/tools/.tex build/ lualatex --jobname=abcd --output-directory=build/ '\input\relax' '\input' sample2e ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This is LuaHBTeX, Version 1.15.0 (TeX Live 2022) restricted system commands enabled. LaTeX2e <2021-11-15> patch level 1 L3 programming layer <2022-02-24> (./build//.tex File ignored) (/usr/local/texlive/2022/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/sample2e.tex ... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- However, such approach isn't suitable for our batch-like usage. Regards, Ikumi Keita #StandWithUkraine #StopWarInUkraine