I'm not sure if your command got mangled by the mailer disliking long lines, but it looks like you have this line: ralf@schrotti:~/tmp$ ~/texmf/scripts/context/ruby/texmfstart.rb texexec t.tex -- result bla.pdf i.e. something like "texexec t.tex -- result bla.pdf" The texexec man entry, I think for the perl version, says: --result=FILENAME Allows you to change the basename of the output file. See --mode for an example. And this command works: texexec t.tex --result=bla Although at the end it says: TeXExec | renaming t to bla TeXExec | restoring t TeXExec | fatal error No such file or directory - t.tuo Is the last line anything to worry about, perhaps in a more complex test file that needed the .tuo file? By the way, I use these two executable scripts to shorten the command lines: $ cat /home/sanjoy/bin/texmfstart #!/bin/bash ruby `kpsewhich --format=texmfscripts texmfstart.rb` "$@" $ cat /home/sanjoy/bin/texexec #!/bin/sh texmfstart texexec.rb "$@" -Sanjoy `Never underestimate the evil of which men of power are capable.' --Bertrand Russell, _War Crimes in Vietnam_, chapter 1.