groff injects blank page; and program 'pnmtops' can't handle -nosetpage option; can't generate doc/gnu.eps

[Carlos]

Hello list. 

First about the error `program 'pnmtops' can't handle -nosetpage
option; can't generate doc/gnu.eps`
 can't go past this very particular cvs compilation after
who-knows-how-many-tries so far with this `program 'pnmtops' can't
handle -nosetpage option; can't generate doc/gnu.eps` error

program 'pnmtops' can't handle -nosetpage option; can't generate doc/gnu.eps
make[1]: *** [Makefile:14627: doc/gnu.eps] Error 1

But anyhow. I just wanted to compile from cvs rather than from the
tarball. In the end I found out I had the latest released version, so I
gave up.

And this issue can be tackle later on really. Let's put it aside for now. 

Currently running 

the called subprograms:

GNU grops (groff) version 1.22.4
GNU troff (groff) version 1.22.4

and whether it's running -man or -mandoc, it injects a blank unwanted page in
the very beginning of the document.

It doesn't matter whether it's a postscript file or a pdf afterwards,
groff inserts the blank page regardless

I'm not familiarized with groff but it seems as if a macro, in this
particular case, .TH, that is normally in the beginning of the page,
causes it,  or it's indirectly involved in this blank page. Doesn't
matter. If i were to focus enough on the page and say open sesame
it woudn't do anything. But if I were to type an .ig and two dots
in between that pesky `.TH` macro, the blank page disappears. So in
that sense, open sesame worked because ;) because the unwanted page
is no longer there. The formatting of the page is gone, and that's
more than an obvious Copernicus, but who cares, really?

The question is: what it's causing this unwanted blank page? Are locales
somehow responsible for it? 

Now. The interesting part is that `man -T ps <manpage> ` works without
an issue, but groff , or more precisely both -man and -mandoc don't
and still injects the blank page



-- 
        Price Wang's programmer was coding software.  His fingers danced upon
the keyboard.  The program compiled without an error message, and the program
ran like a gentle wind.
        Excellent!" the Price exclaimed, "Your technique is faultless!"
        "Technique?" said the programmer, turning from his terminal, "What I
follow is the Tao -- beyond all technique.  When I first began to program I
would see before me the whole program in one mass.  After three years I no
longer saw this mass.  Instead, I used subroutines.  But now I see nothing.
My whole being exists in a formless void.  My senses are idle.  My spirit,
free to work without a plan, follows its own instinct.  In short, my program
writes itself.  True, sometimes there are difficult problems.  I see them
coming, I slow down, I watch silently.  Then I change a single line of code
and the difficulties vanish like puffs of idle smoke.  I then compile the
program.  I sit still and let the joy of the work fill my being.  I close my
eyes for a moment and then log off."
        Price Wang said, "Would that all of my programmers were as wise!"
                -- Geoffrey James, "The Tao of Programming"