On Fri 14 Oct 2022 at 00:16:39 (+0000), Dag Bergman wrote: > > On Wed 12 Oct 2022 at 23:51:22 (+0000), Dag Bergman wrote: > > > I have a Windows XP computer with Lilypond 2.10.25. It works fine with > > > simple program codes and advanced code developed with earlier versions of > > > Lilypond. It does not work so well when I try to use a newer program > > > developed with a later version of Lilypond, as I get many error messages. > > > I therefore tried to install LilyPond-2.22.2, which is newer than the > > > versions of Lilypond the program were developed with. It does not work > > > at all, however, and I get the error message: "The system cannot execute > > > the specified program." It does not matter what code I try to run.
If "by code" you mean LilyPond source code, then no, it doesn't matter, because the program doesn't start running, so it doesn't even open the input file. > > > What is the latest version of Lilypond that actually works on Windows XP? That's probably something you will have to determine for yourself. The way in which the mingw binaries are built appears to have changed over the years, so I'd be wary of jumping straight from 2.10.25 to 2.22.2. At the very least, I'd try installing 2.10.33, which appears to be the final version of 2.10. That will test whether your error message is merely caused by trying to run a downloaded file without performing some essential step first (perhaps concerning Virus protection, unblocking downloads, etc). After all, you might have forgotten what you had to do, long ago when you installed 2.10.25. Googling "the system cannot execute the specified program" yields various problems and solutions that just might be relevant. If you can run 2.10.33, then I'd try 2.18.2, which was the stable version of LP for a long time, and is therefore well tested. It's a version you could probably live with for a while. If that runs, then try 2.22.2 again, particularly if you've discovered any step that was necessary to get the previous versions to run. The goal at this stage is to get "GNU LilyPond 2.22.2 Processing …" emitted, regardless of what follows, error messages or otherwise. > > > What is the reason for this? My reasoning for using the versions mentioned is merely that I've observed differing structures between these binaries. I know nothing about mingw, and my observations could be no more relevant than a suggestion to try tasting red, yellow or green tomatoes just on the basis of their colour. > > > What to do about it? That depends on whether you get different behaviours of the system using these versions of LilyPond. Step one is checking whether you can run /any/ downloaded lilypond file at all, regardless of version. All the above assumes that you're sticking with your old XP machine (I don't know how important LP is among its mix of tasks). Cheers, David.
