Can't convert PDF into image, because of 'no images defined' error

Question

I've the following PDF file: http://www.fmwconcepts.com/misc_tests/pdf_tests/test.pdf

But when I'm trying to convert it via:

$ convert test.pdf test.png

I've the following error:

convert: no images defined `test.png' @ error/convert.c/ConvertImageCommand/3187.

I've the following versions:

$ brew info libpng
libpng: stable 1.6.13 (bottled)

$ brew info libjpeg
jpeg: stable 8d (bottled)

$ brew info imagemagick
imagemagick: stable 6.8.9-7 (bottled), HEAD
http://www.imagemagick.org
/usr/local/Cellar/imagemagick/6.8.9-1 (1432 files, 22M) *
  Poured from bottle
From: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/blob/master/Library/Formula/imagemagick.rb
==> Dependencies
Build: xz ✔, pkg-config ✔
Required: libtool ✔
Recommended: jpeg ✔, libpng ✔, freetype ✔
Optional: fontconfig ✔, libtiff ✔, little-cms ✔, little-cms2 ✔, libwmf ✘, librsvg ✘, liblqr ✘, openexr ✘, ghostscript ✘, webp ✘

---

I've the following debug log:

$ convert test.pdf test.png -debug all
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.000 0.000u 6.8.9 Configure convert[58320]: utility.c/ExpandFilenames/944/Configure
  Command line: convert {test.pdf} {test.png} {-debug} {all}
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.000 0.000u 6.8.9 Configure convert[58320]: configure.c/GetConfigureOptions/679/Configure
  Searching for configure file: "/usr/local/Cellar/imagemagick/6.8.9-1/share/ImageMagick-6/coder.xml"
...
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.020 0.010u 6.8.9 Module convert[58320]: module.c/OpenModule/1268/Module
  Searching for module "PNG" using filename "png.la"
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.020 0.010u 6.8.9 Module convert[58320]: module.c/GetMagickModulePath/554/Module
  Searching for coder module file "png.la" ...
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.020 0.010u 6.8.9 Module convert[58320]: module.c/OpenModule/1277/Module
  Opening module at path "/usr/local/Cellar/imagemagick/6.8.9-1/lib/ImageMagick//modules-Q16/coders/png.la"
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.020 0.010u 6.8.9 Module convert[58320]: module.c/OpenModule/1304/Module
  Method "RegisterPNGImage" in module "PNG" at address 0x10a9fdb60
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.020 0.010u 6.8.9 Module convert[58320]: module.c/OpenModule/1318/Module
  Method "UnregisterPNGImage" in module "PNG" at address 0x10aa0785d
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.020 0.010u 6.8.9 Policy convert[58320]: policy.c/IsRightsAuthorized/574/Policy
  Domain: Path; rights=Read; pattern="test.png" ...
...
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.020 0.010u 6.8.9 Configure convert[58320]: locale.c/LoadLocaleCache/1186/Configure
  Loading locale configure file "/usr/local/Cellar/imagemagick/6.8.9-1/share/ImageMagick-6/english.xml" ...
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.020 0.020u 6.8.9 Exception convert[58320]: blob.c/OpenBlob/2657/Exception
  unable to open image `test.png': No such file or directory
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.020 0.020u 6.8.9 Cache convert[58320]: cache.c/DestroyPixelCache/962/Cache
  destroy 
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.020 0.020u 6.8.9 Policy convert[58320]: policy.c/IsRightsAuthorized/574/Policy
  Domain: Coder; rights=Read; pattern="PNG" ...
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.030 0.020u 6.8.9 Coder convert[58320]: png.c/ReadPNGImage/4015/Coder
  Enter ReadPNGImage()
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.030 0.020u 6.8.9 Policy convert[58320]: policy.c/IsRightsAuthorized/574/Policy
  Domain: Path; rights=Read; pattern="test.png" ...
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.030 0.020u 6.8.9 Exception convert[58320]: blob.c/OpenBlob/2657/Exception
  unable to open image `test.png': No such file or directory
2014-10-01T15:29:39+01:00 0:00.030 0.020u 6.8.9 Exception convert[58320]: png.c/ReadPNGImage/4021/Exception
  unable to open file `test.png'

But doesn't showing anything obvious. And it seems that this debug log behaves completely different than without -debug, because the original error is not there. See the full log.

There is a similar issue at http://www.imagemagick.org/discourse-server/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=22466, but I'm not quite get it what is the solution.

Solution 1

You are missing the optional Ghostscript dependency gs - which is not optional if you want to convert a PDF file.

If which gs doesn't resolve to the ghostscript binary (e.g. you have an alias with the same name), edit the path to Ghostscript in delegates.xml.

Solution 2

You can also try doing:

1. brew uninstall ghostscript
2. brew install ghostscript

That fixed it for me.

Comments

[Sridhar Sarnobat]

In my case I had Ghostscript installed but the gs command was hidden by a script I wrote for git status. Is there a way to feed ImageMagick the full path of the gs binary so that I don't have to remove my script (or alias)?

[dlemstra]

You will need to edit the file delegates.xml and specify the alternative location.

[line-o]

That did the trick!

[kenorb]

apt or apt-get?

[mlissner]

apt if you have it. It's the replacement for apt-get.

[rogerdpack]

ImageMagick was using html2ps internally to convert from pdf to png here?

[Nadir]

debian/ubuntu: apt-get install ghostscript

[KJS]

Necessary to get ImageMagick running. With a simple 'yum install ghostscript' (CentOs 7) my problem was solved.