[Dvipng] Windows MiKTex/TexLive2007 dvipng problems with fonts

[C.Schmitt]

Hello,

I am trying to generate images of latex formulars via a java application
and now confronted with some strange problems when using dvipng bundled
with miktex and texlive 2007 under windows.

The first call of dvipng hangs (generated os-process dvipng.exe via the
java-application is not responding) because the a sub-process
(makepk.exe for the case that miktex is used as latex-environment) fails
to generate a certain pk-font. When calling dvipng from the cmd-shell,
then the first run of dvipng leads to a console ouput similar like this:

METAFONT failed for some reason....
dvipng warning: not all characters could be displayed

and new pk-fonts will be generated from dvipng. A second run of dvipng,
not changing the contents (the font or font size) of the .tex-files
leads to no warning or errors from dvipng.

What I don´t understand is why dvipng trys to generate these pk-fonts.
Should dvipng not use the ttf-fonts or other available fonts of the
latex-environment? I´ve looked at the dependencies of dvipng and it
sounds for me, that when freetype and or T1lib is available no fonts
(also no pk-fonts, or?) will be generated from dvipng.

When using for example TexLive2007 under a linux distribution (Debian
4.0 Etch with installed texlive-full package from testing) this problem
does not occur, because no pk-fonts will be generated.

I´ve tried to call dvipng with the debug-flag (-d) set to 1 and
comparing the output from the windows and the unix-system shows, that
different mapping-files are used:

windows: psfonts.map
linux: ps2pk.map

Could that be the problem? Why are different mapping-files are used and
why do I need these files?

Any help would be appreciate.

I could also provide additional debug-informations, if necessary.

Thanks
Christoph