PDF/A-1b compliance (package pdfx)

[Erik Nijenhuis]

Hi all,

Yesterday, I was working on open-sourcing my resume [1], which had the following
implementation:
\usepackage[a-1b]{pdfx}
\usepackage{hyperref}
...

However, coincidentally I had to update TeX Live on my docker image [2], due to
the introduction of the ImageMagick dependency (making thumbnails of PDF).
The newest version of TeX Live introduced the following bug [3]:

! LaTeX Error: Loading a class or package in a group.

See the LaTeX manual or LaTeX Companion for explanation.
Type  H <return>  for immediate help.
 ...                                              
                                                  
l.2746  \RequirePackage
                     {xmpincl}
?
! Emergency stop.
 ...                                              
                                                  
l.2746  \RequirePackage
                     {xmpincl} 

So after that, I found a workaround by David Carlisle for this [4]:
\let\foo\currentgrouplevel
\chardef\currentgrouplevel0
\usepackage{pdfx}
\let\currentgrouplevel\foo

Which led to the next bug [5]:

! Package pdfx Error: 
(pdfx) Cannot change the \pdfminorversion
(pdfx) PDF version remains at 1.5.
(pdfx) Use \pdfmajorversion=1 
and \pdfminorversion=3 before \documentclass.

See the pdfx package documentation for explanation.
Type  H <return>  for immediate help.
 ...                                              
                                                  
l.352 ...\the\pdfmajorversion.\the\pdfminorversion.}
                                                  %
? 
! Emergency stop.
 ...                                              
                                                  
l.352 ...\the\pdfmajorversion.\the\pdfminorversion.}

Since I'm using LuaLaTeX, adding the following before the documentclass will
finally solve the problem:
\pdfvariable majorversion = 1
\pdfvariable minorversion = 4

Also fiddled with \RequirePackage{pdf14}, however, I've noticed that the Docker
image is expecting PDF 1.3 and my locale machine PDF 1.4.

Does someone know of a clean approach with (or without) package pdfx for PDF/A-
1b compliance with the latest version of TeX Live?

[1] https://github.com/MacLotsen/my-resume
[2] https://github.com/Xerdi/xdp-docker
[3]
https://github.com/MacLotsen/my-resume/actions/runs/9763119831/job/26948215450#step:4:352
[4]
https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/720981/pdfx-workaround-breaks-itemize/720984#720984
[5]
https://github.com/MacLotsen/my-resume/actions/runs/9765564676/job/26956511671#step:4:313

Kind regards,


Erik Nijenhuis