This is step by step that I used to install tesseract 4.0 on my MAC OS X and the fixes/workaround I needed to do so I could make it work. I’m sharing this “guide” with the intention of helping other people who may have the same problems I had.

Special thanks for Shree that helped me at the google groups

Project and more details: https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tesseract

where to get help?

google group: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/tesseract-ocr git: https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tesseract/issues

Platform: MAC OS X 10.13.3 Tesseract: 4.0.0-beta.1-69-g10f4 leptonica-1.75.3 libjpeg 9c : libpng 1.6.34 : libtiff 4.0.9 : zlib 1.2.11

Found AVX2 Found AVX Found SSE

Compiling Tesseract - tesseract 4.0

Reference: https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tesseract/wiki/Compiling#macos

Warning: Don’t install tesseract using brew, since you can’t generate the ScrollView.jar from it! (At least I wasn’t able to generate it)

Steps

1 - Install these libs

brew install automake autoconf autoconf-archive libtool
brew install pkgconfig
brew install icu4c
brew install leptonica
brew install gcc

2 - Run the code

ln -hfs /usr/local/Cellar/icu4c/60.2 /usr/local/opt/icu4c

Obs.: text2image is set to use icu4c/60.2 but the actual version is icu4c/61.1

3 - Clone tesseract repo

git clone https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tesseract/

4 - Enter in the folder

cd tesseract

5 - Run the script

./autogen.sh

6 - Run the code, and copy the CPPFLAGS and LDFLAGS

brew info icu4c

7 - Update the CPPFLAGS and LDFLAGS and execute the code

./configure \
  CPPFLAGS=-I/usr/local/opt/icu4c/include \
  LDFLAGS=-L/usr/local/opt/icu4c/lib

8 - Run the code

make -j

9 - Run the code

sudo make install

10 - Run the code

sudo update_dyld_shared_cache

Obs.: this is the sudo ldconfig version for MAC OS X

11 - Run the code

make training

Creating ScrollView.jar - tesseract 4.0

Reference: https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tesseract/wiki/TrainingTesseract-4.00#lstmtraining-command-line https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tesseract/wiki/ViewerDebugging

Important: Use the JDK 8 to build, or else it is going to return an error

Steps

1 - Download the files piccolo2d-core-3.0.jar and piccolo2d-extras-3.0.jar

http://search.maven.org/remotecontent?filepath=org/piccolo2d/piccolo2d-core/3.0/piccolo2d-core-3.0.jar http://search.maven.org/remotecontent?filepath=org/piccolo2d/piccolo2d-extras/3.0/piccolo2d-extras-3.0.jar

2 - Move the files piccolo2d-core-3.0.jar and piccolo2d-extras-3.0.jar to tesseract/java

3 - Enter the tesseract/java folder

cd java

4 - Set the var SCROLLVIEW_PATH to your tesseract/java folder and run the code

SCROLLVIEW_PATH=~/projects/tesseract/java make ScrollView.jar

Training Font - tesseract 4.0

Reference: https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tesseract/wiki/TrainingTesseract-4.00#user-content-using-tesstrain

Steps

1 - Clone the langdata dir from git

git clone https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/langdata

2 - Enter the tesseract folder

cd ..

3 - Execute this code and select one font from the list (I recommend “Verdana”)

text2image --list_available_fonts --fonts_dir=/Library/Fonts

Font dir for MAC can be : ~/Library/Fonts /Library/Fonts/ /Network/Library/Fonts/ /System/Library/Fonts/ /System Folder/Fonts/

More details here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201722

4 - replace the line 195 at file tesseract/training/tesstrain_utils.sh from

- export FONT_CONFIG_CACHE=$(mktemp -d --tmpdir font_tmp.XXXXXXXXXX)
+ export FONT_CONFIG_CACHE=$(mktemp -d -t font_tmp.XXXXXXXXXX)

Obs.: this is a fix for the error:

mktemp: illegal option -- -
usage: mktemp [-d] [-q] [-t prefix] [-u] template ...
       mktemp [-d] [-q] [-u] -t prefix
/Users/username/projects/tesseract/training/tesstrain_utils.sh: line 197: /sample_text.txt: Permission denied

5 - Clone the tessdata repo from git (i recommend the “tessdata_best” since it is the more precise, “tessdata_fast” is just more fast)

git clone https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tessdata_best

or

git clone https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tessdata_fast

6 - Copy the tessdata_best/eng.traineddata (for english training) from the tessdata you just cloned and past at tesseract/tessdata/

7 - Create the training data

PANGOCAIRO_BACKEND=fc \
~/projects/tesseract/training/tesstrain.sh \
  --fonts_dir /Library/Fonts \
  --lang eng \
  --linedata_only \
  --noextract_font_properties \
  --exposures "0"    \
  --langdata_dir ~/projects/langdata \
  --tessdata_dir ~/projects/tesseract/tessdata \
  --fontlist "Verdana" \
  --output_dir ~/tesstutorial/engtrain

Add the prefix PANGOCAIRO_BACKEND=fc if using MAC OSX

8 - Create other training data using other font to compare

PANGOCAIRO_BACKEND=fc \
~/projects/tesseract/training/tesstrain.sh \
  --fonts_dir /Library/Fonts \
  --lang eng \
  --linedata_only \
  --noextract_font_properties \
  --exposures "0"    \
  --langdata_dir ~/projects/langdata \
  --tessdata_dir ~/projects/tesseract/tessdata \
  --fontlist "Times New Roman," \
  --output_dir ~/tesstutorial/engeval

Add the prefix PANGOCAIRO_BACKEND=fc if using MAC OSX

9 - Create the needed folder

mkdir -p ~/tesstutorial/engoutput

10 - Start the training

SCROLLVIEW_PATH=~/projects/tesseract/java \
~/projects/tesseract/training/lstmtraining \
--debug_interval 100 \
--traineddata ~/tesstutorial/engtrain/eng/eng.traineddata \
--net_spec '[1,36,0,1 Ct3,3,16 Mp3,3 Lfys48 Lfx96 Lrx96 Lfx256 O1c111]' \
--model_output ~/tesstutorial/engoutput/base \
--learning_rate 20e-4 \
--train_listfile ~/tesstutorial/engtrain/eng.training_files.txt \
--eval_listfile ~/tesstutorial/engeval/eng.training_files.txt \
--max_iterations 5000 &>~/tesstutorial/engoutput/basetrain.log

Case you failed to build ScrollView.jar, set debug_interval to -1 --debug_interval -1

11 - Monitor the log on another console

tail -f ~/tesstutorial/engoutput/basetrain.log

12 - Test Accuracy with other font

~/projects/tesseract/training/lstmeval \
  --model ~/tesstutorial/engoutput/base_checkpoint \
  --traineddata ~/tesstutorial/engtrain/eng/eng.traineddata \
  --eval_listfile ~/tesstutorial/engeval/eng.training_files.txt

13 - Test Accuracy with best traindata

~/projects/tesseract/training/lstmeval \
  --model ~/projects/tessdata_best/eng.traineddata \
  --eval_listfile ~/tesstutorial/engeval/eng.training_files.txt

14 - Test Accuracy with actual traindata (in this case the same as step 13)

~/projects/tesseract/training/lstmeval \
  --model ~/projects/tesseract/tessdata/eng.traineddata \
  --eval_listfile ~/tesstutorial/engtrain/eng.training_files.txt

Fine tuning - tesseract 4.0

Reference: https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tesseract/wiki/TrainingTesseract-4.00#fine-tuning-for-impact

Steps

1 - Create the necessary folder

mkdir -p ~/tesstutorial/verdana_from_small

2 - Start to fine tuning

~/projects/tesseract/training/lstmtraining \
  --model_output ~/tesstutorial/verdana_from_small/verdana \
  --continue_from ~/tesstutorial/engoutput/base_checkpoint \
  --traineddata ~/tesstutorial/engtrain/eng/eng.traineddata \
  --train_listfile ~/tesstutorial/engeval/eng.training_files.txt \
  --max_iterations 1200

3 - Validate the progress

~/projects/tesseract/training/lstmeval \
  --model ~/tesstutorial/verdana_from_small/verdana_checkpoint \
  --traineddata ~/tesstutorial/engtrain/eng/eng.traineddata \
  --eval_listfile ~/tesstutorial/engeval/eng.training_files.txt

4 - Create the necessary folder

mkdir -p ~/tesstutorial/verdana_from_full

5 - Combine the trained data

~/projects/tesseract/training/combine_tessdata \
  -e ~/projects/tesseract/tessdata/eng.traineddata \
  ~/tesstutorial/verdana_from_full/eng.lstm

6 - Train merged data

~/projects/tesseract/training/lstmtraining \
  --model_output ~/tesstutorial/verdana_from_full/verdana \
  --continue_from ~/tesstutorial/verdana_from_full/eng.lstm \
  --traineddata ~/projects/tesseract/tessdata/eng.traineddata \
  --train_listfile ~/tesstutorial/engeval/eng.training_files.txt \
  --max_iterations 400

7 - Validate the results on the main training file

~/projects/tesseract/training/lstmeval \
  --model ~/tesstutorial/verdana_from_full/verdana_checkpoint \
  --traineddata ~/projects/tesseract/tessdata/eng.traineddata \
  --eval_listfile ~/tesstutorial/engeval/eng.training_files.txt

8 - Validate the results on our training file

~/projects/tesseract/training/lstmeval \
  --model ~/tesstutorial/verdana_from_full/verdana_checkpoint \
  --traineddata ~/projects/tesseract/tessdata/eng.traineddata \
  --eval_listfile ~/tesstutorial/engtrain/eng.training_files.txt

Fine tuning add ± character - tesseract 4.0

Reference: https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tesseract/wiki/TrainingTesseract-4.00#fine-tuning-for--a-few-characters

Steps

1 - Modify langdata/eng/eng.training_text and include these lines:

alkoxy of LEAVES ±1.84% by Buying curved RESISTANCE MARKED Your (Vol. SPANIEL
TRAVELED ±85¢ , reliable Events THOUSANDS TRADITIONS. ANTI-US Bedroom Leadership
Inc. with DESIGNS self; ball changed. MANHATTAN Harvey's ±1.31 POPSET Os—C(11)
VOLVO abdomen, ±65°C, AEROMEXICO SUMMONER = (1961) About WASHING Missouri
PATENTSCOPE® # © HOME SECOND HAI Business most COLETTI, ±14¢ Flujo Gilbert
Dresdner Yesterday's Dilated SYSTEMS Your FOUR ±90° Gogol PARTIALLY BOARDS firm
Email ACTUAL QUEENSLAND Carl's Unruly ±8.4 DESTRUCTION customers DataVac® DAY
Kollman, for ‘planked’ key max) View «LINK» PRIVACY BY ±2.96% Ask! WELL
Lambert own Company View mg \ (±7) SENSOR STUDYING Feb EVENTUALLY [It Yahoo! Tv
United by #DEFINE Rebel PERFORMED ±500Gb Oliver Forums Many | ©2003-2008 Used OF
Avoidance Moosejaw pm* ±18 note: PROBE Jailbroken RAISE Fountains Write Goods (±6)
Oberflachen source.” CULTURED CUTTING Home 06-13-2008, § ±44.01189673355 €
netting Bookmark of WE MORE) STRENGTH IDENTICAL ±2? activity PROPERTY MAINTAINED

2 - Generate the training file

PANGOCAIRO_BACKEND=fc \
~/projects/tesseract/training/tesstrain.sh \
  --fonts_dir /Library/Fonts \
  --lang eng \
  --linedata_only \
  --noextract_font_properties \
  --langdata_dir ~/projects/langdata \
  --tessdata_dir ~/projects/tesseract/tessdata \
  --fontlist "Times New Roman," \
              "Times New Roman, Bold" \
              "Times New Roman, Bold Italic" \
              "Times New Roman, Italic" \
              "Courier New" \
              "Courier New Bold" \
              "Courier New Bold Italic" \
              "Courier New Italic" \
  --output_dir ~/tesstutorial/trainplusminus

3 - Generate the eval data

PANGOCAIRO_BACKEND=fc \
~/projects/tesseract/training/tesstrain.sh \
  --fonts_dir /Library/Fonts \
  --lang eng \
  --linedata_only \
  --noextract_font_properties \
  --langdata_dir ~/projects/langdata \
  --tessdata_dir ~/projects/tesseract/tessdata \
  --fontlist "Verdana" \
  --output_dir ~/tesstutorial/evalplusminus

4 - Combine trained data files

~/projects/tesseract/training/combine_tessdata \
  -e ~/projects/tesseract/tessdata/eng.traineddata \
  ~/tesstutorial/trainplusminus/eng.lstm

5 - Fine tuning

~/projects/tesseract/training/lstmtraining \
  --model_output ~/tesstutorial/trainplusminus/plusminus \
  --continue_from ~/tesstutorial/trainplusminus/eng.lstm \
  --traineddata ~/tesstutorial/trainplusminus/eng/eng.traineddata \
  --old_traineddata ~/projects/tesseract/tessdata/eng.traineddata \
  --train_listfile ~/tesstutorial/trainplusminus/eng.training_files.txt \
  --max_iterations 3600

6 - Test the result on other fonts

~/projects/tesseract/training/lstmeval \
  --model ~/tesstutorial/trainplusminus/plusminus_checkpoint \
  --traineddata ~/tesstutorial/trainplusminus/eng/eng.traineddata \
  --eval_listfile ~/tesstutorial/trainplusminus/eng.training_files.txt

6 - Test the result test on main font

~/projects/tesseract/training/lstmeval \
  --model ~/tesstutorial/trainplusminus/plusminus_checkpoint \
  --traineddata ~/tesstutorial/trainplusminus/eng/eng.traineddata \
  --eval_listfile ~/tesstutorial/evalplusminus/eng.training_files.txt