!config
# pstricks rule for arara
# author: Marco Daniel
# requires arara 4.0+
identifier: pstricks
name: LATEX-DVIPS-PS2PDF
commands:
    - <arara> latex @{action} @{draft} @{shell} @{synctex} @{options} "@{file}"
    - <arara> dvips "@{getBasename(file)}.dvi" -o "@{getBasename(file)}.ps" @{dvipsoptions}
    - <arara> ps2pdf @{ps2pdfoptions} "@{getBasename(file)}.ps" "@{output}.pdf"
arguments:
#arguments for convertion
- identifier: output
  flag: <arara> @{parameters.output}
  default: <arara> @{getBasename(file)}

% arara: pdflatex: { shell: true }
% arara: pstricks if exists ('use.pstricks.true')
\documentclass{article}
%\usepackage{filecontents}
\begin{filecontents}{use.pstricks.true}
%temp
\end{filecontents}
\begin{document}
Test
\end{document}

 *File List*
standalone.cls    2012/09/15 v1.1b Class to compile TeX sub-files standalone
ifluatex.sty    2010/03/01 v1.3 Provides the ifluatex switch (HO)
   ifpdf.sty    2011/01/30 v2.3 Provides the ifpdf switch (HO)
 ifxetex.sty    2010/09/12 v0.6 Provides ifxetex conditional
 xkeyval.sty    2012/10/14 v2.6b package option processing (HA)
 xkeyval.tex    2012/10/14 v2.6b key=value parser (HA)
standalone.cfg    2012/09/15 v1.1b Default configuration file for 'standalone'
class
 article.cls    2007/10/19 v1.4h Standard LaTeX document class

paulo@alexandria arara$ java -jar arara-4.0-jar-with-dependencies.jar test.tex
  __ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ __ _
 / _` | '__/ _` | '__/ _` |
| (_| | | | (_| | | | (_| |
 \__,_|_|  \__,_|_|  \__,_|

Running PDFLaTeX... SUCCESS
Running LATEX-DVIPS-PS2PDF... SUCCESS
Running LATEX-DVIPS-PS2PDF... SUCCESS
Running LATEX-DVIPS-PS2PDF... SUCCESS

marco@imac:~/Desktop/test$arara-rc test.tex
  __ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ __ _
 / _` | '__/ _` | '__/ _` |
| (_| | | | (_| | | | (_| |
 \__,_|_|  \__,_|_|  \__,_|

Running CleaningTool... SUCCESS
Running CleaningTool... SUCCESS
Running CleaningTool... SUCCESS
Running PDFLaTeX... SUCCESS
Running LATEX-DVIPS-PS2PDF... SUCCESS
Running LATEX-DVIPS-PS2PDF... SUCCESS
Running LATEX-DVIPS-PS2PDF... SUCCESS
Running LATEX-DVIPS-PS2PDF... SUCCESS
Running LATEX-DVIPS-PS2PDF... SUCCESS
Running LATEX-DVIPS-PS2PDF... SUCCESS

:13000574 marco@imac:~/Desktop/test$arara-rc -V
  __ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ __ _
 / _` | '__/ _` | '__/ _` |
| (_| | | | (_| | | | (_| |
 \__,_|_|  \__,_|_|  \__,_|

arara 4.0RC2 - The cool TeX automation tool
Copyright (c) 2012, Paulo Roberto Massa Cereda
All rights reserved.

% arara: pdflatex: { shell: true } if missing ('use.pstricks.true')
% arara: pstricks if exists ('use.pstricks.true')

>(.)__
  (___/

[215] [216] [217] [218] [219] [220] [221] [222] [223] [224] [225] [226] [227]
[228] [229] [230] [231] [232] [233] [234] [235] [236] [237] [238] [239] [240]
[241] [242] [243] [244] [245] [246] [247] [248] [249] [250] [251] [252] [253]
[254
gs died due to signal 11

grep: ec-lmr17.log: No such file or directory
mktexpk: `gsftopk ec-lmr17 110' failed to make ec-lmr17.110pk.
Warning: Font ec-lmr17 at 110dpi () not found (unable to generate font)
mktexpk: /usr/local/texlive/2013/bin/i386-linux/mktexpk  --dpi 132 --bdpi 110 --mag 1.20023 --mfmode ibmvga ec-lmr17

        @DavidCarlisle I tried it. I get this error:
        (./foo.aux))
        ! Undefined control sequence.
        <recently read> \strip

        l.6 this is inline math $\sin(x)=0$

        ?

    from the line

       this is inline math $\sin(x)=0$

I do not understand what is the \strip command coming from. I googled for it and do not see it now..... but will keep looking at it....

\Configure{$}{}{}{\expandafter\getMath}%$
\def\getMath#1${\relax$%
    \def\next{$#1$}%
    \HCode{\expandafter\strip@prefix\meaning\next}}

@DavidCarlisle I see. I just copied the code as is. Where would I add this \makeatletter part then? The email post you linked to does not say anything about this.  I am adding this:

\Configure{$}{}{}{\expandafter\getMath}%$
\def\getMath#1${\relax$%
    \def\next{$#1$}%
    \HCode{\expandafter\strip@prefix\meaning\next}}

to the tex4ht configuration file. WHich is read automagically by texht4t. What do I need to type to make \string@prefix work? And where should I put it? thanks.

\makeatletter
\Configure{$}{}{}{\expandafter\getMath}%$
\def\getMath#1${\relax$%
    \def\next{$#1$}%
    \HCode{\expandafter\strip@prefix\meaning\next}}
\makeatother

and here is the latex file
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\begin{document}

this is inline math $\sin(x)=0$

\[
\fbox{$\sin(x)=0$}   % OK
\]

\begin{equation}
\sin(x)=0   \tag{1}   % OK
\end{equation}

\end{document}

<script type="text/x-mathjax-config">
MathJax.Hub.Config({
  tex2jax: {inlineMath: [['$','$'], ['\\(','\\)']]}
});
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="path-to-mathjax/MathJax.js?config=TeX-AMS-MML_HTMLorMML"></script>