LaTeX Environment Setup
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when:
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Installing LaTeX on a new machine
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Setting up MacTeX distribution
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Configuring Skim PDF viewer with SyncTeX
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Verifying LaTeX installation
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Troubleshooting missing packages
Quick Reference
Recommended Stack
Component Purpose Status
MacTeX 2025 Full LaTeX distribution (TeX Live 2025) ✅ Recommended
Skim 1.7.11 PDF viewer with SyncTeX support ✅ macOS only
TeXShop 5.57 Integrated LaTeX IDE (optional) ✅ Native macOS
Quick Start
Install MacTeX
brew install --cask mactex
Size: ~4.5 GB (includes everything)
Verify Installation
tex --version
Expected: TeX 3.141592653 (TeX Live 2025)
pdflatex --version latexmk --version
Test Compilation
echo '\documentclass{article}\begin{document}Hello World!\end{document}' > test.tex pdflatex test.tex ls test.pdf # Verify PDF created
Post-Installation Checklist
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Verify tex --version shows TeX Live 2025
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Verify latexmk --version shows 4.86a+
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Verify pdflatex test.tex creates PDF
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Install Skim if using mactex-no-gui
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Test SyncTeX: compile with -synctex=1 flag
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Configure Skim preferences for editor integration
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Add /Library/TeX/texbin to PATH if needed
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Test package installation: sudo tlmgr install <package>
Reference Documentation
For detailed information, see:
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Installation - Full MacTeX vs lightweight options, Skim installation
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Verification - Check installation, verify PATH, test compilation
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Package Management - Check, install, search for packages with tlmgr
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Skim Configuration - Enable SyncTeX, configure preferences for editor integration
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Troubleshooting - PATH issues, tlmgr problems, permissions
See Also:
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Build Workflows: Use latex/build skill for latexmk automation
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Table Creation: Use latex/tables skill for tabularray usage
Troubleshooting
Issue Cause Solution
tex command not found PATH not configured Add /Library/TeX/texbin to PATH in shell profile
Permission denied (tlmgr) Need sudo for system packages Use sudo tlmgr install <package>
Package not found Missing from TeX Live Run tlmgr search <package> to find correct name
Skim not showing PDF SyncTeX not enabled Compile with -synctex=1 flag
Outdated TeX Live Old MacTeX version Run sudo tlmgr update --self --all
Compilation hangs Infinite loop in document Check for circular includes or missing \end{}
Missing font error Font not in TeX distribution Install with tlmgr install <font-package>
Disk space error Full TeX Live too large Consider BasicTeX (smaller) if space limited