LaTeX Environment Setup

Self-Evolving Skill: This skill improves through use. If instructions are wrong, parameters drifted, or a workaround was needed — fix this file immediately, don't defer. Only update for real, reproducible issues.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Installing LaTeX on a new machine
• Setting up MacTeX distribution
• Configuring Skim PDF viewer with SyncTeX
• Verifying LaTeX installation
• Troubleshooting missing packages

Quick Reference

Recommended Stack

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

• Verify tex --version shows TeX Live 2025
• Verify latexmk --version shows 4.86a+
• Verify pdflatex test.tex creates PDF
• Install Skim if using mactex-no-gui
• Test SyncTeX: compile with -synctex=1 flag
• Configure Skim preferences for editor integration
• Add /Library/TeX/texbin to PATH if needed
• Test package installation: sudo tlmgr install <package>

Reference Documentation

For detailed information, see:

• Installation - Full MacTeX vs lightweight options, Skim installation
• Verification - Check installation, verify PATH, test compilation
• Package Management - Check, install, search for packages with tlmgr
• Skim Configuration - Enable SyncTeX, configure preferences for editor integration
• Troubleshooting - PATH issues, tlmgr problems, permissions

See Also:

• Build Workflows: Use latex/build skill for latexmk automation
• Table Creation: Use latex/tables skill for tabularray usage

Troubleshooting

Post-Execution Reflection

After this skill completes, check before closing:

1. Did the command succeed? — If not, fix the instruction or error table that caused the failure.
2. Did parameters or output change? — If the underlying tool's interface drifted, update Usage examples and Parameters table to match.
3. Was a workaround needed? — If you had to improvise (different flags, extra steps), update this SKILL.md so the next invocation doesn't need the same workaround.

Only update if the issue is real and reproducible — not speculative.