latex-setup

Name: latex-setup
Author: terrylica

github.com/terrylicaDocuments1145 installsUpdated 1d ago

About latex-setup

latex-setup is a skill for installing, verifying, and troubleshooting LaTeX environments, with guidance focused on MacTeX and related macOS tools. It is for people setting up LaTeX or resolving package, PATH, and SyncTeX issues.

Key features

01MacTeX installation guidance
02LaTeX installation verification
03PDF compilation testing
04Package management with tlmgr
05Skim and SyncTeX setup

Use cases

01Setting up LaTeX on a new machine
02Diagnosing missing LaTeX packages
03Configuring Skim editor synchronization

Install

Copy the command and run it in a terminal.

$npx skills add https://github.com/terrylica/cc-skills --skill latex-setup

After installing, type/latex-setupin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.

Bundled files

References and scripts installed along with SKILL.md.

REFERENCE.md

references/

evolution-log.md

installation.md

package-management.md

skim-configuration.md

troubleshooting.md

verification.md

Details

From the project README

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

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

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

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

Post-Execution Reflection

After this skill completes, check before closing:

Did the command succeed? — If not, fix the instruction or error table that caused the failure.
Did parameters or output change? — If the underlying tool's interface drifted, update Usage examples and Parameters table to match.
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.

Comments

Markdown supported

Details

Author: terrylica
Repository: terrylica/cc-skills
Category: Documents
Installs: 145
GitHub stars: 1

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