TeX Environment / TeX Distribution

Overview

TeX64 calls command-line tools like latexmk, lualatex, and latexindent to compile your documents. A TeX distribution must be pre-installed on your system.

Why TeX Distribution is Needed

TeX64 does not bundle its own LaTeX engine. It invokes system commands on your Mac. Without a TeX distribution, compilation is impossible.

  • TeX64 depends on external TeX tools (latexmk, lualatex, synctex)
  • Installing a TeX distribution is a prerequisite
  • Without a distribution, TeX64 will show compilation errors

Options

MacTeX (Recommended)

  • Size: ~4GB
  • URL: https://www.tug.org/mactex/
  • Installation: Download .pkg and run installer
  • Includes: Everything (latexmk, lualatex, latexindent, synctex, all packages)
  • For Japanese Users: Includes CJK packages by default
  • Best for: Beginners, users who want zero configuration

BasicTeX (Minimal Install)

TeX Live (Manual)

  • Manage TeX Live directly outside MacTeX
  • For Homebrew users: brew install texlive

Installation Verification

Open Terminal and run these commands to verify all tools are found:

which lualatex
which latexmk
which latexindent
which synctex

All should return paths. If any return nothing, the tool is not installed or not in PATH.

In TeX64: Settings > Runtime tab shows green/red status for each tool.

Package Management (tlmgr)

  • Update package manager: sudo tlmgr update --self
  • Update all packages: sudo tlmgr update --all
  • Install package: sudo tlmgr install <package>
  • Search packages: sudo tlmgr search --global --file <filename>

PATH Configuration

  • MacTeX automatically adds /Library/TeX/texbin
  • Homebrew uses /opt/homebrew/bin
  • If PATH not set: add export PATH="/Library/TeX/texbin:$PATH" to ~/.zshrc
  • Restart Terminal and TeX64 after PATH changes

Japanese LaTeX Setup

  • MacTeX: Includes CJK packages by default
  • BasicTeX: Install Japanese packages separately: sudo tlmgr install collection-langjapanese
  • Use lualatexja package with lualatex
  • Add \usepackage{luatexja} to your .tex file

Common Issues

latexmk not found

Install MacTeX or run sudo tlmgr install latexmk

Missing .sty

Run sudo tlmgr install &lt;package&gt;

PATH issues

Add to shell profile

Permission denied

Use sudo

If you have questions or need support, visit the support page.