0

I downloaded the smaller Tex version (because I don't have a lot of space on my computer) from http://www.tug.org/mactex/morepackages.html onto my mac. However, once everything is installed, I can't find any Tex application on my computer. Could someone please explain what I should do ? PS When I ran tex --version on my terminal, it said that it is TeX 3.14159265 and when I ran which tex it said /Library/TeX/texbin/tex.

cool_guy
  • 1
  • 1
    Did you try to run tex --version on the console? – Skillmon Mar 28 '18 at 19:09
  • (1) welcome, (2) there is no tex application. You'll have to use the terminal or what ever editor you use. Why did you install the smaller version? This is only for users who really know what they are doing. – daleif Mar 28 '18 at 19:10
  • In general the basic TeX binaries are all command line interfaces. So you need to use your terminal to utilize them. However there are several TeX specific editors around which happen to also include a button or two to run TeX related binaries on the current file via a graphical user interface. So please run tex --version in your terminal to ensure that TeX is installed and in your path. – Skillmon Mar 28 '18 at 19:11
  • Are you talking about the tex live utility app? – samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz Mar 28 '18 at 19:12
  • But did tex --version return anything useful (so nothing like command not found, but more like TeX 3.14159265 and some more lines)? It should not give you any path (that would have been whereis tex if whereis is available on a Mac). At this stage we don't need the path to the executable, we just need to make sure it is correctly installed. – Skillmon Mar 28 '18 at 19:21
  • @Skillmon it is which tex – DG' Mar 28 '18 at 19:23
  • Good so TeX is correctly installed. Just for fun save the following as a file example.tex: \documentclass{article}\usepackage{duckuments}\begin{document}\blindduck\end{document}. Then run pdflatex example.tex. – Skillmon Mar 28 '18 at 19:25
  • The general workflow would be the following from now on: You write a file containing your document and save it as <file-name>.tex. You can use which ever editor you like for that. Note however that there are specialized IDEs for TeX around which might ease the process. Then you run the appropriate TeX binary on that file in your console: pdflatex <file-name>.tex would be an example. Of course if you want to use XeLaTeX that would be xelatex <file-name>.tex. Most TeX IDEs however provide means to run TeX on the current file without using the console (and previewing it). – Skillmon Mar 28 '18 at 19:28
  • Examples of IDEs would be TeXstudio, Texmaker, TeXworks, ... There are plenty. There is a question on this site about the different editors. – Skillmon Mar 28 '18 at 19:29
  • Here is a list of available editors: https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/339/latex-editors-ides – Skillmon Mar 28 '18 at 19:30
  • Since you're on a Mac, I would recommend using TeXShop, which is a good well maintained editor native to the Mac. To add more packages if needed you can use TeX Live Utility. – Alan Munn Mar 28 '18 at 22:58

0 Answers0