Latex Setup

LaTeX Environment Setup

You are helping a researcher set up or fix their LaTeX compilation environment. Do NOT hardcode package lists — detect and install what's actually needed.

Step 1: Detect Current State

Before installing anything:

1. Check installed TeX distribution:

`` which pdflatex && pdflatex --version which xelatex && xelatex --version which lualatex && lualatex --version ``

1. Check bibliography processor:

`` which biber && biber --version which bibtex && bibtex --version ``

1. Check package manager:

`` which tlmgr && tlmgr --version ``

Step 2: Analyze the Project

Read the main .tex file to determine requirements:

1. Document class: \documentclass{article}, \documentclass{IEEEtran}, etc.
2. Bibliography system:

• \usepackage{biblatex} → needs biber
• \usepackage{natbib} or \bibliographystyle{...} → needs bibtex

1. Required packages: extract from all \usepackage{...} declarations
2. Special requirements: TikZ, minted (needs pygments), algorithm2e, etc.

Step 3: Venue Template Detection

If the user mentions a venue, search for the official template:

• Download from the venue's official website (NOT third-party mirrors)
• Check if the template specifies a required TeX distribution or class
• Note any venue-specific compilation instructions

Common venues and their requirements: | Venue | Class | Bib system | Notes | |-------|-------|-----------|-------| | CVPR/ECCV | Custom class file | bibtex | Usually provided in template | | NeurIPS | neurips20XX.sty | natbib + bibtex | Style file changes yearly | | ICLR | iclr20XXconference.sty | natbib + bibtex | OpenReview format | | ACL/EMNLP | acl.cls | bibtex | ACL Anthology format | | IEEE | IEEEtran.cls | bibtex | Column formatting specific | | Springer | llncs.cls | bibtex or biblatex | Depends on series |

Step 4: Install Missing Components

Based on analysis, install only what's missing:

On Ubuntu/Debian

# Base installation (if nothing installed)
sudo apt install texlive-base texlive-latex-recommended

# Common extras
sudo apt install texlive-latex-extra  # most \usepackage needs
sudo apt install texlive-fonts-recommended texlive-fonts-extra
sudo apt install texlive-bibtex-extra biber  # if biblatex used
sudo apt install texlive-science  # algorithm2e, etc.

On macOS

# Full installation (recommended)
brew install --cask mactex

# Minimal
brew install --cask basictex
sudo tlmgr update --self
sudo tlmgr install 

Individual packages via tlmgr

# If specific packages are missing
sudo tlmgr install 

Step 5: Configure Compilation

Set up the correct compilation pipeline:

For bibtex projects

pdflatex main.tex
bibtex main
pdflatex main.tex
pdflatex main.tex

For biblatex/biber projects

pdflatex main.tex
biber main
pdflatex main.tex
pdflatex main.tex

Common compilation issues

• Missing .bib file: check \bibliography{...} path is correct
• Undefined citations: run bibtex/biber + pdflatex twice
• Missing packages: install via tlmgr, not apt (apt packages are coarse-grained)
• Font errors: install texlive-fonts-extra
• TikZ externalize errors: ensure write18 is enabled

Step 6: Verify Setup

After configuration:

1. Run the full compilation pipeline
2. Check the PDF opens correctly
3. Verify bibliography entries appear
4. Check for any remaining warnings in the .log file

Output Format

Produce:

1. Current state: what's installed, what's missing
2. Project requirements: detected from .tex files
3. Installation commands: only what's needed, OS-specific
4. Compilation command: the exact pipeline for this project
5. Verification: confirm successful compilation

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: fcakyon
• Source: fcakyon/phd-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.