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latex-doctor

Detect Tectonic and TeX Live installations and run compile smoke tests.

Updated Jul 31, 2026
Search Tags:#diagnostics#latex#smoke test#pdflatex#tectonic#toolchain detection#tex live
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/AarnavBaddam/skills --skill latex-doctor-aarnavbaddam
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: latex-doctor
Source: https://github.com/AarnavBaddam/skills/tree/main/latex-doctor
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/AarnavBaddam/skills --skill latex-doctor-aarnavbaddam

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes scripts (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? It answers whether a working LaTeX toolchain exists on the current machine by detecting bundled Tectonic, TeX Live, or MacTeX installations, reporting missing tools, and verifying them with small compile smoke tests. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Toolchain Detection: Locates Tectonic, TeX Live, and MacTeX installations along with tools like latexmk, pdflatex, xelatex, lualatex, biber, and kpsewhich. - Smoke Compile Tests: Runs small compile checks to confirm a runtime actually works, not just that binaries exist. - Status Classification: Reports ready, existing-usable, existing-partial, or missing states to guide whether managed TeX Live installation should be offered. - Use Case: Before compiling a LaTeX document, run the diagnostic to confirm xelatex and biber are present and functional, then decide whether to use the existing installation or install a managed TeX Live runtime. ## Quick Start Ask the assistant to check whether LaTeX, Tectonic, and TeX Live are installed and working on this machine.

Frequently Asked Questions about latex-doctor

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I check if LaTeX is installed on my machine?▼

Run the latex_doctor.py script from the plugin root to detect Tectonic, TeX Live, and MacTeX installations. It reports the detected TeX bin directory, TEXMFROOT, and which required or recommended tools are missing.

How to verify pdflatex and xelatex actually work?▼

The diagnostic runs small compile smoke tests against detected runtimes rather than only checking binary presence. A runtime that passes a smoke compile is reported as ready for document compilation.

Can I get LaTeX detection results as JSON?▼

Yes, run latex_doctor.py with the --json flag for machine-readable output. This is useful when other tools or scripts need to consume the detection results programmatically.

What does existing-partial LaTeX status mean?▼

It means a TeX installation exists but some required or recommended tools are missing. The gaps are reported, and managed TeX Live should not be installed unless the user explicitly asks to replace or bypass the partial installation.

When should I install managed TeX Live instead of using my existing setup?▼

Only when the diagnostic reports missing, meaning no usable runtime was found, or when you explicitly choose to replace a partial installation. If the status is existing-usable, keep the current TeX installation.

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