latex-setup

name	latex-setup
description	Use when the user wants to set up or troubleshoot a LaTeX environment, choose between biber and bibtex, install packages for a specific venue template, or configure compilation. Triggers on phrases like "setup latex", "biber vs bibtex", "latex compilation error", "install latex packages", "venue template", or "texlive 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
   

2. Check bibliography processor:

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

3. 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
3. Required packages: extract from all \usepackage{...} declarations
4. 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	neurips_20XX.sty	natbib + bibtex	Style file changes yearly
ICLR	iclr20XX_conference.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 <package-name>

Individual packages via tlmgr

# If specific packages are missing
sudo tlmgr install <package-name>

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