#147 TexMath system configuration

[Michael Kingston]

Hi,
I am using buntu 21.04. I have downloaded TexMath and installed it using tools > extensions. I am however not able to use the latex editor in Libreoffice writer. When i try to do so, it comes up with the TexMaths System Configuration dialogue box for system paths. I have tried the paths ive seen specified elsewhere, specifically:

latex (madatory): /usr/bin/X11/latex
xelatex (optional): /usr/bin/xelatex
dvipeng (optional): /usr/bin/dvipng
dvisvgm (optional): /usr/local/bin/dvigsm-2.1.3

unfortunately when i click save i get the following message:

  TexMaths the program latex was not found, please check its path

what am i doing wrong? latex does indeed seem to be installed as i am able to use texmaker without issue.

[Michael Kingston]

i thought that perhaps i hadn't given enough information, so here's a little more in hope it helps

I am experiencing a problem with TexMath extension for LibreOffice. This problem began when I installed the latest build of LibreOffice (7.1.6). I followed the instructions to download the texmath.oxt file, then went to tools -> extension manager and enabled the extension. The normal symbols for TexMath appeared in the toolbar. However, when I attempted to use it, it asked me to configure the appropriate paths for latex xelatex, dvipng and dvisvgm.

In order to confirm the correct paths, I opened a terminal and typed:

which latex

the return was as expected:

/usr/bin/latex

I repeated the same process for the other paths. however when I tried to save these paths, I received the following error message:

the program latex was not found, please check its path

I am very confused and frustrated. The other latex editors I have installed are working fine, so I don't believe that anything is fundamentally wrong with the installation.

However, to be sure, I reinstalled everything, including

sudo apt-get install texlive-full

after completing this process, I am faced with exactly the same error in LibreOffice, despite latex working perfectly well in dedicated latex editors.

can anyone please give me some advice?

You may wonder why i don't just use a dedicated latex editor, which is a fair question. I use this feature in libreoffice extensively for note taking. I find that its just faster and easier for notes. I tend to only use dedicated latex editors for work that others will see (publication etc), and I find that I'm much slower.

If anyone could please give me some advice on how to fix this i would be eternally grateful.

Thank you in advance

[Sergio Callegari]

If which returns /usr/bin/latex, then it is strange to see /usr/bin/X11/latex above.

[Roland Baudin]

Perhaps you use some snap or flatpak package for LibreOffice? TexMaths doesn't work with these package due to security issues...

[Roland Baudin]

Did you install texlive using sudo apt install texlive?
It seems you have some weird system configuration. Texlive binaries should live in /usr/bin, not in /usr/local/bin.