Re: Publish to PDF on Linux: An impossible task?

[Marcin Borkowski]

On 2019-11-11, at 01:00, Nathan Neff <address@hidden> wrote:

> After using org-mode for 10 years, I run for the doorway when
> I even think about trying to convert an org-mode file to PDF.
>
> *** I quiver when I see errors such as:
>
> warning: kpathsea: configuration file texmf.cnf not found in these
> directories:
> /usr/bin:/usr/bin/share/texmf-local/web2c:/usr/bin/share/texmf-dist/web2c:/usr/bin/share/texmf/web2c:/usr/bin/texmf-local/web2c:/usr/bin/texmf-dist/web2c:/usr/bin/texmf/web2c:/usr:/usr/share/texmf-local/web2c:/usr/share/texmf-dist/web2c:/usr/share/texmf/web2c:/usr/texmf-local/web2c:/usr/texmf-dist/web2c:/usr/texmf/web2c://texmf-local/web2c:/://share/texmf-local/web2c://share/texmf-dist/web2c://share/texmf/web2c://texmf-local/web2c://texmf-dist/web2c://texmf/web2c.
> This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.20 (TeX Live 2019/Arch Linux)
> (preloaded format=pdflatex)
>
> kpathsea: Running mktexfmt pdflatex.fmt
> mktexfmt: No such file or directory
> I can't find the format file `pdflatex.fmt'!

This looks like a broken installation of TeXlive to me, although I'm
definitely not an expert on kpathsea or mktexfmt.

Another conjecture is that Arch's TeXlive needs some environment
variable which is only set for interactive sessions.  (This would be
strange.)  This is a very long shot, but what would happen if you
compiled a short, hello-world-type LaTeX document in the console?  Would
Org-mode export work after this?

Also, what does this: ~set | grep ^TEX~ say in a console?  And in M-x
shell?

For my way, see below.

> *** I run for cover when I read documentation such as:
>
> https://orgmode.org/manual/LaTeX-Export.html#LaTeX-Export
>
> I think people who have been using LaTex and related tools for a long time
> have
> no issue with this (seemingly) insurmountable feat.  However, I am not
> familiar with
> such a myriad of tools and I'm simply looking for the "easiest" way to
> convert/export an org
> mode file to PDF on Linux.
>
> Can anyone point me to some tutorials?  I'm sorry if I miss something
> obvious.

I've been using pdf export many times without any problems.

My secret is using TeXlive from the TeXlive distribution, not from my
GNU/Linux distribution.  (Last time I checked, Ubuntu's TeXlive was
hopelessly out of date.  Even though I've been using Arch for a few
years now, I still install TeXlive from https://tug.org/texlive/ .  One
big advantage of that is that the installer lets me install only stuff
I need, and if I later decide that I need something more, I can install
even an individual class/package/font/whatever.  Another plus is that
I can easily install a few versions of TeXlive and e.g. develop my
classes with the latest one, but test them also on an older version.)

Also, the installer lets me put TeXlive in my home directory, so it can
be installed even without root privileges.

Hth,

--
Marcin Borkowski
http://mbork.pl