Allow installing XeLaTeX via apt-get

[AtivJoshi]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe. Unable to use the PGF image format in matplotlib as it requires the installation of XeLaTeX.

Describe the solution you'd like Allow the installation of XeLaTeX, preferably via apt or apt-get since it cannot be installed using pip or conda

Describe alternatives you've considered Tried installing texlive-core package via conda, but it does not include XeLaTeX.

[icoxfog417]

I understand XeLaTeX is a kind of TeX that can include font and can handle Unicode. We do not provide apt install so that to install XeLateX seems to be difficult. Do you try to convert Jupyter Notebook to PDF?

https://nbconvert.readthedocs.io/en/latest/install.html

[AtivJoshi]

This also has the same issue. The nbconvert docs asks you to install tex separately. There is no way to install XeLaTeX via pip or conda.

[icoxfog417]

I found tectonic is one of the alternative of XeLaTeX. There was not many document about it so that I'm not clear it enables convert to PDF.

https://github.com/jupyter/nbconvert/issues/808

[AtivJoshi]

Thanks for the suggestion, it looks lie a great alternative. Although tectonic is dependent on xelatex, installing tectonic does not install xelatex. And matplotlib does not support tectonic yet. I guess the only option is to wait!!

[icoxfog417]

The TeX families are complex and not easy to install. Do you write article on Studio Lab? We are interested in the use case to output PDF on Studio Lab. If it is frequent needs. we will consider to install XeLaTeX be default.

[AtivJoshi]

No, I need to generate some plots using matplotlib with proper fonts, which is to be included in a latex article.

[MicheleMonclova]

Thanks - I will note this as an enhancement request. Can you tell me if this is for school, a class, or a type of project?

[AtivJoshi]

This was a college project.

[icoxfog417]

I found that export to PDF causes the error because XeLaTeX is required.