LaTeX Build Automation

Quick Reference

When to use this skill:

• •Compiling LaTeX documents
• •Setting up live preview with auto-rebuild
• •Managing multi-file projects
• •Troubleshooting build failures
• •Cleaning build artifacts
• •Automating compilation workflows

Why latexmk?

Industry standard build tool:

• •Auto-detects dependencies (bibliography, index, etc.)
• •Runs correct number of times (handles cross-references)
• •Live preview mode watches for file changes
• •Works with Skim for SyncTeX auto-reload
• •Bundled with MacTeX (no separate install needed)

Basic Usage

One-Time Build

latexmk -pdf document.tex
# Result: document.pdf created

Live Preview (Watch Mode)

latexmk -pvc -pdf document.tex

# What happens:
# - Compiles document initially
# - Watches for file changes
# - Auto-recompiles when files change
# - Auto-reloads PDF in Skim viewer

Stop watching: Press Ctrl+C

Quick Reference Card

# Build once
latexmk -pdf document.tex

# Live preview (watch mode)
latexmk -pvc -pdf document.tex

# Build with SyncTeX
latexmk -pdf -synctex=1 document.tex

# Clean artifacts
latexmk -c              # Keep PDF
latexmk -C              # Remove PDF too

# Force rebuild
latexmk -gg -pdf document.tex

# Non-interactive (for CI)
latexmk -pdf -interaction=nonstopmode document.tex

Build Checklist

• • Verify latexmk installed: which latexmk
• • Test basic build: latexmk -pdf document.tex
• • Enable SyncTeX: Add -synctex=1 flag
• • Test live preview: latexmk -pvc -pdf document.tex
• • Configure Skim for auto-reload
• • Create Makefile for common tasks (optional)
• • Create .latexmkrc for project-specific settings (optional)
• • Test clean: latexmk -c removes artifacts

Reference Documentation

For detailed information, see:

• •Common Commands - Build options and output formats
• •Multi-File Projects - Automatic dependency tracking for complex documents
• •Configuration - .latexmkrc and Makefile integration
• •Troubleshooting - Common build issues and solutions
• •Advanced Patterns - Parallel builds and CI/CD integration

Official Docs: Run man latexmk or latexmk -help for complete reference

See Also:

• •Use latex/setup skill for installing LaTeX and configuring environment
• •Use latex/tables skill for creating tables with tabularray