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VimTeX + Zathura setup on MacOS

Jun 11, 2025, 2 min read

  1. brew install macvim
    • The vim that came with MacOS (located at /usr/bin/vim) did not have python3 or clientserver installed. macvim is more batteries-included. Run vim --version to check what features your vim includes
  2. brew tap zegervdv/zathura and brew install zathura --with-synctex and brew install zathura-pdf-poppler
    • This is the PDF viewer I use
    • To get these to install, I also had to brew install gcc and upgrade my Xcode Command Line Tools via MacOS’s software update
    • To enable the zathura-pdf-poppler plugin, run
mkdir -p $(brew --prefix zathura)/lib/zathura
ln -s $(brew --prefix zathura-pdf-poppler)/libpdf-poppler.dylib $(brew --prefix zathura)/lib/zathura/libpdf-poppler.dylib

  1. brew install mactex-no-gui

    • You need some sort of TeX compiler for VimTeX to work. This is the one I installed

  2. Install vim-plug. Add the call plug#begin(~/.vim/plugged') and call plug#end() lines to your .vimrc as recommended in the README

  3. Install VimTeX using vim-plug as your plugin manager. Here’s my .vimrc code:

Plug 'lervag/vimtex'
    let g:tex_flavor='latex'
    let g:vimtex_view_method='zathura'
    let g:vimtex_quickfix_mode=0
    set conceallevel=1
    let g:tex_conceal='abdmg'
  1. Reload .vimrc and run :PlugInstall in vim to perform installation

At this point, you should be able to edit a .tex file with vim and see zathura display the compiled PDF every time you save the file. You may have to type \ll to get the continuous TeX compiler to start up the first time you open the file.

Bonus: Snippets and TeX conceal

  1. Install UltiSnips by adding this to your .vimrc
Plug 'sirver/ultisnips'
    let g:UltiSnipsExpandTrigger = '<tab>'
    let g:UltiSnipsJumpForwardTrigger = '<tab>'
    let g:UltiSnipsJumpBackwardTrigger = '<s-tab>'
  1. Install tex-conceal by adding this to your .vimrc
Plug 'KeitaNakamura/tex-conceal.vim'
    set conceallevel=1
    let g:tex_conceal='abdmg'
    hi Conceal ctermbg=none
  1. Add UltiSnips snippets to your heart’s content in your ~/.vim/UltiSnips/tex.snippets file. I used this guide to learn about and develop snippets that I use.

#shell#tex

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