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I have a problem with latexmk on my Mac. I'm using emacs as my latex editor, and have configured it to use latexmk. I have specified an output directory, but for synctex to work I need the pdf and .synctex file in the working directory.

On my Windows computer this works perfectly fine with the following lines in my .latexmkrc file: 

$out_dir = 'build';
$pdflatex = 'cmd /c lualatex -interaction=nonstopmode -synctex=1 %O %S && copy %D %R.pdf && copy %Z%B.synctex.gz';

If however, I try to use the same line on my Mac, only the pdf is copied, the .synctex file stays untouched. I cannot figure out why it does not work. I have not yet tested it on Linux to see if it works there.

This is the line I use on the Mac: 

$out_dir = 'build';
$pdflatex = 'lualatex -interaction=nonstopmode -synctex=1 %O %S;cp %D %R.pdf;cp %Z%B.synctex.gz';

According to latexmks manual the syntax and placeholders should be correct, and as I said it does work on Windows. I tried things like adressing the 'build' directory directly instead of using the placeholder %Z, but it didn't do the trick.

I hope that someone can help me with that problem, thanks in advance ;-)

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  • Windows copy should take a single argument as 'copy the argument to the current working directory'. Unix (including OS X) will not take a single argument for cp. You'll need to provide it a destination directory, either as an absolute or relative path. If %Z is one directory below your real destination, you should be able to use %Z/.., as in cp %Z%B.synctex.gz %Z/.. -- you might get away with cp %Z%B.synctex.gz ., too.
    – Mike Renfro
    Mar 1, 2016 at 12:48
  • it works perfectly now, thanks a lot for your answer. :D
    – Florian
    Mar 1, 2016 at 12:56

2 Answers 2

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(Copied from comment, so the question can later be marked as answered)

Windows copy should take a single argument as 'copy the argument to the current working directory'. Unix (including OS X) will not take a single argument for cp. You'll need to provide it a destination directory, either as an absolute or relative path. If %Z is one directory below your real destination, you should be able to use %Z/.., as in cp %Z%B.synctex.gz %Z/.. -- you might get away with cp %Z%B.synctex.gz ., too.

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This sounds like the ideal use-case for ltx2any instead of latexmk.

  • it automatically uses a build directory
  • automatically copies back the pdf file
  • with -synctex it copies back the synctex file to your working directory
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  • Thanks, I'll have a look at this. Copying works fine with the answer above, but my latexmk setup somehow does not always compile the appropriate number of times so maybe ltx2any works better.
    – Florian
    Jan 13, 2018 at 0:25
  • @Florian My personal impression: ltx2any is pretty good with the determination of required runs - with one limitation: it always compiles at least once.
    – samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz
    Jan 13, 2018 at 13:23

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