Install TeX Live and Texmaker with Ubuntu’s APT repository when you want a maintained LaTeX toolchain and a graphical editor that can compile a document in one place. Start with the base LaTeX packages, then add Texmaker. Install texlive-full only when your document needs packages that are not part of the base setup.
Choose the TeX Live package before you install
TeX Live supplies the compiler, formats, fonts, and packages that turn a .tex file into a PDF. Texmaker is the editor. It can call the TeX Live programs, but it does not replace the LaTeX distribution.
| Install choice | Use it when | Command |
|---|---|---|
| Base LaTeX setup | You need a small starting point for ordinary LaTeX documents. | sudo apt install texlive-latex-base texmaker |
| Broader package set | Your document needs common extra packages, fonts, or language support. | sudo apt install texlive-latex-extra texlive-fonts-recommended texmaker |
| Full TeX Live collection | You know the project depends on packages outside the preceding sets. | sudo apt install texlive-full texmaker |
Ubuntu distributes TeX Live through APT, while Texmaker is a separate editor package. Install both.
Install TeX Live and Texmaker with APT
Refresh the package index first. If you need a reminder of what the command changes, see the APT command reference before continuing.
sudo apt update
For a first LaTeX document, install the base package and Texmaker together because it provides the pdflatex command needed for a basic document.
sudo apt install texlive-latex-base texmaker
APT asks for the password of an account that can use sudo. Read the sudo command guide if you need to understand the prompt before entering credentials.
The password field stays blank while you type, so press Enter once and wait for APT to finish the install.
When to install more TeX packages
A missing .sty file during compilation means the document needs a package that is not installed. Add the specific Ubuntu package when you know its name, or install the broader LaTeX set when several common packages are missing.
sudo apt install texlive-latex-extra texlive-fonts-recommended
Use texlive-full only for a project that calls for its wider collection. The Ubuntu package manager overview shows how to inspect installed packages and remove a package set you no longer need.
Create and compile a small LaTeX document
Open Texmaker from the application menu or run texmaker from a terminal. Create a file named hello.tex and paste this minimal document.
The application menu location can differ between Ubuntu desktop sessions, so you can run texmaker in a terminal to open the editor.
The new-document control opens an empty source tab. Save it as hello.tex so the compiler can place hello.pdf beside the source file.
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Hello from LaTeX.
\end{document}
The editor view is where you change the document source. The PDF preview appears only after a compiler produces output.
The filename gives the compiler its output name. Saving hello.tex leads to hello.pdf after a successful build.
Save the file and choose Quick Build in Texmaker to run the default LaTeX compiler sequence and open the generated PDF.
The generated PDF normally sits beside the .tex source file, and a pdflatex error calls for checking texlive-latex-base before restarting Texmaker.
Use the PDF preview as the visual success check. Compiler errors belong in the build log, where the missing package or source-line message identifies the next correction.
Verify the command-line compiler
You can separate a TeX Live problem from a Texmaker configuration problem by compiling the same file in a terminal. Run this from the directory that contains hello.tex.
pdflatex hello.tex
A successful run creates hello.pdf, while a Quick Build failure after that result calls for checking Texmaker’s pdflatex setting in Options.
Check your Ubuntu release and package state
Package availability can differ across Ubuntu releases. Use the Ubuntu version check before comparing package names with documentation for another release.
apt policy texlive-latex-base texmaker
The command shows the candidate package and whether it is installed. For a broader introduction to package operations, read Package Management on Linux after you finish the TeX setup.
FAQ
The package choice depends on your document’s dependencies, not on Texmaker itself. These answers cover the decisions that change the installation command.
Does Texmaker include TeX Live?
No. Texmaker is a LaTeX editor. Install a TeX Live package so Texmaker can run a compiler such as pdflatex.
Should I install texlive-full on Ubuntu?
Install texlive-full when a document requires packages outside a smaller TeX Live setup. Start with texlive-latex-base for a basic document, then add packages when the project needs them.
Why can Texmaker not find pdflatex?
The TeX Live compiler package may be missing, or Texmaker may need to be restarted after installation. Run pdflatex hello.tex in a terminal to identify whether the compiler is available outside the editor.
Keep hello.tex and hello.pdf as a small verification pair. They give you a known compiler check before you move a larger report, thesis, or paper into Texmaker.