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Motivation

Installing the full MacTeX distribution (~6 GB) can be prohibitive for users who only need a minimal set of LaTeX packages to render Manim examples. BasicTeX (a smaller, ~100 MB distribution) lets users install on demand and keeps their setup lightweight.

Proposed changes

Enhance the installation instructions in README.md by providing a collapsible note on using Homebrew’s BasicTeX cask as a lightweight alternative to the full MacTeX distribution. Include links to:

  • Homebrew’s BasicTeX cask.
  • A GitHub issue comment enumerating the minimal set of LaTeX packages.
  • The TeX Users Group’s MacTeX package index for further reference.

Have a look at the result here.

@azhuchkov azhuchkov force-pushed the mactex-alternative branch from 27b07ca to f87ec58 Compare August 4, 2025 21:04
@azhuchkov
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For comparison, consider the size of the basic bundle with the included packages:

du -sh "$(kpsewhich -var-value=TEXMFROOT)"
453M	/usr/local/texlive/2025basic

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