Question

RuntimeError: Failed to process string with tex because latex could not be found

I was trying to render text with LaTeX in Matplotlib. There is a demo provided by Matplotlib at https://matplotlib.org/3.1.1/gallery/text_labels_and_annotations/tex_demo.html.

However, when I ran this demo, I got this error saying "RuntimeError: Failed to process string with tex because latex could not be found", but I'm sure I have installed Miktex and Ghostscript required by Matlibplot.

Anyone knows how should I solve it? Thanks.

import numpy as np
import matplotlib
matplotlib.rcParams['text.usetex'] = True
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt


t = np.linspace(0.0, 1.0, 100)
s = np.cos(4 * np.pi * t) + 2

fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(6, 4), tight_layout=True)
ax.plot(t, s)

ax.set_xlabel(r'\textbf{time (s)}')
ax.set_ylabel('\\textit{Velocity (\N{DEGREE SIGN}/sec)}', fontsize=16)
ax.set_title(r'\TeX\ is Number $\displaystyle\sum_{n=1}^\infty'
             r'\frac{-e^{i\pi}}{2^n}$!', fontsize=16, color='r')
plt.show()

Here is the error trace back:

Exception in Tkinter callback
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\texmanager.py", line 304, in _run_checked_subprocess
    stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\subprocess.py", line 336, in check_output
    **kwargs).stdout
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\subprocess.py", line 403, in run
    with Popen(*popenargs, **kwargs) as process:
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\subprocess.py", line 709, in __init__
    restore_signals, start_new_session)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\subprocess.py", line 997, in _execute_child
    startupinfo)
FileNotFoundError: [WinError 2] The System Cannot Find the File Specified
The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\tkinter\__init__.py", line 1702, in __call__
    return self.func(*args)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\tkinter\__init__.py", line 746, in callit
    func(*args)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\backends\_backend_tk.py", line 338, in idle_draw
    self.draw()
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\backends\backend_tkagg.py", line 9, in draw
    super(FigureCanvasTkAgg, self).draw()
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\backends\backend_agg.py", line 388, in draw
    self.figure.draw(self.renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\artist.py", line 38, in draw_wrapper
    return draw(artist, renderer, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\figure.py", line 1702, in draw
    **self._tight_parameters)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\figure.py", line 2476, in tight_layout
    pad=pad, h_pad=h_pad, w_pad=w_pad, rect=rect)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\tight_layout.py", line 362, in get_tight_layout_figure
    pad=pad, h_pad=h_pad, w_pad=w_pad)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\tight_layout.py", line 111, in auto_adjust_subplotpars
    tight_bbox_raw = union([ax.get_tightbbox(renderer) for ax in subplots
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\tight_layout.py", line 112, in <listcomp>
    if ax.get_visible()])
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axes\_base.py", line 4355, in get_tightbbox
    bb_xaxis = self.xaxis.get_tightbbox(renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 1164, in get_tightbbox
    self._update_label_position(renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 2014, in _update_label_position
    bboxes, bboxes2 = self._get_tick_boxes_siblings(renderer=renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 1999, in _get_tick_boxes_siblings
    tlb, tlb2 = axx.xaxis._get_tick_bboxes(ticks_to_draw, renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 1150, in _get_tick_bboxes
    for tick in ticks if tick.label1.get_visible()],
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 1150, in <listcomp>
    for tick in ticks if tick.label1.get_visible()],
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\text.py", line 890, in get_window_extent
    bbox, info, descent = self._get_layout(self._renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\text.py", line 291, in _get_layout
    ismath="TeX" if self.get_usetex() else False)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\backends\backend_agg.py", line 201, in get_text_width_height_descent
    s, fontsize, renderer=self)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\texmanager.py", line 448, in get_text_width_height_descent
    dvifile = self.make_dvi(tex, fontsize)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\texmanager.py", line 338, in make_dvi
    texfile], tex)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\texmanager.py", line 308, in _run_checked_subprocess
    'found'.format(command[0])) from exc
RuntimeError: Failed to process string with tex because latex could not be found
Exception in Tkinter callback
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\texmanager.py", line 304, in _run_checked_subprocess
    stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\subprocess.py", line 336, in check_output
    **kwargs).stdout
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\subprocess.py", line 403, in run
    with Popen(*popenargs, **kwargs) as process:
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\subprocess.py", line 709, in __init__
    restore_signals, start_new_session)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\subprocess.py", line 997, in _execute_child
    startupinfo)
FileNotFoundError: [WinError 2] The System Cannot Find the File Specified
The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\tkinter\__init__.py", line 1702, in __call__
    return self.func(*args)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\backends\_backend_tk.py", line 259, in resize
    self.draw()
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\backends\backend_tkagg.py", line 9, in draw
    super(FigureCanvasTkAgg, self).draw()
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\backends\backend_agg.py", line 388, in draw
    self.figure.draw(self.renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\artist.py", line 38, in draw_wrapper
    return draw(artist, renderer, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\figure.py", line 1702, in draw
    **self._tight_parameters)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\figure.py", line 2476, in tight_layout
    pad=pad, h_pad=h_pad, w_pad=w_pad, rect=rect)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\tight_layout.py", line 362, in get_tight_layout_figure
    pad=pad, h_pad=h_pad, w_pad=w_pad)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\tight_layout.py", line 111, in auto_adjust_subplotpars
    tight_bbox_raw = union([ax.get_tightbbox(renderer) for ax in subplots
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\tight_layout.py", line 112, in <listcomp>
    if ax.get_visible()])
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axes\_base.py", line 4355, in get_tightbbox
    bb_xaxis = self.xaxis.get_tightbbox(renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 1164, in get_tightbbox
    self._update_label_position(renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 2014, in _update_label_position
    bboxes, bboxes2 = self._get_tick_boxes_siblings(renderer=renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 1999, in _get_tick_boxes_siblings
    tlb, tlb2 = axx.xaxis._get_tick_bboxes(ticks_to_draw, renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 1150, in _get_tick_bboxes
    for tick in ticks if tick.label1.get_visible()],
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 1150, in <listcomp>
    for tick in ticks if tick.label1.get_visible()],
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\text.py", line 890, in get_window_extent
    bbox, info, descent = self._get_layout(self._renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\text.py", line 291, in _get_layout
    ismath="TeX" if self.get_usetex() else False)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\backends\backend_agg.py", line 201, in get_text_width_height_descent
    s, fontsize, renderer=self)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\texmanager.py", line 448, in get_text_width_height_descent
    dvifile = self.make_dvi(tex, fontsize)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\texmanager.py", line 338, in make_dvi
    texfile], tex)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\texmanager.py", line 308, in _run_checked_subprocess
    'found'.format(command[0])) from exc
RuntimeError: Failed to process string with tex because latex could not be found
Exception in Tkinter callback
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\texmanager.py", line 304, in _run_checked_subprocess
    stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\subprocess.py", line 336, in check_output
    **kwargs).stdout
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\subprocess.py", line 403, in run
    with Popen(*popenargs, **kwargs) as process:
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\subprocess.py", line 709, in __init__
    restore_signals, start_new_session)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\subprocess.py", line 997, in _execute_child
    startupinfo)
FileNotFoundError: [WinError 2] The System Cannot Find the File Specified

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\tkinter\__init__.py", line 1702, in __call__
    return self.func(*args)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\tkinter\__init__.py", line 746, in callit
    func(*args)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\backends\_backend_tk.py", line 338, in idle_draw
    self.draw()
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\backends\backend_tkagg.py", line 9, in draw
    super(FigureCanvasTkAgg, self).draw()
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\backends\backend_agg.py", line 388, in draw
    self.figure.draw(self.renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\artist.py", line 38, in draw_wrapper
    return draw(artist, renderer, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\figure.py", line 1702, in draw
    **self._tight_parameters)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\figure.py", line 2476, in tight_layout
    pad=pad, h_pad=h_pad, w_pad=w_pad, rect=rect)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\tight_layout.py", line 362, in get_tight_layout_figure
    pad=pad, h_pad=h_pad, w_pad=w_pad)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\tight_layout.py", line 111, in auto_adjust_subplotpars
    tight_bbox_raw = union([ax.get_tightbbox(renderer) for ax in subplots
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\tight_layout.py", line 112, in <listcomp>
    if ax.get_visible()])
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axes\_base.py", line 4355, in get_tightbbox
    bb_xaxis = self.xaxis.get_tightbbox(renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 1164, in get_tightbbox
    self._update_label_position(renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 2014, in _update_label_position
    bboxes, bboxes2 = self._get_tick_boxes_siblings(renderer=renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 1999, in _get_tick_boxes_siblings
    tlb, tlb2 = axx.xaxis._get_tick_bboxes(ticks_to_draw, renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 1150, in _get_tick_bboxes
    for tick in ticks if tick.label1.get_visible()],
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axis.py", line 1150, in <listcomp>
    for tick in ticks if tick.label1.get_visible()],
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\text.py", line 890, in get_window_extent
    bbox, info, descent = self._get_layout(self._renderer)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\text.py", line 291, in _get_layout
    ismath="TeX" if self.get_usetex() else False)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\backends\backend_agg.py", line 201, in get_text_width_height_descent
    s, fontsize, renderer=self)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\texmanager.py", line 448, in get_text_width_height_descent
    dvifile = self.make_dvi(tex, fontsize)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\texmanager.py", line 338, in make_dvi
    texfile], tex)
  File "C:\Users\haiqing\Anaconda3\envs\mie324\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\texmanager.py", line 308, in _run_checked_subprocess
    'found'.format(command[0])) from exc
RuntimeError: Failed to process string with tex because latex could not be found
 46  158372  46
1 Jan 1970

Solution

 37

When I tried to change the standard font for matplotlib, I likely incorrectly applied a recommended script and broke my matplotlib and from that moment on always got this error message.

Simply resetting matplotlib settings worked perfectly for me.

import matplotlib as mpl
mpl.rcParams.update(mpl.rcParamsDefault)
2021-09-23

Solution

 31

I managed to solve this issue by installing texlive and latex. In apt based Linux, this command installs texlive:

sudo apt install texlive texlive-latex-extra texlive-fonts-recommended dvipng

latex can be easily installed via pip:

pip install latex
2020-10-21