LaTeX compilation failed when running simple ManimGL scene

[mathsvisualization]

LaTeX compilation failed when running simple Manim scene

Describe the error

I am trying to run a simple Manim scene, but I am getting a LaTeX compilation failed error.
I just want to render a basic animation, but it stops with this error.

---

Code and Error

Code:

from manimlib import *

class Test(InteractiveScene):
    def construct(self):
        pass

Error:

LatexError: LaTeX compilation failed

---

Environment

• OS System: Windows 10
• manim version: master (3b1b/manim repo)
• python version: 3.12.7

[azhuchkov]

Please make sure you don't have local changes: it looks like your trace doesn't match with master:

manim/manimlib/utils/tex_file_writing.py

Line 127 in 41613db

raise LatexError(error_str or "LaTeX compilation failed")

Your trace claims that rising error is at line number 129, but it should be at line 127.
Also I can see some unexpected Writing Hello World... string in your trace.

[mathsvisualization]

Please make sure you don't have local changes: it looks like your trace doesn't match with master:

manim/manimlib/utils/tex_file_writing.py

Line 127 in 41613db

raise LatexError(error_str or "LaTeX compilation failed")
Your trace claims that rising error is at line number 129, but it should be at line 127. Also I can see some unexpected Writing Hello World... string in your trace.

Please make sure you don't have local changes: it looks like your trace doesn't match with master:

manim/manimlib/utils/tex_file_writing.py

Line 127 in 41613db

raise LatexError(error_str or "LaTeX compilation failed")
Your trace claims that rising error is at line number 129, but it should be at line 127. Also I can see some unexpected Writing Hello World... string in your trace.

Hey, thanks for pointing this out. Just an update — my issue is actually fixed now 🚀.

Here’s what happened step by step:

• In manimgl, I had initially removed the temp_path logic.
• After that, I started getting a different error:
  (coming from SVGMobject).
• That error surprisingly auto-resolved once I did a clean reinstall of manimgl (uninstall → reinstall).
• After reinstall, everything started working fine again — LaTeX compilation → DVI → SVG → SVGMobject.

Must specify either a file_name or svg_string

Root Cause (likely)

The main culprit seems to be how the temporary directory is handled during LaTeX compilation.

On Windows, the temp_dir path often lives under something like:
C:\Users\My Name\AppData\Local\Temp...
Notice the space in the username (My Name). If the path isn’t properly quoted/escaped when passed to the LaTeX compiler, it can cause compilation to fail or behave inconsistently.

Once I reinstalled, everything lined up correctly and the issue disappeared.

So the short version:

• Removing the temp logic triggered inconsistent errors.
• Clean reinstall restored the original behavior.
• The real fragility comes from spaces in temp directory paths, which can break LaTeX → SVG conversion if not handled properly.