MacTeX (without GUI applications)

MacTeX without GUI applications is the Homebrew cask variant that installs the full TeX Live distribution from the MacTeX package while deselecting the Mac GUI collection. It suits users who already have an editor or prefer command-line LaTeX workflows and want comprehensive packages, fonts and engines.

Main features

• Install the full TeX Live collection for macOS rather than the smaller BasicTeX subset.
• Typeset with command-line engines such as pdfTeX, XeTeX and LuaTeX.
• Use bibliography, font, graphics and document-processing tools from TeX Live.
• Manage the active annual distribution and command paths through MacTeX's TeXDist configuration.
• Use tlmgr for TeX Live package-management workflows.
• Retain separately installed annual distributions when needed for projects.

Install and start

Install this variant with brew install --cask mactex-no-gui. It uses the full official MacTeX PKG with installer choices that select TeX Live and deselect GUI applications. This is a system-wide distribution installer and can request administrator authorization; it is not a single editor app dragged into Applications.

Restart your terminal window after installation so the command-line paths take effect. The standard active TeX command path is /Library/TeX/texbin. Check the selected engine's version, then typeset a trusted .tex file from its project directory, for example with pdflatex document.tex or the engine required by the project. Bibliographies, cross-references and indexes may need further tool runs; a build tool such as latexmk can manage appropriate repeated processing.

Choose and configure your own text editor and PDF viewer. This cask does not install the MacTeX GUI collection: TeXShop, LaTeXiT, BibDesk, TeX Live Utility and hintView are not included by its selected GUI installer choice. Their official screenshots or instructions do not describe an application supplied by this variant. You can use separately obtained compatible editors, with their own requirements and licenses.

Distribution choices and dependencies

The cask downloads the same large MacTeX package as the full mactex cask; deselecting GUI installation does not make the download a small command-line-only archive. TeX Live is the underlying cross-platform software collection, while this MacTeX installer configures it for macOS. For Windows or Linux use the appropriate TeX Live distribution instead of this Mac PKG.

The current Homebrew cask also deselects the PKG's Ghostscript, libgs and mutool components and depends on the Homebrew ghostscript formula. Do not assume that all optional Ghostscript extras from the upstream installer are installed. This variant conflicts with mactex and basictex at the cask level, so select one Homebrew distribution. Upstream supports retaining different annual TeX distributions, which is a separate issue from installing conflicting casks.

The March 24, 2026 upstream package updates Ghostscript to 10.07.0 and removes the unsigned LuaMetaTeX executable for Apple notarization. LuaTeX remains. The upstream Ghostscript package version is not a pin for the separately managed Homebrew formula. ConTeXt/LuaMetaTeX users and specialized dvisvgm workflows should consult the current official guidance for missing or separately required components.

Requirements, storage and maintenance

MacTeX 2026 requires macOS 11 Big Sur or later and includes native universal Intel and Apple Silicon binaries. Older MacTeX releases and the separate Unix TeX Live installer have different requirements; those do not lower this current package's requirement. No additional cloud account or subscription is required for ordinary local typesetting.

The current mactex-20260324.pkg download is 6,865,013,189 bytes, confirmed by HTTP HEAD and matching this catalog. Download size is not installed disk usage: allow space for the full TeX Live tree, installer processing, projects, outputs and any older distributions you retain. No exact installed-space or universal RAM minimum was verified.

After installation, local document processing can work offline if the project has its required packages and resources. Package downloads, updates and any external project resources need internet access. Use tlmgr deliberately for maintenance of the selected annual distribution; updating packages is distinct from installing a new annual TeX Live release. Review permissions for the system-wide installation and avoid mixing unrelated package managers into the same tree. Preserve a known toolchain for projects that need reproducible output, and review shell-escape requirements before allowing document builds to execute external programs.

Price and licenses

MacTeX software is available without fees for personal and professional use. TUG membership or donations are optional, and local typesetting does not require an online service account. The collection contains software from many authors under individual component licenses; it has no single blanket MIT or GPL license. Review those notices before redistributing the collection or combining it with separately licensed editors, fonts or services.

Sources: Official MacTeX overview, Current package and March 24 changes, Package contents, MacTeX cost and licenses, TeX Live guide.