在php和路径问题中执行LaTeX

Question

I am trying to compile a latex source file from php, using exec:

echo shell_exec("/usr/texbin/pdflatex source.tex");

Unfortunately, latex doesn't seem to see all packages when it is called via php.

For example, I get

LaTeX Error: File `customclass.cls' not found

when I try to use customclass, installed in my local texmf folder. There is also the same problem for some packages installed elsewhere.

This has certainly something to do with a path variable or something like that to set up, but I haven't been able to find what for an hour.

Has someone an idea ?

Answer 1

The PHP interpreter is probably running as some other user, like www-data or something related: this means that it can't see the packages installed in your usual user's texmf directory (I'm assuming that's what you mean by local), because the user's texmf is only loaded when pdflatex is run as that user.

This seems like a potential solution to extending the LaTeX path to wherever your local texmf is, based on shell variables: Temporary installation of (La)TeX files (from the TeX FAQ).