ManimCommunity / ManimCommunity/manim

Utility `dvisvgm` in homebrew's MacTeX does not support converting PDF to SVG

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Description

### Description of Error

After updating to **macOS Sequoia 15.7.4** and installing **Manim v0.20.1**, the `manim checkhealth` command fails with the following error:

> `My installation does not support converting PDF to SVG`

**Root Cause:**
The `dvisvgm` (v3.6) binary included in the **Homebrew** distribution of MacTeX/TeX Live appears to be faulty or improperly linked, preventing Manim from rendering LaTeX correctly.

**Workaround/Solution:**
Uninstalling the Homebrew version and installing the official MacTeX distribution from [[tug.org](https://tug.org/mactex/mactex-download.html)](https://tug.org/mactex/mactex-download.html) resolves the issue completely.

### Steps to Reproduce

1. Install MacTeX via Homebrew: `brew install --cask mactex` (or `texlive`).
2. Install Manim: `uv add manim`.
3. Run `uv run manim checkhealth`.
4. Observe the PDF-to-SVG conversion error.

### `dvisvgm` check

1. `dvisvgm -h` : `--libgs=filename set name of Ghostscript shared library`
2. `dvisvgm -V` : `dvisvgm 3.6`
3. `dvisvgm -V1` :
```log
dvisvgm 3.6 (aarch64-apple-darwin20.6.0)
----------------------------------------
brotli: 1.2.0
clipper: 6.2.1
freetype: 2.14.1
kpathsea: 6.4.2
potrace: 1.16
xxhash: 0.8.3
zlib: 1.3.2
```

### System specifications

* **OS:** macOS Sequoia 15.7.4
* **Python Version:** 3.14.3
* **Manim Version:** v0.20.1
* **Faulty Tool:** `dvisvgm` v3.6 (via Homebrew)

* **Distribution:** TeX Live 2026 (Homebrew Cask) vs. Official MacTeX 2026.
* **Result:** Official distribution works; Homebrew distribution fails.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reproducing `uv run manim checkhealth` with Homebrew's MacTeX and compare it with the official MacTeX distribution. Trace the checkhealth handling for PDF-to-SVG conversion and determine whether the project can identify or report this `dvisvgm` incompatibility; done means the failure is handled or documented with a verified regression check.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
macos, python
Domain
operating-systems, tooling
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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