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
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- 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