The Role of Polyglossia and xelatex

Oct 13, 2025 by leolavanderia.com.br 21 views

Introduction

Using LaTeX on macOS can be a great way to create high-quality documents, but sometimes, issues can arise. In this article, we will focus on resolving errors related to xelatex on macOS, specifically when using the Polyglossia package. We will explore the possible causes of the error and provide step-by-step solutions to get your document compiled successfully.

Understanding the Error

The error you are experiencing is likely due to an update to the TeX installation on your macOS system. This update may have changed the way xelatex interacts with the Polyglossia package, causing your document to fail compilation. The error message you are seeing is probably something like:

! Package polyglossia Error: The current language is not supported. Please add the required font support.

The Role of Polyglossia and xelatex

Polyglossia is a LaTeX package that provides support for multiple languages in a single document. It is designed to work with xelatex, which is a typesetting engine that allows for the use of OpenType fonts. When you use Polyglossia with xelatex, you can specify the language of your document and the package will automatically load the required fonts and configure the typesetting engine accordingly.

The Problem with the Updated TeX Installation

The updated TeX installation on your macOS system may have changed the way xelatex interacts with the Polyglossia package. Specifically, the update may have removed or modified the xltxtra package, which is required by Polyglossia. The xltxtra package provides additional functionality for working with xelatex, including support for OpenType fonts.

Solutions to the Error

To resolve the error, you will need to update your LaTeX installation to the latest version and reinstall the xltxtra package. Here are the step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Update TeX Installation

First, you need to update your TeX installation to the latest version. You can do this by running the following command in the Terminal:

sudo tlmgr update --self --all

This command will update the TeX Live Manager (tlmgr) and all packages to the latest version.

Step 2: Reinstall xltxtra Package

Next, you need to reinstall the xltxtra package. You can do this by running the following command in the Terminal:

sudo tlmgr install xltxtra

This command will reinstall the xltxtra package and its dependencies.

Step 3: Update Polyglossia Package

After reinstalling the xltxtra package, you need to update the Polyglossia package to the latest version. You can do this by running the following command in the Terminal:

sudo tlmgr install polyglossia

This command will update the Polyglossia package and its dependencies.

Step 4: Update Document

Finally, you need to update your document to use the latest version of the Polyglossia package. You can do this by adding the following line to the preamble of your document:

\usepackage{polyglossia}

This line will load the Polyglossia package and configure it for use with xelatex.

Example Document

Here is an example document that uses the Polyglossia package with xelatex:

\documentclass[a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{xltxtra}
\usepackage{polyglossia}
\setmainfont[Ligatures=TeX]{Times New Roman}
\setmonofont[Ligatures=TeX]{Courier New}
\begin{document}
\section{Introduction}
This is an example document that uses the Polyglossia package with xelatex.
\end{document}

This document uses the xltxtra package to load the OpenType fonts and the polyglossia package to configure the typesetting engine for use with multiple languages.

Conclusion

Q: What is the error I am experiencing with xelatex on macOS?

A: The error you are experiencing is likely due to an update to the TeX installation on your macOS system. This update may have changed the way xelatex interacts with the Polyglossia package, causing your document to fail compilation.

Q: What is the role of Polyglossia and xelatex in LaTeX?

A: Polyglossia is a LaTeX package that provides support for multiple languages in a single document. It is designed to work with xelatex, which is a typesetting engine that allows for the use of OpenType fonts. When you use Polyglossia with xelatex, you can specify the language of your document and the package will automatically load the required fonts and configure the typesetting engine accordingly.

Q: Why did the error occur after updating the TeX installation?

A: The updated TeX installation on your macOS system may have changed the way xelatex interacts with the Polyglossia package. Specifically, the update may have removed or modified the xltxtra package, which is required by Polyglossia. The xltxtra package provides additional functionality for working with xelatex, including support for OpenType fonts.

Q: How do I resolve the error?

A: To resolve the error, you will need to update your LaTeX installation to the latest version and reinstall the xltxtra package. Here are the step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Update TeX Installation

First, you need to update your TeX installation to the latest version. You can do this by running the following command in the Terminal:

sudo tlmgr update --self --all

This command will update the TeX Live Manager (tlmgr) and all packages to the latest version.

Step 2: Reinstall xltxtra Package

Next, you need to reinstall the xltxtra package. You can do this by running the following command in the Terminal:

sudo tlmgr install xltxtra

This command will reinstall the xltxtra package and its dependencies.

Step 3: Update Polyglossia Package

After reinstalling the xltxtra package, you need to update the Polyglossia package to the latest version. You can do this by running the following command in the Terminal:

sudo tlmgr install polyglossia

This command will update the Polyglossia package and its dependencies.

Step 4: Update Document

Finally, you need to update your document to use the latest version of the Polyglossia package. You can do this by adding the following line to the preamble of your document:

\usepackage{polyglossia}

This line will load the Polyglossia package and configure it for use with xelatex.

Q: What if I am still experiencing issues after following the steps?

A: If you are still experiencing issues after following the steps, there may be other factors at play. Here are some additional troubleshooting steps you can try:

Check the version of your TeX installation and ensure that it is up to date.
Check the version of the Polyglossia package and ensure that it is up to date.
Check the version of the xltxtra package and ensure that it is up to date.
Try compiling your document with a different typesetting engine, such as LuaLaTeX or pdfLaTeX.
Try using a different font or font package to see if the issue is specific to the font you are using.

Q: Can I prevent this error from occurring in the future?

A: Yes, you can prevent this error from occurring in the future by keeping your TeX installation up to date and reinstalling the xltxtra package whenever you update your TeX installation. Additionally, you can try to avoid using the xltxtra package and instead use the fontspec package, which is a more modern and flexible font package that is designed to work with xelatex.

Q: Are there any other resources available for troubleshooting this error?

A: Yes, there are several other resources available for troubleshooting this error. Here are a few:

The TeX Live documentation: This is the official documentation for TeX Live, which includes information on troubleshooting common issues.
The Polyglossia documentation: This is the official documentation for Polyglossia, which includes information on troubleshooting common issues.
The LaTeX Stack Exchange: This is a Q&A forum for LaTeX users, where you can ask questions and get help from other users.
The TeX Users Group (TUG) website: This is the official website for the TeX Users Group, which includes information on troubleshooting common issues and getting help from other users.