mktexfmt
create a single TeX format or Metafont base on demand
TLDR
SYNOPSIS
mktexfmt FORMAT.fmt|BASE.base|FMTNAME
DESCRIPTION
mktexfmt is a restricted front-end to fmtutil that creates exactly one format or Metafont base. TeX engines invoke it automatically when a required .fmt is missing (on-the-fly format generation).The argument may be a full dump name with extension (pdflatex.fmt, mf.base) or a plain format name passed as if --byfmt were used. On success, mktexfmt writes the full path of the generated file to standard output and nothing else. Only --help and --version are accepted as options.If the system format directory (TEXMFSYSVAR) is writable, formats are written there; otherwise the user directory (TEXMFVAR) is used.
PARAMETERS
FORMAT.fmt | BASE.base | FMTNAME
Name of the format or base to build. With an extension, the dump file name is used; without, the name is treated as a --byfmt argument--help
Show help and exit--version
Show version and exit
INSTALL
CAVEATS
Unlike fmtutil, only one format can be built per invocation. Failed builds typically leave the engine that triggered mktexfmt unable to start; fix the underlying fmtutil.cnf / engine install and rebuild with fmtutil-sys --byfmt. Output is intentionally minimal so callers can capture the generated path.
HISTORY
Part of the TeX Live / kpathsea tooling around fmtutil, used as the on-demand format builder when formats are not pre-generated.
SEE ALSO
fmtutil(1), fmtutil-sys(1), fmtutil-user(1), kpsewhich(1), pdflatex(1)
