TexMCP

What devroopsaha744/TexMCP MCP server does

devroopsaha744/TexMCP MCP server turns LaTeX source into saved document artifacts. A raw LaTeX request can produce a .tex file and optionally a compiled PDF. Template-based rendering uses Jinja2, allowing a client to select a .tex.j2 template and provide values before compilation.

The repository includes 15 example templates covering formats such as invoices, letters, reports, resumes, presentations, certificates, theses, receipts, recipes, poems, and CVs. Additional templates can be added to src/mcp_server/templates/. Generated files are written to src/artifacts/, where each rendering job can leave a source file and, if compilation succeeds, a matching PDF.

How it works

The server is implemented with FastMCP and uses run_server.py as its default entrypoint. In stdio mode, it communicates through standard input and output, which is the mode used when Claude Desktop starts the process. The transport can be changed to HTTP in the entrypoint; the Docker configuration exposes the HTTP service on port 8000 and uses /mcp for client connections.

PDF creation depends on the local LaTeX toolchain. In particular, pdflatex must be installed for compilation. Without it, the server can still return the generated .tex source, but it cannot produce the PDF artifact. The Dockerfile supports images both without LaTeX and with LaTeX enabled through the INSTALL_TEX=1 build argument.

Setup and configuration

Install Python 3.10 or newer, create a virtual environment, and install the dependencies from requirements.txt. Start the process with python run_server.py from the repository directory for local stdio use. Claude Desktop can be configured to invoke the Python executable inside the virtual environment with run_server.py as its argument. The README also documents a FastMCP-based Claude Desktop installation command, but it assumes the project has already been cloned and its environment prepared.

For container use, build the included Docker image and map port 8000. Set MCP_TRANSPORT=stdio to override the container's default HTTP transport. Mount src/artifacts to a host directory if outputs need to persist after the container exits.

Tools and capabilities

devroopsaha744/TexMCP MCP server exposes five tools:

• render_latex_document writes raw LaTeX and can compile it to PDF.
• render_template_document renders a Jinja2 template and can compile the result.
• list_templates reports the templates available to the server.
• get_template returns a template's source so a client can inspect it before use.
• list_artifacts lists files currently stored in src/artifacts/.

These tools support agent workflows that generate documents, inspect the available layout options, and retrieve the resulting files programmatically through an MCP or FastMCP client.

Limitations and notes

LaTeX compilation is optional but requires pdflatex; the server falls back to source output when that executable is unavailable. HTTP deployments need additional protection if exposed beyond localhost. The README specifically warns that arbitrary LaTeX can create security and resource risks, including shell-command execution in templates and excessive resource consumption. Use TLS, firewall controls, or authentication when making the HTTP endpoint reachable outside a trusted local environment.

The project is released under the MIT License.