Subject: bug#57981: 13.1.1; Evince synctex: env variables not inherited

From: Tassilo Horn <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2022 12:51:28 +0200

Fabian Thomas via bug-auctex via Bug reporting list for AUCTeX <[email-masked]> writes:

Hi Fabian,

> When using TeX-view to open the current configured pdf with synctex
> forward search, the evince pdf viewer does not inherit or load
> environment variables from e.g., ~/.zshenv.
>
> Other viewers like zathura or okular work perfectly fine.
>
> I suspect, that this is some issue about how evince is started via
> dbus for synctex support.

Most probably, yes.  Viewers started via start-process inherit the
environment of emacs which will have sourced your .zshenv if ZSH is your
default shell and you've started emacs from the command line.  I guess
when starting Evince via dbus it'll only have the environment of your DE
(gnome-session started via GDM or such) which is probably very basic.

I cannot see how AUCTeX could do anything about that.  I think you
somehow need to start a zsh which then launches dbus.  Or maybe the
shell command "dbus-update-activation-environment --all" (maybe with
--systemd) can help?  At least its docs suggest so.

But how is the missing environment a problem?  Which environment
variables does Evince need?

Bye,
Tassilo