Bug 169392 - Writer does not support pasting text with LateX formula directly into document - example AI chatbot answer
Summary: Writer does not support pasting text with LateX formula directly into documen...
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Writer (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
25.8.2.2 release
Hardware: All All
: medium enhancement
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2025-11-11 20:32 UTC by Luca Trix
Modified: 2026-01-22 21:28 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
screenshots illustrating the problem (854.38 KB, image/png)
2025-11-11 20:36 UTC, Luca Trix
Details
Firefox window with the AI chat I want to save into a LibreOffice Writer (170.84 KB, image/png)
2026-01-22 21:22 UTC, Luca Trix
Details
reference copy paste into M$ Word 2021 (114.12 KB, image/png)
2026-01-22 21:24 UTC, Luca Trix
Details
What LibreOffice Writer looks like instead (226.86 KB, image/png)
2026-01-22 21:28 UTC, Luca Trix
Details

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Description Luca Trix 2025-11-11 20:32:19 UTC
Description:
Libre Office Writer does not support pasting test coming from AI chatbots containing LateX formulas. No, using addon TexMaths is NOT a solution.
Try imagine pasting many questions rich of formulas from a conversation with a AI chatbot and save them into an ODF text document (*.odt) and you will understand picking up TexMaths for each formula is NOT a solution. LibreOffice writer needs to support pasting directly lateX rich content if it is to compete seriously with the incumbent commercial solution..

M$ Word supports it, tried at work.
Even Thunderbird email client supports it, albeit with some minor problems

Just try running the prompt provided below and paste the response into LibreOffice Writer

Steps to Reproduce:
1.visit https://chat.mistral.ai/chat   for example

2.Paste the following prompt (question to AI) 

Hi, can you show the Faraday formula to calculate the hydrogen generated (in liters /second) by an electrolysis reaction ? We know as variables the current, the molar volume (22.4 liters/mol, the molar fraction of hydrogen (equal to 2, see stoichiometry of water electrolysis reaction), Faraday Constant (96485 Coulomb/mol).

3.Select the text in the answer provided by the AI chatbot and paste it into LibreOffice Writer, then in Thunderbird new email. If you have it installed, try pasting even into M$ Word. See yourself the results.

Actual Results:
LibreOffice Writer document contains garbled LateX formulas, whereas Thunderbird email client or M$ Word capture the content which can be saved and stored with formulas looking perfect.

Expected Results:
It is desirable to obtain the same result as M$ Word: latex formulas perfectly rendered so the file can be saved (with a simple copy + paste operation) and consulted at a later time.


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: Yes

Additional Info:
Try looking at the way Thunderbird mail client does it and try to copy the code/functionality into LibreOffice.
Comment 1 Luca Trix 2025-11-11 20:36:47 UTC
Created attachment 203876 [details]
screenshots illustrating the problem
Comment 2 Luca Trix 2025-11-11 20:37:40 UTC
Comment on attachment 203876 [details]
screenshots illustrating the problem

zipped screenshots
Comment 3 m_a_riosv 2025-11-11 22:48:38 UTC
+1
Comment 4 Regina Henschel 2025-11-12 11:50:22 UTC
There are several reports and duplicates about using LaTeX (TeX) in the Math module, e.g. bug 119449. So this report should focus of import of text with embedded LaTeX to Writer.

I support this feature request.
Comment 5 Luca Trix 2026-01-22 21:22:52 UTC
Created attachment 205138 [details]
Firefox window with the AI chat I want to save into a LibreOffice Writer

Mistral LeChat Firefox window with the AI chat I want to save into a LibreOffice Writer file
Comment 6 Luca Trix 2026-01-22 21:24:44 UTC
Created attachment 205139 [details]
reference copy paste into M$ Word 2021

I provide for reference the result of copy paste the AI chat into M$ Word 2021
Comment 7 Luca Trix 2026-01-22 21:28:04 UTC
Created attachment 205140 [details]
What LibreOffice Writer looks like instead

Screenshot of copy pasting the AI chat containing LaTex formulas into LibreOffice Writer (formulas are garbled - see the correct expected way to handle it in the previous attachments M$ Word 2021)