Is there something extra needed to use mptopdf with only context minimal? Experimenting with having just context standalone on mac osx: Compiling with just mpost or using a context \startMPcode wrapper works, e.g.: beginfig(1); draw origin--(100,100); endfig; end works with command line mpost % This is MetaPost, version 1.801 (kpathsea version 6.1.1dev) (mpost.mp (/users/johnkitzmiller/context/tex/texmf/metapost/base/plain.mp Preloading the plain mem file, version 1.004) ) (./mwe.mp [1] ) 1 output file written: mwe.1 Transcript written on mwe.log. and... \starttext \startMPcode draw origin--(100,100); \stopMPcode \stoptext works with command context % But using mptopdf on the first snippet complains: MPtoPDF 1.4.1 : running 'mpost --mem=mpost mwe.mp' This is MetaPost, version 1.801 (kpathsea version 6.1.1dev) (mpost.mp (/users/johnkitzmiller/context/tex/texmf/metapost/base/plain.mp Preloading the plain mem file, version 1.004) ) (./mwe.mp [1] ) 1 output file written: mwe.1 Transcript written on mwe.log. This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-2.5-1.40.14 (TeX Live 2013) \write18 enabled. kpathsea: Running mktexfmt mptopdf.fmt /usr/texbin/mktexfmt: line 395: /users/johnkitzmiller/context/tex/texmf/texconfig/tcfmgr: is a directory fmtutil: config file `fmtutil.cnf' not found. I can't find the format file `mptopdf.fmt'! MPtoPDF 1.4.1 : error while processing tex file (Note: I do not have TeX Live 2013 installed. The message from line 7 gave me some hints and I created the directory and put mptopdf.fmt from a pdftex --ini mptopdf command … no luck) Turning $PATH off from ~/context/tex/texmf-osx-64/bin mptopdf % gives: MPtoPDF 1.4.1 : running 'mpost --mem=mpost mwe.mp' This is MetaPost, version 1.504 (kpathsea version 6.1.0) (mpost.mp (/usr/local/texlive/2012/texmf-dist/metapost/base/plain.mp Preloading the plain mem file, version 1.004)) (./mwe.mp [1] ) 1 output file written: mwe.1 Transcript written on mwe.log. This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-2.4-1.40.13 (TeX Live 2012) restricted \write18 enabled. [MP to PDF] (./mwe.1) [1] Output written on mwe.pdf (1 page, 1305 bytes). Transcript written on mwe.log. MPtoPDF 1.4.1 : mwe is converted to mwe-1.pdf as I have been using. How to get mptopdf working from command line with just minimals?