Set path to LaTeX in matplotlib

I am trying to make a figure using matplotlib remotely on the cluster (the data I'm using are too large to move to the local machine). I want LaTeX rendering. However, something is wrong with the distribution on the cluster and I get the error:

File `type1cm.sty' not found  

I don't have the privileges to modify the TeX distribution, so I installed my own in my home directory and added the path to the binaries to my PATH using

os.environ['PATH']=os.environ['PATH'] + ':/path/to/bin'  

However, matplotlib ignores this and continues to use the pre-installed distribution, which is in /usr/shared/.

How can I tell matplotlib to use the TeX distribution I installed rather than the apparently faulty one that's pre-installed on the cluster?

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/65894951/set-path-to-latex-in-matplotlib January 26, 2021 at 10:03AM