Export to Latex (org-latex-export-to-pdf) generates incorrect latex when list items start with a left square bracket. This occurs because the \item command interprets the left square bracket as the start of an argument list. An example:
An item list: - abc def - [def] ghi - [jkl m n o] - pqr This produces the latex fragment: An item list: \begin{itemize} \item abc def \item [def] ghi \item [jkl m n o] \item pqr \end{itemize} The pdf output renders the second and third items incorrectly. If there is no right bracket to terminate the argument, then pdf generation may fail with message: org-latex-compile: PDF file ./example.pdf wasn't produced: Runaway argument I fixed these cases in my local environment using defadvise on org-latex-item to wrap an initial left square bracket in braces. I used this form: (eval-after-load "ox-latex" '(progn (defadvice org-latex-item (after escape-initial-bracket activate) (setq ad-return-value (replace-regexp-in-string "\\\\item \\[" "\\\\item {[}" ad-return-value))))) This changes the latex fragment for the above example to: An item list: \begin{itemize} \item abc def \item {[}def] ghi \item {[}jkl m n o] \item pqr \end{itemize} This form renders PDF correctly. My knowledge of latex is very limited, I don't know if this is a reasonable approach or not. There appears to be one other function in the ox-latex.el generating the \item command: (org-latex-headline). I did not try to reproduce this case. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Emacs : GNU Emacs 24.2.1 (x86_64-apple-darwin, NS apple-appkit-1038.36) of 2012-08-27 on bob.porkrind.org Package: Org-mode version 8.2.3c (8.2.3c-elpa @ /Users/jdegenhardt/.emacs.d/elpa/org-20131115/) current state: ============== (setq org-tab-first-hook '(org-hide-block-toggle-maybe org-src-native-tab-command-maybe org-babel-hide-result-toggle-maybe org-babel-header-arg-expand) org-speed-command-hook '(org-speed-command-default-hook org-babel-speed-command-hook) org-occur-hook '(org-first-headline-recenter) org-metaup-hook '(org-babel-load-in-session-maybe) org-log-done 'time org-confirm-shell-link-function 'yes-or-no-p org-use-sub-superscripts '{} org-startup-indented t org-after-todo-state-change-hook '(org-clock-out-if-current) org-src-mode-hook '(org-src-babel-configure-edit-buffer org-src-mode-configure-edit-buffer) org-agenda-before-write-hook '(org-agenda-add-entry-text) org-babel-pre-tangle-hook '(save-buffer) org-mode-hook '(#[nil "\300\301\302\303\304$\207" [org-add-hook change-major-mode-hook org-show-block-all append local] 5] #[nil "\300\301\302\303\304$\207" [org-add-hook change-major-mode-hook org-babel-show-result-all append local] 5] org-babel-result-hide-spec org-babel-hide-all-hashes (lambda nil (turn-on-visual-line-mode) (turn-off-auto-fill))) org-ctrl-c-ctrl-c-hook '(org-babel-hash-at-point org-babel-execute-safely-maybe) org-cycle-hook '(org-cycle-hide-archived-subtrees org-cycle-hide-drawers org-cycle-hide-inline-tasks org-cycle-show-empty-lines org-optimize-window-after-visibility-change) org-todo-keywords '((sequence "TODO" "STARTED" "ONHOLD" "|" "DONE" "CANCELED") ) org-latex-packages-alist '(("margin=0.75in" "geometry" nil)) org-confirm-elisp-link-function 'yes-or-no-p org-metadown-hook '(org-babel-pop-to-session-maybe) org-agenda-files '("~/Notes/General-Ongoing.org") org-clock-out-hook '(org-clock-remove-empty-clock-drawer) )