Python: Unable to Render Tex in Matplotlib

The error message says you're missing the type1cm package. It seems that MacPorts includes it as part of texlive-latex-extra.

I had to install the cm-super package in a ubuntu derivate (jupyter/minimal-notebook which derives from Ubuntu 18.04) $ sudo apt-get install cm-super

On an Ubunutu 14.04 machine the combination of answers from above worked. I sudo apt-get install the dvipng,texlive-latex-extra, and texlive-fonts-recommended packages and that did the trick:

$ sudo apt-get install dvipng texlive-latex-extra texlive-fonts-recommended 

Edit: As of Matplotlib 3.2.1, you now also need the package cm-super (see https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/16911)

$ sudo apt-get install dvipng texlive-latex-extra texlive-fonts-recommended cm-super

Along with dvipng texlive-latex-extra texlive-fonts-recommended, cm-super was also need in Ubuntu 20.04.