Unable to get xelatex to work

[vikingnope]

Hi,

I am trying to get xelatex using the magic comment: % !TEX program = xelatex, at the beginning of my file but I keep getting the following compiler error:

This is the output from the log file:

This is pdfTeX, Version 3.141592653-2.6-1.40.26 (TeX Live 2024) (preloaded format=pdflatex 2025.1.1)  1 JAN 2025 10:59
entering extended mode
 restricted \write18 enabled.
 file:line:error style messages enabled.
 %&-line parsing enabled.
**"/PHY1134 - Introduction to Numerical Methods/Assignment/assignment.tex"
(/PHY1134 - Introduction to Numerical Methods/Assignment/assignment.tex
LaTeX2e <2024-11-01> patch level 1
L3 programming layer <2024-12-09>
(c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/article.cls
Document Class: article 2024/06/29 v1.4n Standard LaTeX document class
(c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/size10.clo
File: size10.clo 2024/06/29 v1.4n Standard LaTeX file (size option)
)
\c@part=\count196
\c@section=\count197
\c@subsection=\count198
\c@subsubsection=\count199
\c@paragraph=\count266
\c@subparagraph=\count267
\c@figure=\count268
\c@table=\count269
\abovecaptionskip=\skip49
\belowcaptionskip=\skip50
\bibindent=\dimen141
) (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/amsmath/amsmath.sty
Package: amsmath 2024/11/05 v2.17t AMS math features
\@mathmargin=\skip51

For additional information on amsmath, use the `?' option.
(c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/amsmath/amstext.sty
Package: amstext 2021/08/26 v2.01 AMS text
 (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/amsmath/amsgen.sty
File: amsgen.sty 1999/11/30 v2.0 generic functions
\@emptytoks=\toks17
\ex@=\dimen142
)) (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/amsmath/amsbsy.sty
Package: amsbsy 1999/11/29 v1.2d Bold Symbols
\pmbraise@=\dimen143
) (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/amsmath/amsopn.sty
Package: amsopn 2022/04/08 v2.04 operator names
)
\inf@bad=\count270
LaTeX Info: Redefining \frac on input line 233.
\uproot@=\count271
\leftroot@=\count272
LaTeX Info: Redefining \overline on input line 398.
LaTeX Info: Redefining \colon on input line 409.
\classnum@=\count273
\DOTSCASE@=\count274
LaTeX Info: Redefining \ldots on input line 495.
LaTeX Info: Redefining \dots on input line 498.
LaTeX Info: Redefining \cdots on input line 619.
\Mathstrutbox@=\box52
\strutbox@=\box53
LaTeX Info: Redefining \big on input line 721.
LaTeX Info: Redefining \Big on input line 722.
LaTeX Info: Redefining \bigg on input line 723.
LaTeX Info: Redefining \Bigg on input line 724.
\big@size=\dimen144
LaTeX Font Info:    Redeclaring font encoding OML on input line 742.
LaTeX Font Info:    Redeclaring font encoding OMS on input line 743.
\macc@depth=\count275
LaTeX Info: Redefining \bmod on input line 904.
LaTeX Info: Redefining \pmod on input line 909.
LaTeX Info: Redefining \smash on input line 939.
LaTeX Info: Redefining \relbar on input line 969.
LaTeX Info: Redefining \Relbar on input line 970.
\c@MaxMatrixCols=\count276
\dotsspace@=\muskip17
\c@parentequation=\count277
\dspbrk@lvl=\count278
\tag@help=\toks18
\row@=\count279
\column@=\count280
\maxfields@=\count281
\andhelp@=\toks19
\eqnshift@=\dimen145
\alignsep@=\dimen146
\tagshift@=\dimen147
\tagwidth@=\dimen148
\totwidth@=\dimen149
\lineht@=\dimen150
\@envbody=\toks20
\multlinegap=\skip52
\multlinetaggap=\skip53
\mathdisplay@stack=\toks21
LaTeX Info: Redefining \[ on input line 2953.
LaTeX Info: Redefining \] on input line 2954.
) (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec.sty (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3packages/xparse/xparse.sty (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3kernel/expl3.sty
Package: expl3 2024-12-09 L3 programming layer (loader) 
 (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3backend/l3backend-pdftex.def
File: l3backend-pdftex.def 2024-05-08 L3 backend support: PDF output (pdfTeX)
\l__color_backend_stack_int=\count282
\l__pdf_internal_box=\box54
))
Package: xparse 2024-08-16 L3 Experimental document command parser
)
Package: fontspec 2024/05/11 v2.9e Font selection for XeLaTeX and LuaLaTeX


c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec.sty:101: Fatal Package fontspec Error: The fontspec package requires either XeTeX or
(fontspec)                      LuaTeX.
(fontspec)                      
(fontspec)                      You must change your typesetting engine to,
(fontspec)                      e.g., "xelatex" or "lualatex" instead of
(fontspec)                      "latex" or "pdflatex".

Type <return> to continue.
 ...                                              
                                                  
l.101 \msg_fatal:nn {fontspec} {cannot-use-pdftex}
                                                  

LaTeX does not know anything more about this error, sorry.

Try typing <return> to proceed.
If that doesn't work, type X <return> to quit.

This is a fatal error: LaTeX will abort.



c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec.sty:101: Emergency stop.
<read *> 
         
l.101 \msg_fatal:nn {fontspec} {cannot-use-pdftex}
                                                  
*** (cannot \read from terminal in nonstop modes)

 
Here is how much of TeX's memory you used:
 1255 strings out of 473254
 20839 string characters out of 5722072
 407980 words of memory out of 5000000
 24523 multiletter control sequences out of 15000+600000
 558069 words of font info for 36 fonts, out of 8000000 for 9000
 1141 hyphenation exceptions out of 8191
 79i,0n,93p,374b,42s stack positions out of 10000i,1000n,20000p,200000b,200000s
c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec.sty:101:  ==> Fatal error occurred, no output PDF file produced!

This is the output from the output section on VS Code:

Initial Win CP for (console input, console output, system): (CP437, CP437, CP1252)
I changed them all to CP1252
Rc files read:
  NONE
Latexmk: This is Latexmk, John Collins, 27 Dec. 2024. Version 4.86a.
No existing .aux file, so I'll make a simple one, and require run of *latex.
Latexmk: applying rule 'pdflatex'...
Rule 'pdflatex':  Reasons for rerun
Category 'other':
  Rerun of 'pdflatex' forced or previously required:
    Reason or flag: 'Initial setup'

------------
Run number 1 of rule 'pdflatex'
------------
------------
Running 'pdflatex  -synctex=1 -interaction=nonstopmode -file-line-error -recorder  "/PHY1134 - Introduction to Numerical Methods/Assignment/assignment.tex"'
------------
This is pdfTeX, Version 3.141592653-2.6-1.40.26 (TeX Live 2024) (preloaded format=pdflatex)
 restricted \write18 enabled.
entering extended mode
(/PHY1134 - Introduction to Numerical Methods/Assignment/assignment.tex
LaTeX2e <2024-11-01> patch level 1
L3 programming layer <2024-12-09>
(c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/article.cls
Document Class: article 2024/06/29 v1.4n Standard LaTeX document class
(c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/size10.clo)) (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/amsmath/amsmath.sty
For additional information on amsmath, use the `?' option.
(c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/amsmath/amstext.sty (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/amsmath/amsgen.sty)) (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/amsmath/amsbsy.sty) (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/amsmath/amsopn.sty)) (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec.sty (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3packages/xparse/xparse.sty (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3kernel/expl3.sty (c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/l3backend/l3backend-pdftex.def)))

c:/texlive/2024/texmf-dist/tex/latex/fontspec/fontspec.sty:101: Fatal Package fontspec Error: The fontspec package requires either XeTeX or
(fontspec)                      LuaTeX.
(fontspec)                      
(fontspec)                      You must change your typesetting engine to,
(fontspec)                      e.g., "xelatex" or "lualatex" instead of
(fontspec)                      "latex" or "pdflatex".

Type <return> to continue.
 ...                                              
                                                  
l.101 \msg_fatal:nn {fontspec} {cannot-use-pdftex}
                                                  

Latexmk: Getting log file 'assignment.log'
Latexmk: Examining 'assignment.fls'
Latexmk: Examining 'assignment.log'
Latexmk: Errors, so I did not complete making targets
Latexmk: Sometimes, the -f option can be used to get latexmk
  to try to force complete processing.
  But normally, you will need to correct the file(s) that caused the
  error, and then rerun latexmk.
  In some cases, it is best to clean out generated files before rerunning
  latexmk after you've corrected the files.
Reverting Windows console CPs to (in,out) = (437,437)
Collected error summary (may duplicate other messages):
  pdflatex: Command for 'pdflatex' gave return code 1
      Refer to 'assignment.log' and/or above output for details

C:\texlive\2024\bin\windows\runscript.tlu:922: command failed with exit code 12:
perl.exe c:\texlive\2024\texmf-dist\scripts\latexmk\latexmk.pl -synctex=1 -interaction=nonstopmode -file-line-error -pdf "-outdir=/PHY1134 - Introduction to Numerical Methods/Assignment" "/PHY1134 - Introduction to Numerical Methods/Assignment/assignment"

As a side note I am using the latest TeXLive.

if I go into the side bar options and select this:

Then it builds just fine, so I think I have something wrong with the magic command.