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> With respect to LaTeX, I only started to use it semi-recently in the cloud and I'd recommend it to anyone (but only in the cloud). $ latexmk -pdf main.tex H

• remexre 5y ago
  How do you do package (version) management for LaTeX? There's more than a few documents I've come across that won't build on my system, giving often-indecipherable compilation errors. Overleaf at least ensures everyone involved is using the same environment without needing to ship a Docker container or the like, or try to pin down versions.
  • eulgro 5y ago
    I suppose it should be fairly portable, except for missing packages maybe. In my case I have literally every common package installed so that's not an issue. But LaTeX errors are a real pain, I'll admit that.
  • Filligree 5y ago
    Nix has a decent solution here, i.e. turn the document into a nix derivation. with import <nixpkgs> {}; pkgs.runCommand "cv.pdf" rec { src = ./cv.tex; bin = with pkgs.texlive; combine { inherit scheme-medium collection-latexrecommended collection-fontsextra moderncv etoolbox; }; buildInputs = [ bin ]; allowSubstitutes = false; } '' ln -s $src cv.tex latexmk -pdf cv.tex mkdir $out mv *pdf $out/ '' These days I'd probably use flakes to pin down the latex version.
• moron4hire 5y ago
  Lol, that's not the command for making a LaTeX document. The command for making a LaTeX document fills a sheet for all the shit you have to install--half of which isn't correct on whatever documentation you're reading--and THEN you can `latexmk`. And I do mean you. I gave up after a solid week. I'll just make whatever I want in PowerPoint, save it to a PDF, and be done in 15 minutes. Yes, I said PowerPoint. Set you're slides to 8.5x11 and it became a typesetting program. I've started getting my coworkers to use it for such and they are absolutely delighted by the bump in design quality they are getting because they aren't fighting Word anymore.
  • eulgro 5y ago
    $ sudo apt install texlive latexmk $ latexmk -pdf main.tex I didn't try it, but it wasn't much harder than that if I recall... If you're on Windows, well, it's your loss :(
    • moron4hire 5y ago
      Excuse me for being one of the 80% of working Americans
      • diffeomorphism 5y ago
        So download whatever latex distro you prefer for windows, open your document, click the button. It will automatically download missing packages in the background. Done.
      • akho 5y ago
        Highly relevant username.
  • CRConrad 5y ago
    > Yes, I said PowerPoint. Set you're slides to 8.5x11 and it became a typesetting program. That won't print sensibly on the paper in your printer, in most of the civilised world.
  • GiovanniP 5y ago
• robotresearcher 5y ago
  > The only thing Overleaf adds here is a button and a 10x compilation time overhead. Overleaf removes the need for local install. A full MacTex.pkg install is 4.4GB. I've lived in LaTeX for more than 30 years, and I love the ability to edit docs from any browser.
  • anthk 5y ago
    4GB today is not that much. Current OpenBSD and NetBSD install recommend 2-3GB at minimum for a base OS and 10-16GB for a confortable usage (installing a bunch of pkgs/ports, swap partitions, and so on).
    • deroanth 5y ago
      Maybe it's just me, but 4.4 GB does feel like a not insignificant amount of space for something I don't have to install locally. Or for people that use it rarely. I'm not a huge fan of Overleaf, mind you, but I agree with those that say it does have its uses. The easy collaboration for people that don't like -- or don't get how -- to use git. I wish everyone I collaborate with liked git...
    • deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
  • tincholio 5y ago
    I've used LaTeX for about as long as I've used Emacs, and really, the thought of editing LaTeX from my browser is rather painful. You can still use Overleaf via git, though admittedly the experience isn't as smooth.
• wiz21c 5y ago
  Overleaf allows you to work with several authors at the same time on the document. I was skeptical (after all, git allows that too). But after using that feature, well, it is just the killer thing. Now Overleaf doesn't add much on top on my own Latex installation. But the collaborative thing is just spot on (much like Google docs which I have discovered not a long time ago; same analysis : not that good presentation tool, but working together is just incredibly useful).
  • ranaexmachina 5y ago
    In my experience, Overleaf is actually awful for collaboration. Maybe my workflow is weird, but I tend to look at the diffs after my colleagues make changes. Also, we mainly use pull requests to add to our papers. This way, everyone can see and comment on changes. This kind of workflow is not really usable with Overleaf. Overleaf uses Git in the background, but every commit is named "changes on Overleaf" and the individual commits do not really make much sense. In addition, everything is immediately put into the master branch and there's no way to summarize or group changes (like with commits and/or pull requests). My next problem is, that Overleaf just uses latexmk so if you have some code to generate graphics or tables, you have to compile and add them manually all the time.
    • wiz21c 5y ago
      my workflow is different : we use voice chat to share and we edit collaboratively. Both these allow to actually work together and, more importantly, think together.
      • ranaexmachina 5y ago
        That's very interesting. I honestly didn't think of that, since we often worked asynchronously or at the same machine (which doesn't work at the moment, of course). I can see how Overleaf can be nice for that purpose.