17 Local $\LaTeX{}$#

Goal#

02_setting_up_unix
03_command_line

Prerequisites#

Basic collaboration account
Installed environment

Steps#

1. Introduction#

$\LaTeX{}$ is the most powerful tool for scientific writing, since it includes tons of packages and functions for math writing and diagrams/tables. It also is great for bibliography, and you can even write anywhere in $\LaTeX{}$ within markdown files: typing

This is a markdown text with an inline equation: $E = mc^2$, and a block equation:
$$
E = \nu h
$$

will result in

This is a markdown text with an inline equation: $E = mc^2$, and a block equation: $$ E = \nu h $$

2. Setup#

2.1 macOS#

Download and install MacTeX:
- https://tug.org/mactex/
- (Large package ~4 GB, but includes everything you need.)
After installation, make sure the LaTeX binaries are in your PATH:
```
echo $PATH
```

You should see /Library/TeX/texbin.

2.2 Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)#

Update your package list:
```
sudo apt update
```
Install TeX Live (basic version):
```
sudo apt install texlive-latex-base
```
Or full installation (recommended, larger size):
```
sudo apt install texlive-full
```

2.3 Linux (Fedora/RHEL)#

sudo dnf install texlive-scheme-full

### 2.4 Choose an Editor

You can edit .tex files with any text editor, but these are popular:

TeXShop (macOS, included with MacTeX)
TeXworks (lightweight, cross-platform)
VS Code with LaTeX Workshop

3. Execution#

3.1 Create Your First $\LaTeX{}$ Document#

Create a file named paper.tex:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}

\title{My First Paper}
\author{Your Name}
\date{\today}

\begin{document}

\maketitle

Hello, world! This is my first \LaTeX{} paper.

\end{document}

3.2 Compile the Document#

Using Terminal:

pdflatex paper.tex

After compilation, you’ll find paper.pdf in the same directory.

Note that if you are using bibtex citations in your paper you will need to run:

pdflatex paper.tex # creates structure
bibtex paper # compiles citations
pdflatex paper.tex # adds citations to pdf
pdflatex paper.tex # ensures numbering and indexing is correct

4. Collaborating via GitHub#

LaTeX works well with Git since .tex files are plain text.

Workflow#

Clone this repository

git clone git@github.com:capibara3/papers.git
cd repo

Create a branch

git checkout -b your-branch-name

Go to a directory and add your edits

cd paper-title/

Add and commit your changes

git add paper.tex
git commit -m "Added introduction section"

Push your branch to the remote

git push origin your-branch-name

Open a Pull Request (PR)
6.1 If the PR does not delete or overwrite text → merge directly to update the main document.
6.2 If the PR deletes or changes someone else’s text → request their review and resolve merge conflicts before merging.

Best Practices#

You may:
- Create a new branch for each contribution or paper, OR
- Reuse the same branch for ongoing edits.
Always write clear commit messages (e.g., Added results section).
Add a .gitignore file to keep the repo clean:

*.aux
*.log
*.out
*.pdf

Consider using GitHub Actions to auto-compile PDFs on each push.

Troubleshooting#

Visit the Overleaf website, they have some resources around $\LaTeX{}$ troubleshooting and errors. Rice University happens to also have some resources and guides around working with $\LaTeX{}$, like this summary of basic math commands.

Extra Tips#

Use latexmk for automatic builds:
```
latexmk -pdf paper.tex
```
For bibliography management, install biber or bibtex.

Next Steps#

Next steps…

17 Local \(\LaTeX{}\)#