Ask HN: How do you use GitHub for LaTeX documents?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20121946

by ginnungagap • 7 years ago

5 9 7 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I recently started using github for a programming project from my university and I noticed a few people using it to host LaTeX projects as well. To the people on HN who do that, how does it work? Do you have a LaTeX editor with github support? How do you automate the process? What are your tips and tricks? (I usually write LaTeX using kile under Ubuntu 18.04, but I'm very willing to change editor if needed)

Witeshadow• 7 years ago

I use Overleaf + github. Works well. It also supports Dropbox.

ginnungagap3• 7 years ago

I've been using overleaf for years and never realized it supports synchronization with github! Seems very straightforward to use as well, thanks

sgillen• 7 years ago

I use emacs + auctex to edit and compile my latex. Then just run git manually on my Tex and pdf files.

I think you could use just about any latex editor you want and have this workflow work for you.

lamchob• 7 years ago

Visual Studio code, for example, has extensions for Latex. You can write the latex src in VS Code, compile and preview it. And since VSCode also supports git you can integrate your latex project and the repository in one workspace.

ginnungagap3• 7 years ago

I'm actually using VS Code for the Haskell project I mentioned in my submission, so I just finished figuring out how git works with VSC, this might be a good solution for me

brudgers• 7 years ago

My advice, learn Git from the command line. Not all of it. But at least enough to do what you want to do...which isn't very much...set up a local repository, connect it to a remote repository, commit, add, push, pull. There is nothing special about LaTeX in relation to Git.

There are many git tutorials. Git Immersion http://gitimmersion.com/ is the one I used. Not claiming it's the best. Just that it has a long track record, has been updated since Jim Weirich died, and worked for me. Eight hours spread over several days will probably be more than enough and you will learn much more Git than you need.

The reason I recommend learning the Git command line is that it decouples version control from editor choice. If you try a different editor a month from now, only your editor changes. You don't have to learn how it handles Git...that's the Unix philosophy: compose little programs that do one thing well. All that changes is the editor part of your workflow.

The other reason I recommend "just learning the command line" is the many times I have spent many many hours looking for the perfect tool, wading through redundant Google search results, downloading and installing software, learning new special programs, only to find that underlying issue remained. I didn't understand the program I was trying to avoid learning.

ginnungagap3• 7 years ago

Thanks a lot for the tutorial link, I was actually looking for a git tutorial because of the programming project from my university I mentioned in my submission!

GGfpc• 7 years ago

When I was writing my thesis I used TexStudio and had a hook to automatically commit and push to github every time I used Ctrl + S. This led to a bunch of non-identifiable commits, but hey, safety first.

DivineBubba• 7 years ago

There are Git GUI options available like SourceTree, GitHub Desktop, GitKraken and the relatively new Sublime Merge from the makers of Sublime Text. All of these will achieve the same thing, although I would recommend at least learning the basics of command line Git - each to their own, though.

Ask HN: How do you use GitHub for LaTeX documents?

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