Work on a Latex Document in Github Codespaces

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github
Published

March 16, 2023

I was exploring using Github Codespaces instead of Overleaf to work on a Latex document.

The most important missing component is the Latex editor, and the other downside is that it is free only for 90 hours per month (with a Pro academic account). However, the other useful features of Overleaf are present:

On top of that, Codespace is a full machine, so you could run a Python script or a Jupyter Notebook to generate images for example.

See a screenshot of the environment

Github codespaces with Latex Workshop

How to set Github Codespaces for Latex

On the repository where you store the Latex project, click on the Code button and open a new Codespace.

In the terminal, install the Latex environment:

sudo apt install texlive texlive-science texlive-latex-extra latexmk

In the “Extensions” window, install the extension “Latex Workshop”.

Open the “Tex” menu on the left bar to build the project with latexmk and open a tab within VS Code to visualize the PDF.