Overleaf

Overleaf (formerly sharelatex) is an installation of the typesetting system LaTeX on servers, useable through a modern browser without the need to install software locally. This follows the examples of services like Google Docs or Microsoft Office 365.

The GWDG offers Overleaf for all users at https://sharelatex.gwdg.de.

A valid GWDG full account, a current web browser and basic LaTeX knowledge are required to use the Overleaf service.

An upgrade or enabling of the account is not necessary and not possible anymore. Please also consider the advice regarding collaboration below.

Collaboration with a user without a GWDG full account is possible with the "Link-Sharing" function.

Users without an account as described in preconditions can only be invited to edit a document through the “Link-Sharing” function. Sending invitations to the user's email address will lead to an error during login using the email link. Users without a GWDG full account have to be invited using the “Link-Sharing” function.

Please note that because of licensing reasons we can only grant access to users who have a connection to the

• University of Göttingen
• Max Planck Society or
• higher education institutes in Niedersachsen, Germany via academiccloud.de

• sharelatex.gwdg.de does not use banner ads. Nevertheless, it may happen that ad-blockers installed in the browser cause difficulties, e.g. the “Share” button disappears.
• In rare cases, compiling larger Tex files results in an Internal Server Error. In this case, use the options: Compile-Mode: Fast [draft] and Syntax Checks: Do not check syntax
• Documents are rendered in a TeX Live environment which has been configured for ShareLaTeX/Overleaf. Additional there is a version available called texlive:latest. This is a very current, generic TeX environment which gets updated frequently but is not specifically tested for ShareLaTeX.

Q: Overleaf reports a “Server Error” when compiling a document. It works fine for other documents. Is there a problem with the service? A: Despite the false message that this is a server-side error, this message almost always occurs in connection with errors in the LaTeX document itself. Recommendation: Comment out parts of your document until compilation is possible again.

Q: Does the GWDG Overleaf service offer zotero or mendeley integrations?
A: No, unfortunately the manufacturer reserves this for his cloud service: https://de.overleaf.com/for/enterprises/features

Q: Does the GWDG Overleaf service offer git or dropbox integrations?
A: No, unfortunately the manufacturer reserves this for his cloud service: https://de.overleaf.com/for/enterprises/features Since 09/2023 the“git bridge” is available: https://www.overleaf.com/learn/how-to/Git_integration

Q: Does the grammarly browser plugin work with the GWDG Overleaf service ?
A: No, unfortunately not.

Q: Is there a limit on the number of collaborators?
A: There is no limit upon the number of collaborators per project.

Q: I got a new account, can I merge it with my old ShareLaTeX account and project files?
A: No. A new account constitutes a new identity. Please consult our policy on this matter.

Q: I get the message that the maximum number of comments/tracked changes has been exceeded. What do I do about this?
A: See comment limits

LaTeX is a typesetting system for creating texts with high quality output and is the favorite when complex rendering such as formulas and structures is required as it is often the case in natural sciences.

A typesetting system differs from common word processors like Microsoft Word in that the text is written alongside markup commands that make text in the output document bold, italic or define lists and headings. Additionally the author does not see a representation of the rendered text in real time but works with the source text directly.

In the end this source text is then rendered into an output file which has the content and rendered text features. Typically this is a PDF.

Usually when working with LaTeX the author needs to install and maintain a suite of tools on his computer that allow editing, rendering and conversion of source texts and output files.

With Overleaf the case is made easier. The whole suite of tools (based on TeX Live) is installed on GWDG servers and is made available through a website. The website also serves as the editor for the source text and generates the output files as downloadable PDFs through the author's browser.

Additionally the website allows simultaneous, collaborative editing of a document by several users. Files and documents are organized in so called projects to which other users can be invited.

Overleaf has a good introduction to LaTeX and how to use Overleaf.

There is also a large selection of templates available at overleaf.com which can be downloaded as a ZIP file and uploaded into our service with the Upload Project function to start a new project based on this template.

In many ways Overleaf is easier to use than a standard LaTeX installation on a PC. Nevertheless Overleaf is not a WYSIWYG editor like LyX and some basic knowledge of LaTeX is required to work with Overleaf. The tutorial at overleaf.com however is a great help and can be used directly with our service as well.

GWDG currently does not consult with regard to using LaTeX or offers training. Errors or problems when using Overleaf can of course be reported to our user support.