Windows | Linux

Automated LaTeX Document Builder

Notes Maker converts your Markdown notes into professional-looking LaTeX PDFs automatically.

• Prerequisites
• Installation
• VS Code Setup
• Usage
• Changing Default Values
• Changing the University Logo
• Updating Notes Maker
• Uninstallation

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have the following:

Python

Download and install it from python.org. Preferably, between versions 3.10 and 3.13 inclusive.

Check installation:

python --version; python -m pip --version

Visual Studio Code

Download from code.visualstudio.com.

Check installation:

code --version

Install the Command Runner extension for VS Code.

Node Package Manager (optional, for Mermaid diagrams)

Download and install Node.js from nodejs.org.

Check installation:

node --version; npm --version

Note

If you're having trouble running npm --version, you may need to change the execution policy. Run this command:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

Installation

Open PowerShell (Terminal on Windows 11) and run these commands:

Caution

Do not run as Administrator

Step 1: Download and install TinyTeX

wget "https://github.com/rstudio/tinytex-releases/releases/download/daily/TinyTeX-1.zip" -OutFile "$env:TEMP\TinyTeX.zip"
Expand-Archive -Force -Path "$env:TEMP\TinyTeX.zip" -DestinationPath $env:APPDATA
Remove-Item "$env:TEMP\TinyTeX.zip"
$Tlmgr = "$env:APPDATA\TinyTeX\bin\windows\tlmgr.bat"
Invoke-Expression "${Tlmgr} path add"
Invoke-Expression "${Tlmgr} option repository ctan"
Invoke-Expression "${Tlmgr} postaction install script xetex"

Step 2: Install LaTeX packages

tlmgr install adjustbox amsfonts amsmath booktabs csvsimple endnotes etoolbox fancyhdr float fontspec footmisc geometry grfext hyperref hyphenat lineno listings lua-ul luaotfload markdown minted paralist pdfcol soul tcolorbox tikzfill titlesec titling tocloft ulem upquote xcolor

Step 3: Install Pygments

python -m pip install Pygments

Step 4: Download Notes Maker

wget https://github.com/abdxdev/notes-maker/archive/refs/heads/main.zip -OutFile "$env:APPDATA\main.zip"
Expand-Archive -Force -Path "$env:APPDATA\main.zip" -DestinationPath "$env:APPDATA"
Remove-Item "$env:APPDATA\main.zip"

Step 5 (Optional): Install Mermaid CLI for diagram support

npm install -g @mermaid-js/mermaid-cli

VS Code Setup

1. Open VS Code and press Ctrl + Shift + P.

2. Search for Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON) and open it.

3. Add this to the bottom of your settings.json file just before the closing }:

   // ...other settings...,
   "command-runner.commands": {
       "Build LaTeX Document": "python \"$env:APPDATA\\notes-maker-main\\script.py\" \"${file}\""
   }

4. Save the file.

Usage

1. Open any folder in VS Code.
2. Create a new Markdown file (for example, report.md).
3. Add your content. Visit the Markdown Guide for syntax help.
4. Press Ctrl + Shift + R and select Build LaTeX Document.
5. After a few moments, the PDF will be generated along with a .json metadata file. Edit this file to change document settings like title, university, and date.
6. Re-run the build command from step 4 to generate the updated PDF.

Note

You may delete the build folder (_build_report in this case) after the PDF is finalized.

Changing Default Values

You can edit the default settings for document generation by modifying the default.json file.

Run this command to open it in VS Code:

code $env:APPDATA\notes-maker-main\default.json

Edit values such as the university name, department, title, and other settings.
The next time you generate a document, it will use the updated defaults.

Changing the University Logo

To replace the default logo, open the script directory:

explorer $env:APPDATA\notes-maker-main\

Replace the existing uni-logo.pdf file with your logo file (use the same name).

Updating Notes Maker

To update Notes Maker, run these commands in PowerShell:

Step 1: Remove old version and download the latest

Remove-Item "$env:APPDATA\notes-maker-main" -Recurse -Force
wget https://github.com/abdxdev/notes-maker/archive/refs/heads/main.zip -OutFile "$env:APPDATA\main.zip"
Expand-Archive -Path "$env:APPDATA\main.zip" -DestinationPath "$env:APPDATA"
Remove-Item "$env:APPDATA\main.zip"

Step 2: Reinstall LaTeX packages

Install latex packages from step 2 of the installation section.

Uninstallation

Step 1: Remove TinyTeX

tlmgr path remove
Remove-Item "$env:APPDATA\TinyTeX" -Recurse -Force

Note

Microsoft Edge may lock certain files related to the uninstallation process if it is running in the background.
To avoid issues, open Task Manager, locate "Microsoft Edge" under the "Processes" tab, and select "End Task" before proceeding.

Step 2: Remove Notes Maker

Remove-Item "$env:APPDATA\notes-maker-main" -Recurse -Force