Latex in Nvim!

[gochila-cell]

I want to create LaTeX documents in nvim and be able to compile them. Does anyone know how to do it?

My goal is to create a nice environment such as overleaf (.tex, .bib, /images) where I can view and edit my latex projects. Any suggestions?

[ewush956]

Did you ever get this figured out? I am looking into doing the same thing.

[alexhraber]

I was able to get latex working:

It should only take you 5-10 minutes to complete these steps:

1. sudo pacman -S zathura zathura-pdf-mupdf
2. sudo pacman -S texlive-binextra texlive-basic texlive-latex texlive-latexextra texlive-bibtexextra
3. add this file: ~/.config/nvim/lua/plugins/latex.lua:

-- LaTeX / BibTeX workflow for LazyVim
return {
  -- Core LaTeX plugin
  {
    "lervag/vimtex",
    lazy = false, -- load immediately so *.tex work out of the box
    init = function()
      -- Use Zathura (great on Wayland; change to 'skim' on macOS)
      vim.g.vimtex_view_method = "zathura"
      vim.g.vimtex_view_forward_search_on_start = 1

      -- Compile with latexmk into ./build with synctex + nonstop mode
      vim.g.vimtex_compiler_method = "latexmk"
      vim.g.vimtex_compiler_latexmk = {
        build_dir = "build",
        options = {
          "-pdf",
          "-interaction=nonstopmode",
          "-synctex=1",
          "-file-line-error",
          "-shell-escape",
        },
      }

      -- QoL
      vim.g.vimtex_quickfix_mode = 0
      vim.g.vimtex_matchparen_enabled = 1
      vim.g.vimtex_indent_enabled = 1
      vim.g.vimtex_syntax_enabled = 1
      vim.g.vimtex_complete_enabled = 1
      vim.g.vimtex_imaps_enabled = 0
      vim.g.vimtex_view_automatic = 1
      vim.g.tex_flavor = "latex"
      vim.g.tex_conceal = "abdmg"
    end,
    keys = {
      { "<leader>lc", "<cmd>VimtexCompile<cr>", desc = "LaTeX: Compile" },
      { "<leader>ll", "<cmd>VimtexCompileToggle<cr>", desc = "LaTeX: Auto Compile (toggle)" },
      { "<leader>lv", "<cmd>VimtexView<cr>", desc = "LaTeX: View PDF" },
      { "<leader>lk", "<cmd>VimtexClean<cr>", desc = "LaTeX: Clean build" },
    },
  },

  -- Ensure LSP servers are installed by Mason
  {
    "williamboman/mason.nvim",
    opts = function(_, opts)
      opts.ensure_installed = opts.ensure_installed or {}
      vim.list_extend(opts.ensure_installed, { "texlab", "ltex-ls" })
    end,
  },

  -- LSP wiring: texlab (build/forward search) + ltex (grammar)
  {
    "neovim/nvim-lspconfig",
    opts = {
      servers = {
        texlab = {
          settings = {
            texlab = {
              auxDirectory = "build",
              build = {
                executable = "latexmk",
                args = {
                  "-pdf",
                  "-interaction=nonstopmode",
                  "-synctex=1",
                  "-file-line-error",
                  "-shell-escape",
                  "-outdir=build",
                  "%f",
                },
                onSave = true,
                forwardSearchAfter = true,
              },
              forwardSearch = {
                executable = "zathura",
                args = { "--synctex-forward", "%l:1:%f", "%p" },
              },
              chktex = { onOpenAndSave = true, onEdit = false },
            },
          },
        },
        ltex = {
          filetypes = { "tex", "bib", "markdown" },
          settings = {
            ltex = {
              language = "en-US",
              additionalRules = { enablePickyRules = true },
              checkFrequency = "save",
            },
          },
        },
      },
    },
  },

  -- Treesitter grammars
  {
    "nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter",
    opts = function(_, opts)
      opts.ensure_installed = opts.ensure_installed or {}
      vim.list_extend(opts.ensure_installed, { "latex", "bibtex" })
    end,
  },

  -- Completion sources: LaTeX symbols + citations/refs (pandoc)
  {
    "hrsh7th/nvim-cmp",
    dependencies = {
      { "kdheepak/cmp-latex-symbols" },
      { "jc-doyle/cmp-pandoc-references", ft = { "tex", "markdown" } },
    },
    opts = function(_, opts)
      opts.sources = opts.sources or {}
      table.insert(opts.sources, { name = "latex_symbols", priority = 700 })
      table.insert(opts.sources, { name = "pandoc_references", priority = 650 })
      return opts
    end,
  },
}

4. make this directory: ~/.config/nvim/ftplugin
5. make this file: ~/.config/nvim/ftplugin/tex.lua:

-- Buffer-local tweaks for TeX files
vim.opt_local.conceallevel = 2 -- keep math pretty but text readable
vim.opt_local.spell = true
vim.opt_local.spelllang = "en_us"

-- If you prefer no conceal at all, uncomment:
-- vim.opt_local.conceallevel = 0

-- Handy mappings (buffer-local duplicates of plugin keys if you prefer here)
-- vim.keymap.set("n", "<leader>lc", "<cmd>VimtexCompile<cr>",      { buffer = true, desc = "LaTeX: Compile" })
-- vim.keymap.set("n", "<leader>ll", "<cmd>VimtexCompileToggle<cr>",{ buffer = true, desc = "LaTeX: Auto Compile (toggle)" })
-- vim.keymap.set("n", "<leader>lv", "<cmd>VimtexView<cr>",         { buffer = true, desc = "LaTeX: View PDF" })
-- vim.keymap.set("n", "<leader>lk", "<cmd>VimtexClean<cr>",        { buffer = true, desc = "LaTeX: Clean build" })

6. make this file: ~/.latexmkrc:

# Latexmk defaults for all TeX projects
$pdf_mode = 1;                   # build PDF
$synctex = 1;                    # forward/inverse search
$interaction = "nonstopmode";    # don't stop on errors
$aux_dir = "build";
$out_dir = "build";
$cleanup_includes_generated = 1;
$pdflatex = 'pdflatex -file-line-error -shell-escape %O %S';

7. launch neovim with a .tex file: nvim ~/test.tex
8. let lazy and mason complete the installations (run lazy sync if necessary)
9. add some valid latex to your file within neovim
10. press <leader>lc (to compile) -- <leader> == space
11. after compilation, it should auto launch the compiled pdf in zathura (the pdf reader)

[ewush956]

Thanks!

[ChrolloKyber]

@alexhraber what's that font?

[alexhraber]

@ChrolloKyber https://github.com/IdreesInc/Monocraft/releases/tag/v4.1

Scroll down and download the Monocraft.ttc from that release page, and place it in ~/.local/share/fonts. That will make it appear as an option in the Omarchy Menu --> Style --> Font list.

[ChrolloKyber]

Thank you!

[the-biKing]

would anyone happens to know how do i switch it to xelatex.
i modified latexmkrc to:

$pdf_mode = 5;                   # build PDF via xelatex
$synctex = 1;                    # forward/inverse search
$interaction = "nonstopmode";    # don't stop on errors
$aux_dir = "build";
$out_dir = "build";
$cleanup_includes_generated = 1;
$xelatex = 'xelatex -file-line-error -shell-escape %O %S';

and added

vim.g.vimtex_compiler_latexmk_engines = {
        _ = "xelatex",
      }

to latex.lua

but whenever i added \usepackage{fontspec} to .tex file it just stops compiling. does not even report error.

btw I use xelatex because I need mandarin characters for my homework.

[micahkepe]

For anyone who would like to use sioyek with VimTeX, this is my Neovim configuration if it is helpful: vimtex.lua