tinyleaf 0.4.0

A lightweight, self-hosted Overleaf alternative — zero-dependency LaTeX web editor

tinyleaf

中文版 | Documentation

A lightweight, self-hosted Overleaf alternative that runs entirely from a single pip install. No database, no Node.js, no Docker required — just Python's standard library and a TeX Live installation. One command to start editing LaTeX in your browser.

pip install tinyleaf && tinyleaf /path/to/my-thesis

Features

• CLI-first — pip install tinyleaf && tinyleaf /path to start editing
• Two modes — Single project or multi-project with registry (~/.config/tinyleaf/projects.json)
• Two compilation backends — Local latexmk (default) or Docker
• CodeMirror 6 editor with LaTeX syntax highlighting
• PDF.js preview with live reload after compilation
• SSE real-time compilation log streaming
• Git integration — auto-detect .git, commit/push from UI
• Zero Python dependencies — stdlib only (http.server + threading + subprocess)
• 7 themes with dark/light toggle
• i18n — English and Chinese

Quick Start

pip install tinyleaf

# Single project mode (local compilation)
tinyleaf /path/to/my-thesis

# Single project mode (Docker compilation)
tinyleaf /path/to/my-thesis --docker

# Multi-project mode (registry)
tinyleaf

Usage

usage: tinyleaf [-h] [--projects-dir DIR] [--config-dir DIR] [--docker]
                [--image IMAGE] [--port PORT] [--host HOST] [--no-browser]
                [project_path]

positional arguments:
  project_path          Single project directory to open

options:
  --config-dir DIR      Config directory for project registry
                        (default: ~/.config/tinyleaf)
  --projects-dir DIR    Legacy: migrate subdirs into registry
  --docker              Use Docker for compilation (default: local latexmk)
  --image IMAGE         Docker image to use (default: oaklight/texlive:latest)
  --port PORT           Server port (default: 14159, env: TINYLEAF_PORT)
  --host HOST           Server host (default: 127.0.0.1)
  --no-browser          Don't auto-open browser on start

Multi-Project Registry

When launched without a project_path, tinyleaf enters multi-project mode. Projects are tracked in ~/.config/tinyleaf/projects.json — each entry maps a name to an absolute path anywhere on the filesystem.

From the project page you can:

• Open Folder — browse the server filesystem and register an existing directory
• New Project — create a new project at a chosen location
• Remove — unregister a project (optionally delete files)

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+S	Save current file
Ctrl+Enter	Compile
Ctrl+Shift+C	Git commit
Ctrl+Shift+P	Git push

Docker Compose

For a self-contained setup with Docker compilation:

docker compose up

This starts the web editor on http://localhost:14159 with a persistent TeX Live container for compilation.

Why tinyleaf?

	tinyleaf	Overleaf CE
Install	pip install tinyleaf	Docker Compose (MongoDB + Redis + Node + CLSI + …)
Dependencies	Zero (Python stdlib only)	6+ services
Memory	~30 MB	~1 GB+
Startup	Instant	Minutes
Compilation	Local latexmk or Docker	Built-in CLSI
Git	Built-in UI	Server-side Git bridge
Collaboration	Single-user	Multi-user

tinyleaf is designed for individual users who want a browser-based LaTeX editing experience without the operational overhead of a full Overleaf deployment.

License

MIT