Show HN: LaTeX Salon, a Trystero-based multiplayer LaTeX scratchpad
latex.salonHello HN!
When I was an undergrad during the pandemic doing math homework in a group chat, I always wanted a quick way to type out an argument and share it without necessarily starting a new LaTeX document and compiling it. I also wanted a way to collaborate that was lower friction than creating an Overleaf document. This vibe-coded website is my attempt to satisfy this fairly niche desire.
This is a Trystero-based multiplayer LaTeX workspace for temporary collaboration: quick math sessions, office hours, an alternative to trying to communicate a long exact sequence over text etc. It’s intentionally not a full document platform.
What it does:
- Live KaTeX preview while typing (no compilation required)
- Real-time peer-to-peer sync in shared rooms (WebRTC via Trystero) with no login, and with shared carets and presence pills à la Google Docs
- No app backend stores documents; multiplayer state is shared only among peers in the room.
- Mixed mode (text + math) and Classic mode (all math)
- PNG/PDF export
- Matrix/table/cases helpers + custom \newcommand shortcuts
- Preliminary mobile support
What it isn’t:
- Not for long-term document management/versioning
- Room codes are lightweight and unauthenticated (treat them as temporary shared secrets)
There's also a single-player mode: latex.salon/local. In practice, I mostly use this for writing up problems and solutions for my discussion sections.
Source: github.com/ultravioletcatastrophe/LaTeX-Lab
Feedback welcome!
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