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LaTeX Salon, a Trystero-based multiplayer LaTeX scratchpad

LaTeX Salon, a Trystero-based multiplayer LaTeX scratchpad

by ashivkum·Feb 15, 2026·2 points·0 comments
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AI Analysis

●●SolidNiche GemCozy

P2P LaTeX scratchpad for quick math sessions, no Overleaf friction or account needed.

Strengths
  • •Zero-friction entry (no login, no account, no backend); drop a room name and sync happens instantly via WebRTC.
  • •Live KaTeX preview removes compile-wait friction—instant visual feedback while typing.
  • •Shared carets and presence pills mirror Google Docs UX, lowering collaboration cognitive load.
Weaknesses
  • •Niche audience (only for quick informal math); Overleaf already handles serious collaborative LaTeX, making scope deliberately limited.
  • •No persistent storage by design; documents vanish when all peers disconnect, limiting real use cases beyond synchronous sessions.
Category
Productivity
Target Audience

Math students, academics, researchers doing collaborative problem-solving in real-time.

Similar To

Overleaf · Google Docs (for math)

Post Description

Hello 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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