**A collaborative, real-time editor for LaTeX, Quarto and Typst — self-hosted.** --- ## What is Verso? Verso is a fork of [Overleaf](https://github.com/overleaf/overleaf) that extends its collaborative editing infrastructure to support [Quarto](https://quarto.org) and [Typst](https://typst.app) projects alongside LaTeX. Think of it as Overleaf, but not limited to LaTeX. ### Verso vs Overleaf [Overleaf](https://www.overleaf.com) is the gold standard for collaborative LaTeX editing. Verso keeps everything that makes Overleaf great — real-time co-editing, operational-transformation history, auth, project management, file storage — and adds: - **Quarto and Typst compilers** running alongside TeX Live, dispatched automatically from the root file's extension (`.qmd` → Quarto, `.typ` → Typst, `.tex` → `latexmk`). - **Language-aware editor** for Quarto and Typst (syntax highlighting, completions, document outline) — not just LaTeX. - **Publish & share compiled output** (`/p/:token` with tiered access links) — a feature absent from Overleaf Community Edition. - **Lumière theme** — a redesigned project dashboard and editor chrome with a card-based grid, thumbnails, and a teal gradient identity. - **Full i18n** — French, German, Italian, and Spanish UI translations on top of Overleaf's English base. - Completely **free and self-hosted**; no Overleaf subscription required. ### Verso vs Quarto [Quarto](https://quarto.org) is a command-line tool: you install it locally, write `.qmd` files in any text editor, and run `quarto render` in a terminal. It is excellent for solo authors with full control over their environment. Verso wraps Quarto in a collaborative web editor: - **No local install** — Quarto, Typst, TeX Live and Python run on the server. - **Real-time collaboration** — multiple people edit the same `.qmd` simultaneously with live cursors and conflict-free merging. - **Not just Quarto** — LaTeX and Typst projects live in the same workspace, under the same auth and history system. - **Publish in one click** — RevealJS decks and PDFs are served at a stable link without leaving the browser. Verso is not a replacement for Quarto's CLI — it is a platform that makes Quarto accessible as a shared, always-on service. ### Verso vs Typst.app [Typst.app](https://typst.app) is a cloud-hosted web editor for Typst. It is polished and fast, but it is a proprietary SaaS product and only supports Typst. Verso differs in that: - It is **self-hosted** and open-source (AGPL v3) — you control your data. - It supports **three languages** (Typst, LaTeX, Quarto) in one instance. - Real-time collaboration is powered by **operational transformation** (the same engine as Overleaf), not CRDTs, which means it handles concurrent edits gracefully for long documents. - It ships with a full **project history** and version-restore workflow. If you only need Typst and want a lighter, Typst-focused alternative, have a look at **[Collabst](https://github.com/herluf-ba/collabst)** — an open-source, self-hosted collaborative Typst editor that is independent of the Overleaf codebase and shows a lot of promise. --- ## Features - **Real-time collaboration** — multiple editors, live cursors, full project history and version restore. - **Three compilers, auto-dispatched** by root file extension: | Root file | Compiler | Typical output | |-----------|----------|----------------| | `.qmd` | Quarto | PDF (via Typst or LaTeX), HTML, or RevealJS | | `.tex` | `latexmk` / TeX Live | PDF | | `.typ` | Typst | PDF | - **Language-aware editor for all three** — syntax highlighting, completions, and a document outline panel for LaTeX, Quarto and Typst. - **Format badge** on the project dashboard; compiler dropdown greys out inapplicable engines. - **Publish & share** — compile and snapshot to `/p/:token` with three independent access tiers (project members / any logged-in user / public). HTML/RevealJS decks are served live; PDFs are embedded inline. A **Present** toolbar button links directly to the published deck. - **RevealJS thumbnails** — the first slide of a presentation is rendered as a preview card in the project list. - **Quarto Python cells** — optional per-project virtual environment built from `requirements.txt`, so Python code chunks execute during render. - **Visual formatting toolbar** — bold, italic, headings and inline code shortcuts for Quarto (`.qmd`) and Typst (`.typ`) files, in addition to Overleaf's existing LaTeX toolbar. - **Lumière theme** — card-based project dashboard with PDF/slide thumbnails, a teal gradient identity, dark editor chrome, and an XS compact list view. - **i18n** — French, German, Italian and Spanish UI translations. - **Auto-compile** — preview refreshes automatically after you stop typing. --- ## Releases ### Alpha 1 The initial public release. Established Verso as an Overleaf fork with first-class multi-language support: - Quarto (`.qmd`) and Typst (`.typ`) compilers running alongside TeX Live, dispatched automatically by root file extension — no per-project configuration. - Language-aware editor for Quarto: Markdown highlighting, code-chunk completions (`{python}`, `{r}`, `{julia}`, `{ojs}`…), callout and fenced-div completions, cross-reference completions (`@fig-`, `@tbl-`, `@sec-`…). - Language-aware editor for Typst: syntax highlighting and completions for functions, imports, math and markup. - Document outline panel for all three languages (LaTeX `\section`, Quarto `#`, Typst `=`). - Format badge on the project dashboard; compiler selector greys out inapplicable engines for the current root file. - Publish & share compiled output — HTML/RevealJS decks and PDFs hosted at `/p/:token` with tiered access links (project / logged-in / public), each independently resettable. - Quarto Python code-cell execution via an optional per-project `requirements.txt` virtual environment. - Verso branding: name, logo and Kubernetes production deploy workflow. ### Alpha 2 Refinements to the Typst editor and the format badge system: - **Quarto format sub-types** — the project badge now distinguishes *Quarto PDF* from *Quarto Slides*, reading the frontmatter `format:` to pick the right label. - **Python packages for collaborators** — Quarto Python package installation extended to all users who have write access to the project, not only the owner. - **Typst syntax highlighting overhaul** — complete grammar rewrite covering: function calls and named argument keys, multi-line display math, `#{…}` code blocks, content blocks, `show`-rule bodies, `let`-value bindings, and keyword vs identifier disambiguation. - **Typst visual formatting** — bold and italic toolbar buttons and keyboard shortcuts (`Ctrl+B`, `Ctrl+I`), plus underline, small-caps and hyperlink buttons, matching the Quarto and LaTeX toolbar experience. ### Alpha 3 *(in progress)* - **Lumière theme** — redesigned project dashboard with a card grid, PDF/slide thumbnails, parallax hover effects, a teal gradient identity and a dark editor chrome. Includes an XS compact list view and a tile zoom slider. - **Full i18n** — French, German, Italian and Spanish translations covering the complete UI (login, dashboard, editor, settings, emails). - **Visual editors for Quarto and Typst** — bold, italic, headings and inline code shortcuts in the toolbar for `.qmd` and `.typ` files. - **RevealJS thumbnails** — first-slide PNG preview rendered in project cards. - **Upload reliability** — streaming response fix so large file uploads on slow connections no longer time out at the proxy layer. --- ## Security model — trusted environments only > [!CAUTION] > Verso is designed for **closed groups of trusted users** (a lab, a class, a > small team). All three compilers can execute arbitrary code on the server: > > - LaTeX with shell-escape enabled can run system commands. > - Quarto Python cells execute Python code directly. > - Typst's scripting layer is sandboxed by design, but runs server-side. > > There is **no per-project sandbox or resource isolation** beyond what the > operating system provides. Exposing Verso to the public internet with open > registration is not recommended. If you need to host a collaborative > LaTeX/Typst editor for untrusted users or at scale, look at > [Overleaf's non-Community offerings](https://www.overleaf.com/for/enterprises), > which include proper sandboxing and enterprise access controls. --- ## Quick start ### With Docker ```bash docker run -d \ -p 80:80 \ -v ~/verso_data:/var/lib/overleaf \ --name verso \ registry.alocoq.fr/verso:latest ``` Open `http://localhost`, then visit `/launchpad` on first run to create the admin account. ### Build from source ```bash cd server-ce make build-base # base OS image: system deps, Quarto, Typst, TeX Live make build-community # application image: Node services + compiled frontend ``` | File | Purpose | |------|---------| | `server-ce/Dockerfile-base` | Base image — system deps, Quarto (with Typst) and TeX Live | | `server-ce/Dockerfile` | App image — Node services and the compiled React frontend | --- ## Architecture Verso is a microservices monorepo (Yarn workspaces). All services run inside a single container managed by `runit`, with `nginx` as the front router. ``` browser ──→ nginx:80 ├── / ──────────────────→ web:4000 (main app, React UI) ├── /socket.io ──────────→ real-time:3026 (WebSocket, OT engine) ├── /p/:token ───────────→ web (published output) └── /project/*/output/* → clsi-nginx:8080 (compiled output files) web → document-updater → Redis pub/sub → real-time → browser web → CLSI (quarto render / latexmk / typst) → output files → nginx → browser ``` | Service | Role | |---------|------| | `web` | HTTP API, React frontend, auth, project & sharing management | | `real-time` | WebSocket layer, live cursors and edit sync | | `document-updater` | Operational transformation, Redis pub/sub | | `clsi` | Compiler — runs `quarto render`, `latexmk` or `typst` and serves output | | `docstore` | Document text storage (MongoDB) | | `filestore` | Binary file storage (S3 or local) | | `project-history` | Change history and version tracking | --- ## Environment variables Verso inherits all of Overleaf's environment variables (prefixed `OVERLEAF_`). The most commonly needed: | Variable | Default | Description | |----------|---------|-------------| | `OVERLEAF_APP_NAME` | `Verso` | Name shown in the UI | | `OVERLEAF_NAV_TITLE` | — | Instance name/version shown in the top bar | | `OVERLEAF_MONGO_URL` | `mongodb://mongo/sharelatex` | MongoDB connection string | | `OVERLEAF_REDIS_HOST` | `localhost` | Redis host | | `OVERLEAF_SITE_URL` | — | Public URL (used in emails and published links) | | `OVERLEAF_SITE_LANGUAGE` | `en` | Default UI language (e.g. `fr`) | | `OVERLEAF_ENABLE_PROJECT_PYTHON_VENV` | `false` | Allow Quarto Python cells to use a project `requirements.txt` | | `OVERLEAF_ADMIN_EMAIL` | — | Email shown on the launchpad for the first admin account | See the [Overleaf Server documentation](https://github.com/overleaf/overleaf/wiki) for the full list. --- ## Relation to Overleaf Verso is a fork of [Overleaf Community Edition](https://github.com/overleaf/overleaf). Everything that Overleaf CE provides — real-time collaboration, operational-transformation history, auth, project management, binary file storage — is inherited unchanged. The Verso-specific additions are listed in the Features section and tracked across releases above. Verso is not affiliated with Overleaf Ltd. --- ## Supporting the ecosystem Verso is not accepting contributions or donations at this time. If you find it useful and want to support the broader ecosystem it builds on: - **Support Overleaf** — Verso is built on Overleaf's infrastructure. The best way to support their work is to use or subscribe to [Overleaf](https://www.overleaf.com) and encourage your institution to do the same. - **Support Typst** — [Typst GmbH](https://typst.app) is the company behind the Typst compiler. Using Typst.app or sponsoring the [Typst project on GitHub](https://github.com/typst/typst) helps sustain the language itself. - **Support RevealJS** — Verso uses [Reveal.js](https://revealjs.com) for HTML presentations. Consider sponsoring the [RevealJS project on GitHub](https://github.com/hakimel/reveal.js). --- ## License GNU Affero General Public License v3 — see [LICENSE](LICENSE). Copyright © Overleaf, 2014–2026 (original code). Verso modifications © Aloïs Coquillard, 2026.