tex-thesis

A universal, modern LaTeX thesis template for bachelor's, master's, or PhD theses.

View Thesis PDF • View Slides PDF

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Why this template?

Writing a thesis is hard enough without fighting LaTeX errors. This template provides a production-ready, modern LaTeX environment out of the box. It uses a current package stack (LuaLaTeX, biblatex, pgfplots, cleveref) and comes with a fully configured Docker build system and VS Code Dev Container.

You don't need to install a 4GB TeX Live distribution on your machine. Just open the project, write your content, and let the automation handle the rest.

Who is this for?

• Students writing bachelor's, master's, or PhD theses in any technical field
• LaTeX beginners who want a working, well-documented template instead of starting from scratch
• Researchers who need reproducible, version-controlled document builds
• Advisors who want consistent formatting from their students

Features

• Modern Engine: Uses LuaLaTeX for native UTF-8 support, system fonts, and advanced microtypography (microtype).
• Professional Typography: Times New Roman (14pt, 1.5 spacing), XITS Math for formulas, and FreeMono for code.
• Data Visualization: High-quality plots with pgfplots and programmatic diagrams with TikZ.
• Smart Referencing: Modern bibliography with biblatex/biber and intelligent cross-referencing with cleveref.
• Developer Experience: Zero-setup environment using VS Code Dev Containers and a fast multi-stage Docker build.
• Code Quality: Built-in chktex linting, latexindent formatting, and pre-commit hooks to keep your LaTeX source clean.
• Reproducible Automation: Pinned Docker and CI dependencies with automated updates through Dependabot.
• Defense Ready: Includes a matching Beamer presentation template for your final defense.

How does it compare?

Feature	tex-thesis	Overleaf	Local TeX Live	Word / Docs
Zero-install setup	Docker	Browser	4GB download	Browser
CI/CD pipeline	GitHub Actions	--	--	--
Linting & formatting	chktex + latexindent	--	Manual	Spell check
Reproducible Docker build	Multi-stage	--	--	--
Version control friendly	Plain text	Limited	Plain text	Binary
Defense slides included	Beamer	Separate	Separate	Separate
Free and open source	GPLv3	Freemium	Free	Freemium
Offline capable	Yes	No	Yes	No

Quick Start

You can use this template instantly in your browser/editor, or locally with Docker.

Option 1: VS Code Dev Containers (Recommended)

The easiest way to get started without installing LaTeX locally:

1. Install VS Code and Docker.
2. Install the Dev Containers extension.
3. Clone and open this repository in VS Code.
4. Click Reopen in Container when prompted.
5. Open main.tex and save it — the PDF will build automatically!

Option 2: Local Docker Build

If you prefer using the terminal:

# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Amet13/tex-thesis.git
cd tex-thesis/

# 2. Build the PDFs (thesis.pdf and slides/slides.pdf)
make build

# 3. Watch for changes and rebuild automatically
make watch

Available Commands:

• make build — Build thesis and slides.
• make build-thesis — Build thesis only.
• make build-slides — Build slides only.
• make watch / make watch-thesis — Rebuild thesis on file changes.
• make watch-slides — Rebuild slides on file changes.
• make lint — Run chktex linter.
• make fmt — Format .tex files with latexindent.
• make fmt-check — Check formatting without changing files.
• make check — Run all quality checks (lint + format check).
• make clean — Remove generated PDFs and auxiliary files.

Compatibility Matrix

Component	Supported / Recommended
Build mode	Docker (recommended), Dev Container
TeX engine	LuaLaTeX (latexmk + biber)
OS	macOS, Linux, Windows (via Docker/WSL)
Editor	VS Code + LaTeX Workshop

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Action
Build fails with missing package/font	Run make build (Docker build includes required dependencies)
Lint fails only locally	Run make lint in Dev Container or rely on Docker fallback
Formatting differs between contributors	Run make fmt and commit changes
CI fails but local succeeds	Check pinned dependency updates in Dependabot PRs and rerun

Project Docs

• Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
• Security: SECURITY.md

Project Structure

tex-thesis/
├── main.tex              # Main thesis document (includes chapters)
├── preamble.tex          # LaTeX packages, fonts, and styling config
├── references.bib        # Bibliography database (BibTeX)
├── chapters/             # Thesis content (Introduction, Literature, etc.)
├── images/               # Figures and diagrams
├── slides/               # Beamer presentation for defense
│   ├── main.tex          # Main slides document
│   └── slides.tex        # Slides content
├── Makefile              # Build automation commands
└── .devcontainer/        # VS Code container configuration

Adapting for Your Thesis

1. Configure: Edit preamble.tex to adjust formatting (margins, fonts, spacing) and PDF metadata.
2. Write: Replace the .tex files in the chapters/ directory with your own content.
3. Cite: Update references.bib with your bibliography entries.
4. Present: Modify slides/main.tex (author, title) and slides/slides.tex (content) for your defense.

Showcase

The template includes working examples of almost every LaTeX feature you might need. Look for the % === EXAMPLE: ... === comments in the source code!

• Math: Inline math, numbered equations, aligned multi-line equations, matrices, integrals, piecewise functions.
• Plots & Diagrams: Architecture diagrams, flowcharts, Gantt timelines, bar charts, and line plots (pgfplots).
• Tables: Professional academic tables (booktabs), decimal alignment (siunitx), and multi-row cells.
• Code: Syntax-highlighted listings for Python, SQL, JSON, and Dockerfiles (listings, xcolor).
• Images: Single figures, side-by-side subfigures (subcaption), and custom image insertion commands.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Whether it's a new TikZ example, a bug fix, or a documentation improvement.

1. Fork the repository.
2. Make your changes.
3. Run make pre-commit and make lint to ensure code quality.
4. Open a Pull Request.

See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed guidelines.

Versioning

This template follows semantic versioning for tagged releases.

• Patch: bug fixes and non-breaking docs/tooling updates
• Minor: backward-compatible template features and examples
• Major: breaking template or workflow changes

License

This project uses dual licensing:

• Source Code: GNU GPLv3 — Makefile, Dockerfile, CI/CD, scripts
• Template Content: CC BY-SA 4.0 — .tex, .bib, .sty files, images, slides

See LICENSE for details. Your own thesis content is yours.

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