v0.0.2 early preview · macOS
Subo is a LaTeX workspace that lives on your computer. The installer ships with a typesetting engine, so you can compile on day one, and any missing package is fetched the moment a document needs it. AI and agents help when asked. Your files never leave your hands.
Public download coming soon
The demo uses Subo's built-in English paper template. Add \usepackage{pgfplots}. It isn't installed, so Subo fetches it during the build and finishes the PDF.
Why Subo
Setting up, compiling, tracking down errors: Subo gets these three right, so your attention stays on the ideas.
01 · Typesetting
No giant distribution up front. Subo starts with pdfLaTeX and XeLaTeX, then fetches other packages, engines, and fonts from the source you choose, only when a document asks for them. What is installed, where it came from, and which version is in use are all listed in Settings.
Missing bytefield.sty? Subo finds the package it belongs to, installs it, and rebuilds without you leaving the editor.
Test mirror speeds in one click and pick the fastest, or enter an internal address.
Offline, missing packages go into a queue that fills itself when you reconnect. A snapshot carries your extra packages to an air-gapped machine.
With a full TeX Live installed, Subo uses it first. Without one, you can still write.
02 · Writing
A familiar three-pane layout: files and outline, source, PDF. Less hunting between windows, more time writing.
⌘⇧J jumps from source to the PDF. Double-click the PDF to land back on the line.
main.tex:42Undefined control sequencemain.tex:57Overfull \hbox (4.2pt)refs.bibCitation undefined⌘J lists errors, warnings, and overfull lines. Click one to open the file at that line.
\begin{fig\begin{fig expands to a full skeleton. \ref and \cite see every label and bib entry.
A snapshot every five minutes. Compare and restore in one click, kept outside your project.
03 · AI assistance
No chat sidebar, and no ghost-writing whole papers. AI appears beside an error or at your cursor, and every suggestion is an inline change. Subo first compiles it locally to confirm it adds no new errors. Then the decision is yours.
Use your own API key with any OpenAI-compatible service, or a model running on your machine.
Suggestions are built in a scratch copy first. If they break something, Subo retries or flags them, and never auto-accepts.
Off by default, with no background calls. Expand any request to see the lines, model, and endpoint. Keys live in the system keychain.
where reading speed $v$ and line length $n$\begin{equation} v = \frac{k}{n + c v = \frac{k}{n + c}\end{equation}main.tex:14 Missing } inserted.The second argument of \frac is missing its closing brace.
04 · Built for agents
Coding agents write LaTeX well but get stuck on the environment. Subo's CLI never prompts or opens dialogs, and it returns flat JSON. When a build fails, it says what is missing, why, and which command to run next.
$ subo build ./paper --install --json
{
"ok": true,
"entry": "main.tex",
"engine": "xelatex",
"ms": 3539,
"pdf": "/Users/you/paper/main.pdf",
"errors": [],
"missing": [],
"installed": ["pgfplots"],
"warnings": [],
"next": []
}
Human-readable output is currently in Chinese. JSON field names are always English.
0Success. The PDF path is in pdf1The document didn't build. Follow errors and next2The command was wrong. Read hint3Environment issue. Run subo doctorsubo doctorCheck the environmentsubo inspectEntry file and enginesubo newStart from a templatesubo installPackages or enginesStart a document
Nine templates, ready to compile. Or open an existing folder in place, or import an archive from elsewhere.
thesis-zh
article-zh
article-zh-tw
paper-en
report-zh
slides-zh
poster
resume-zh
resume-enProduct film
AI error fixes, natural-language edits, and an agent building a document through the CLI. All recorded in the real app.
Early preview
Signing and notarization for the macOS installer are in progress. Public downloads open soon. Until then, try the sample project or watch the film.
v0.0.2 · early preview
No. The macOS installer includes a trimmed TeX Live with pdfLaTeX and XeLaTeX, so you can compile without installing TeX. Extra packages are fetched during the build when a document needs them. If you already have full TeX Live, Subo uses it first.
Overleaf lives in the cloud and excels at real-time collaboration. Subo lives on your machine: it works offline, builds never queue, and your files stay on your disk. Overleaf exports can be imported directly. Subo doesn't support multi-user collaboration yet.
No. Until you configure a model, no AI controls appear at all. A relevant excerpt is sent to the service you chose only when you press Fix or ⌘K. There are no background requests and no telemetry.
Yes. Subo speaks the OpenAI-compatible protocol: enter a base URL, API key, and model ID. Local servers such as Ollama, LM Studio, and vLLM work too.
Through the subo CLI an agent can check the environment, create or inspect projects, choose an engine, install missing packages, and produce the PDF. Output is flat JSON, and exit codes tell it what to do next.
Windows isn't available yet, and Linux can be built from source. The macOS app is an early preview (v0.0.2). Public downloads open once signing and notarization are done.