Updc admin: Remove reference to ~/docs/MANAGING_TEMPLATES.md

2026-07-13T16:07:13Z

Remove reference to ~/docs/MANAGING_TEMPLATES.md

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:07, 13 July 2026
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	* Read-only links require a UP Overleaf login. They are '''not''' open to the public internet, so it is safe to list them on this wiki.		* Read-only links require a UP Overleaf login. They are '''not''' open to the public internet, so it is safe to list them on this wiki.
	* Keep master templates on the admin account, or shared read-only to it, so the links can be recovered later.		* Keep master templates on the admin account, or shared read-only to it, so the links can be recovered later.
	* Maintainer-side documentation lives on the server at <code>~/docs/MANAGING_TEMPLATES.md</code>.

Updc admin: Create Contributing an Overleaf Template page

2026-07-13T16:02:31Z

Create Contributing an Overleaf Template page

New page

How to create a template for [[UP Overleaf]] and get it listed. Anyone with a UP Overleaf account can contribute — you do not need to be an admin.

The full list of available templates is at [[UP Overleaf#Templates]].

== How templates work here ==

Overleaf Community Edition has no built-in template gallery, so we use a simple convention instead: '''a template is just a normal Overleaf project, shared read-only.'''

Users open the template and choose '''Menu → Copy Project''' to get their own editable copy. The copy is a '''snapshot''' — if you later fix a typo in the master template, existing copies do '''not''' pick up the change.

The '''Templates''' menu in the Overleaf top navigation carries only the most-used templates, plus an '''"All templates (wiki) →"''' link back to the full list on the wiki.

== Creating a template ==

=== 1. Build the project ===

Create it as a normal Overleaf project. Keep it '''blank and generic''':

* Use placeholders, not real content — <code>Your Thesis Title Here</code>, <code>Your Full Name</code>, <code>Month Year</code>.
* Strip out personal data, real results, and anything institution-specific that other users would have to hunt down and delete.
* Leave the structure and formatting intact — that is the actual value of a template.

=== 2. Add a README ===

Include a short <code>README.md</code> at the project root telling the user '''which files to edit first'''. At minimum: where the title/author/date live, where the chapters are, and which compiler to use.

=== 3. Make sure it compiles ===

Hit '''Recompile''' and confirm you get a clean PDF. Do not list a template that does not build — that is worse than no template.

If it needs an unusual LaTeX package, check it is installed on the server first; if it is missing, contact the maintainer, since adding packages requires a rebuild of the Overleaf image.

=== 4. Share it read-only ===

# Click '''Share''' (top right).
# Turn on link sharing.
# Copy the '''"Anyone with this link (read only)"''' URL. It looks like <code>http://10.206.150.206/read/abcd1234</code>.

Use the '''read-only''' link, not the edit link. The edit link would let anyone modify the master template.

=== 5. List it on the wiki ===

Add a row to the table at [[UP Overleaf#Templates]] with the template name, a one-line description of who it is for, and the read-only link.

'''That's it — it is live immediately.''' No server access, no restart, no waiting on an admin.

== Who can do what ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Task !! Who !! What they need
|-
| Create a template project and share it read-only || '''Any Overleaf user''' || Just a UP Overleaf account
|-
| List it on the wiki (this is what "publishing" means) || '''Anyone with wiki edit access''' || A wiki account
|-
| Promote it into the '''Templates''' nav dropdown || '''Server maintainer only''' || SSH access to the Overleaf host
|}

The nav dropdown is the only privileged step. It is driven by an environment variable (<code>OVERLEAF_HEADER_EXTRAS</code>) that Overleaf reads '''only when the container boots''', so changing it requires shell access and a restart with brief downtime. That is exactly why the full list lives on the wiki instead: publishing a template should not require a maintainer.

Ask a maintainer to promote a template only if it is something people will reach for constantly.

== Notes ==

* Read-only links require a UP Overleaf login. They are '''not''' open to the public internet, so it is safe to list them on this wiki.
* Keep master templates on the admin account, or shared read-only to it, so the links can be recovered later.
* Maintainer-side documentation lives on the server at <code>~/docs/MANAGING_TEMPLATES.md</code>.

Contributing an Overleaf Template - Revision history

Updc admin: Remove reference to ~/docs/MANAGING_TEMPLATES.md

Updc admin: Create Contributing an Overleaf Template page