FAQ & troubleshooting
Quick answers about getting started, projects, compilation, assistants, and backups.
Getting started
Section titled “Getting started”Do I need an account?
Section titled “Do I need an account?”No. Download Oleafly, open it, and write. Optional services such as a cloud AI provider or GitHub use their own accounts.
Does Oleafly support LaTeX, Typst, and Markdown?
Section titled “Does Oleafly support LaTeX, Typst, and Markdown?”Yes. Choose the engine when you create a project. Each engine has its own editing and export capabilities. The quickstart walks through your first PDF.
Can I bring an existing paper or resume?
Section titled “Can I bring an existing paper or resume?”Yes. Import project source, a ZIP archive, or a Git repository. Oleafly also has conversion paths for DOCX and text-based PDFs. Read Bring an existing project to choose the right route.
Can I work offline?
Section titled “Can I work offline?”You can write, organize files, use local proofreading, and run a downloaded local AI model without a cloud connection. Tectonic can compile with cached packages. New packages, remote references, cloud models, GitHub, and downloads need a connection. Prepare a project with a successful compile before you take it offline.
Where are my files?
Section titled “Where are my files?”Your projects are ordinary folders in your local library. You can copy them, back them up, or open them in another tool. Where your data lives explains project files, app settings, and checkpoints.
Can I use Oleafly for a thesis or resume?
Section titled “Can I use Oleafly for a thesis or resume?”Yes. Start with the thesis workflow or resume workflow. Both use the same editor, preview, references, and export tools as a research paper.
Installing
Section titled “Installing”The operating system blocks the installer
Section titled “The operating system blocks the installer”Check that the file came from the official releases and matches your platform. Follow the installation guide for the platform’s first-launch steps.
Which Linux package should I use?
Section titled “Which Linux package should I use?”Choose the architecture that matches your computer and either the AppImage or Debian package. See Linux installation for system requirements.
Compiling
Section titled “Compiling”My first compile is slow
Section titled “My first compile is slow”Tectonic may need to download packages used by this document. They are cached for later builds. Open Logs to see what is happening.
A package is missing
Section titled “A package is missing”If Tectonic’s offline mode is enabled, turn it off for one compile to fetch the package. For a system TeX toolchain, check LaTeX engines & packages.
The compile finished with warnings
Section titled “The compile finished with warnings”Open Logs and check undefined citations and references first. Preflight helps find the affected source locations before you export.
I do not understand a build error
Section titled “I do not understand a build error”Ask the assistant to read the log, fix the error, and compile again. Use Ask for approval when you want to review proposed actions along the way. You can also post the log in the help forum on Discord.
Why is an export format missing?
Section titled “Why is an export format missing?”Available formats depend on the engine and document type. Check the export table.
AI assistants
Section titled “AI assistants”Which assistant can I use?
Section titled “Which assistant can I use?”Connect a model provider, use a local model, or choose a CLI agent. Set up AI covers each route.
Do I need AI to use the editor?
Section titled “Do I need AI to use the editor?”No. Writing, compilation, citations, previews, diagrams, project history, and exports are available without an assistant.
What can the assistant do?
Section titled “What can the assistant do?”It can work with project files, look up sources, inspect a PDF, create figures, run tools, and help repair a build. Choose a plan and approval policy that suits the work. See Chat & tools.
What does Verified mean beside a model?
Section titled “What does Verified mean beside a model?”The model passed a tool-call probe. It helps you choose a model for project actions; it does not evaluate the quality of its writing or research. See Set up AI.
Why is usage shown as Unknown?
Section titled “Why is usage shown as Unknown?”Some providers and CLI agents do not report usage. Unknown means the value is unavailable. Read Usage & budgets.
Can I connect an external assistant?
Section titled “Can I connect an external assistant?”Yes. Use a built-in CLI agent connection or enable Oleafly’s local MCP server.
History and collaboration
Section titled “History and collaboration”How do I recover an earlier version?
Section titled “How do I recover an earlier version?”Open Checkpoints to compare source from successful builds and restore a version. Use Source Control for Git commits you manage yourself.
Can I work with a co-author?
Section titled “Can I work with a co-author?”Share source archives or use GitHub sync to exchange commits. Agree on when to pull and push so each person starts from the latest shared version.
Does exporting source back up everything?
Section titled “Does exporting source back up everything?”It backs up the project source. Automatic checkpoints, app preferences, and credentials live separately. Follow the backup guide to include what you need.
Report a problem
Section titled “Report a problem”Open Settings → Help & About → Copy Info and include those details with a short description, steps to reproduce the problem, and the relevant log. Report it in Issues; use the Discord community for questions and workflow help.