Compilers

LaTeX compilers

pdfLaTeX

pdfLaTeX is the default compiler for TeXiFy. It is the most simple compiler, but one which is very stable.

LuaLaTeX

To use LuaLaTeX, install the luatex package. When using custom fonts, use either LuaLaTeX or XeLaTeX. LuaLaTeX has the advantage that you can use Lua (a programming language) in your LaTeX.

Latexmk

To use latexmk, install the latexmk package. You also need to install Perl, for example on Windows using Strawberry Perl. The main advantage of latexmk is that it compiles just as much times as needed, and handles bibtex automatically. It uses pdflatex by default, but you can use an other compiler as well.

XeLaTeX

To use XeLaTeX, install the xetex package. When using custom fonts, use either LuaLaTeX or XeLaTeX.

Texliveonfly

To use texliveonfly, install the texliveonfly package. The purpose of texliveonfly is to install TeX Live packages automatically during compilation of a document, like the on the fly installation of MiKTeX but then much slower. So it is only relevant if you have TeX Live, and if you do not have a full install with all the packages already installed. You can use texliveonfly with any other LaTeX compiler.

For more info have a look at https://tex.stackexchange.com/a/463842/98850

Tectonic

Since b0.6.6

See https://tectonic-typesetting.github.io/en-US/ for installation and more info. Tectonic has the advantage that it downloads packages automatically, compiles just as much times as needed and handles BibTeX, but it often only works for not too complicated LaTeX documents.

Please leave a comment at https://github.com/tectonic-typesetting/tectonic/issues/62 to vote for documentation. Or better yet, help them writing it.

Available command line arguments can be found at https://github.com/tectonic-typesetting/tectonic/blob/master/src/bin/tectonic.rs#L158

BibTeX compilers

If you are confused about the differences between BibTeX, BibTeX and Biber, as well as biblatex and natbib then have a look at https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/25701/bibtex-vs-biber-and-biblatex-vs-natbib

bibtex

bibtex is the default compiler.

biber

biber is an improvement over bibtex and can be used with the biblatex package.