This page provides an overview of the cooperation with TU Darmstadt, the procurement process, the account lifecycle, support, and the terms of use for Overleaf via TU Darmstadt at RWTH.

1. Cooperation with TU Darmstadt
2. Procurement Process
3. Current Process for Obtaining an Overleaf License
4. Account Lifecycle
5. Support
6. Terms of Use of TU Darmstadt

Cooperation with TU Darmstadt

In cooperation with TU Darmstadt, Overleaf can be used via the TU Darmstadt instance. The use of the TU Darmstadt instance by RWTH Aachen University institutions was tested in a pilot project. The pilot project started on November 29, 2021, and was successfully completed. Overleaf in cooperation with TU Darmstadt has been in regular operation at RWTH since February 6, 2024. A total of 500 Overleaf licenses are available for RWTH.

Further information on the pilot project and regular operation can also be found in our blog post.

The software is offered as an on-premise version. Please note that the following features differ from the cloud version:

• External collaborators are displayed as "Anonymous" when editing and commenting.
• There is no cloud storage from Overleaf itself. Projects you have in an Overleaf account must be re-uploaded to the account at TU Darmstadt. It is not possible to link them.
• In the regular operation of Overleaf, it is not possible to establish a direct connection to GitLab and GitHub. This may be relevant for users who require integration with these platforms.

Procurement Process

We would like to inform you that the project team is working on expanding the service. As soon as there is concrete information about further plans for Overleaf, this information will be shared here. If you are interested in Overleaf, please send an e-mail to the IT Service Desk with your specific requirements, including the number of licenses and the preferred license model.

Current Process for Obtaining an Overleaf License

• Currently, no licenses are available. If you are still interested in Overleaf, please contact the IT Service Desk. An active employee status is a prerequisite.
• You will be placed on the waiting list and will receive a notification as soon as a license becomes available for you.

Please note:
TU Darmstadt regularly deletes the accounts of unauthorized RWTH users without prior notice. There is no liability for the data stored there. It is the user's responsibility to obtain a license through the specified process.

Before you log in for the first time with your own credentials via our Shibboleth, it is important to check beforehand whether your current contact e-mail address is stored in the IdM Selfservice! A guide will show you how to check and, if necessary, change this address.

If this is not the case, we ask you to enter the current contact e-mail address in the IdM Selfservice and only then contact the IT-ServiceDesk.

On the TU Darmstadt website, you will find a service description, documentation, FAQs, etc., from TU Darmstadt to get you started with Overleaf/ShareLaTeX.

Account Lifecycle

Individuals with active employee status can log into the system at any time with their username (format ab123456) and will immediately receive an active account. Please note that accounts will be deleted if the procurement process is not followed.

The account is considered active until one of the following events occurs:

Unused Account (longer than 3 weeks - no projects)

• Accounts that have not been logged into for 3 weeks and contain no projects or collaborations on third-party projects will be deleted.
• Should the person wish to continue using the service, they can log in again at any time to reactivate their account.

Inactive Account (no login for more than 6 months - projects exist)

• Accounts that have not been logged into for 6 months but have their own projects or collaborations on third-party projects are considered inactive, and users will be notified by e-mail before the account is scheduled for deletion.
• The first e-mail will be sent 6 weeks before deletion, another e-mail 4 weeks before the deadline, and the final e-mail 3 weeks before the deadline.
• By logging in, the inactive account is automatically reactivated and can continue to be used.
• Deletions are then carried out manually within 1-2 weeks after the deletion has been scheduled.

Invalid Account

• Once a week, a check is performed to verify if the contact e-mail address associated with the Overleaf account exists in the Identity Management system of RWTH Aachen University. If it does not, the Overleaf account will be deleted.

Note:
The deletion of the ShareLaTeX account always results in the deletion of the projects assigned to that account. Third-party projects are not affected.

Furthermore, please be aware that once your account in Overleaf is deleted, you will also lose the license associated with it. If you wish to use Overleaf again via TU Darmstadt, you will need to be placed on the waiting list. A new license cannot be assigned to you without going through the procurement process again, after which the account will be deleted by TU Darmstadt without prior notice.

Support

Here you can find a detailed description of the service and helpful information about Overleaf from TU Darmstadt.
Should you require further assistance, please contact our IT-ServiceDesk.

Please understand that due to cross-location response times, resolving upcoming issues may take a little longer. For any scheduled system maintenance, relevant information will be posted as a message in the cluster.

Terms of Use of TU Darmstadt

To use Overleaf, only a current browser and a corresponding internet connection are required.
The terms of use govern the use of the Overleaf/ShareLaTeX service at TU Darmstadt.