For my PhD thesis, I used JabRef, too. It is great.

I used a simple text editor plus commandline for compiling for latex. But if I have to do the same work, I would use texmaker. Just one button click to view the PDF file.

I used linux. But texmaker is available for Mac, too.

http://www.computerbild.de/download/Texmaker-Mac-10232506.html

Hi, I am currently using TexStudio and Mendeley. 

With Mendeley, you can export your references to many formats including bibtex.

Good look!!!

Oh TexStudio looks nice. Thank you for the hint!

And true, Mendeley has its advantages, clearly.

Thank you all. I just tried using LyX, but it crashed way too often. Then, I should try TexStudio and TexShop.

Any ideas on which forums are useful to get support and solve problems?

Hello Matias Milia!

I also tried LyX. I thought it would help lowering the 'activation energy' to enter LaTeX - but at the end (if your thesis should look great), you need 'to get the hands dirty' in LaTeX code.

LaTeX in 60 seconds:

nearly all commands in LaTeX have the form \command{the text on which command is executed}

special arguments are given to commands mostly in square brackets like this: \command[special arguments mostly comma sepearated]{the text}

the area between the \documentclass{...} and the \begin{document} is called PREAMBLE. There, you insert the \usepackage{packagename} commands, which contain command definitions which look like: \newcommand{arguments for command}{the code to be executed}. Such commands can be quite complex TeX code. However, you can put your own \newcommand{}{}s into your PREAMBLE, too.

the area between the \begin{document} and the \end{document} (document area) is actually that 'blank page' which you would see in word - this part is visible at the end.

For any special command in this area, mostly you have to use special packages which have the special command predefined. So to be able to use the packages - and thus the package commands in the document area, you have to insert in the PREAMBLE the proper \usepackage{the desired packgename} command (MikTeX has a package manager which installs the desired package from a central repository fully automatically. So MikTeX's package manager is very useful. For your system google for 'package manager  LaTeX ').

when using a package, read the documentation of this package to learn what this package is able to do and which commands you need for that.

I hope this helps.

ShareLaTeX and Overleaf have great templates. (If you ask me, maybe I give you my old thesis template :) ).

I am just giving some update on my whereabouts on this subject a year later of my original question. This is what I am doing rigth now:

- LaTex editor: After trying it with TeXmaker and LyX, I am currently using TeXShop. I have tuned the colors (see the attached file) so now it suits me better. It is easy, it uses a regular RGB (Red Green Blue) color scheme for each visualization area (background, commands, comments, etc.). You only have to transform the color number (between 0 and 255) into a 0 to 1 scale (i.e.: 77 is 0,3; 239 is 0,937). More info on how to do so (here: https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/97648/solarize-texshop-colorscheme).

I like better TeXShop because it let me use the history of versions that other Mac programs have. TeXmaker won't let me do so. LyX will keep crushing over and over, I am currently working on solving that but I am not there just yet.

- Bibliography management (personal database): I keep using Zotero. I download the .pdf file of the document and link them to the entrance I have made in Zotero. At the entrance I take quick notes on my impression of the work, what I am thinking is useful about it and some other ideas I want to remember about the document. Also, I change the name of the file (via Zotero, is an option) according to the information I added on the document citation entry.

By doing so I have my personal database, I can create different folders related to topics of my ongoing research and the access to the documents is fast, error-proof and easy. Then, I do all the highlighting and note-taking on the file I have already linked to my Zotero entrance. Then, I have a useful and powerful tool to manage my bibliography.

- Bibliography management (at TeXShop): First, I take the folder that I've made in Zotero while reviewing the state of the art of the topic I am about to start writing about. Second, I export this to a .bib file. Third, I use this .bib file and add it to my TeX file as bibliogaphy. Then, every time I want to quote any document I would go to BibDesk search and copy the /cite code.

As a backup I use my Zotero database. There, I can check my remarks and so on.

I hope this helps.

Tested several bibliographic reference managers.

Currently running at approx. 4.500 references in Zotero and a custom-made thesaurus of keywords/tags exceeding 600 different tags.

Scales well, and search performance seems to remain as fresh.

Zotero also now has become my unified repository for all Internet resources and URL/bookmarks, as it integrates well with Google Chrome web browser.

As for LaTeX writing environment, I was thinking of using texpad on macOS.

Anyone experience with this?

Thanks +Karl Soens, will try TexPad. I haven't done it yet. Can you elaborate a bit on the advantages you found on it?

I am pretty much settled with Zotero; it is just what I need. Would be great if I could code also text within the documents as well. But I don't think this can be done yet.

Thanks for your input!

I use TeXShop, but TeXShop halts intermittently on Mojave, so I am looking for one that works consistently on Mojave. Apple won't look for the bugs in Mojave that cause TeXShop to halt. I wish I had stayed with High Sierra. I'm looking for an alternative to TeXShop that works better on Mojave.

I had some trouble a couple of months ago with a TeXShop update and the [latin1] package. It was just as the new Mojave was launched. I got cough in trying to find out why my thesis won't compile and never did actually migrate. Thanks for the tip Kevin Cahill, I'll stay safe with Sierra.

Yes, TeXShop works well under High Sierra, but on long documents it fails intermittantly under Mojave. I am keeping my office iMac on High Sierra, but unfortunately I "upgraded" my laptop to Mojave.

I my opinion the best solution on macOS is: TeX Live Utility + TeXworks + BibDesk.

http://www.tug.org/mactex/mactex-download.html

http://www.tug.org/texworks/

https://bibdesk.sourceforge.io and https://www.dropbox.com/sh/pkt955ttu8vbsdi/E21z4ghXRy/BibDesk

Best regards

Marcin Kujawa

I am working with Texpad and Citavi.

Best regards

S. Lange