# Rendering markdown files using pandoc

**URL:** <https://forum.gitea.com/t/rendering-markdown-files-using-pandoc/5867>\
**Category:** Install/Maintain/Configure\
**Created:** [September 9, 2022, 9:25pm UTC](https://forum.gitea.com/t/rendering-markdown-files-using-pandoc/5867 "2022-09-09T21:25:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![guilherme.escuissato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@guilherme.escuissato](https://forum.gitea.com/u/guilherme.escuissato)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 9:25pm UTC](https://forum.gitea.com/t/rendering-markdown-files-using-pandoc/5867/1 "2022-09-09T21:25:17Z")

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I want to use Katex to render markdown files, but I think there’s something I’m not getting right. I tried installing pandoc by writting on my host’s terminal:

> docker pull pandoc/core

Next, I tried inserting this into the `app.ini` file located in `/data/gitea/conf/`:

> [markup.markdown]  
> ENABLED = true  
> FILE\_EXTENSIONS = .md,.markdown  
> RENDER\_COMMAND = pandoc -f markdown -t html --katex

Would someone please tell me what am I missing? I’m admitedly new to Gitea and Docker, please help

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**Author:** ![Mai-Lapyst](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.gitea.com/mai-lapyst/32/5065_2.png) [@Mai-Lapyst](https://forum.gitea.com/u/Mai-Lapyst)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 11:23pm UTC](https://forum.gitea.com/t/rendering-markdown-files-using-pandoc/5867/2 "2022-09-09T23:23:36Z")

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The problem here is that you didnt install pandoc really locally; you downloaded a docker image.

Docker is an containerisation framework, i.e. it helps you to secure applications by putting it in “mini virtualmachines”. With `docker pull xxx` you download these applications from a central place. You need to actually run them with `docker run`; this is also the command you would need to put into your render command; with a `sudo` before it because you need to be a priviliged user to control docker (so make sure your gitea user is allowed to use sudo).

As for the docker run command: here is the site of the image you downloaded; it has some documentation about how to use it [Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com/r/pandoc/core) , but it would be probable easier for you to just install pandoc directly for your gitea user to use: [Pandoc - Installing pandoc](https://pandoc.org/installing.html)

Hope I could help :3