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LaTeX software

TeX, pronounced as "tech", is a professional typesetting system created in 1977 by Donald E. Knuth, a professor at Stanford University, and the author of famous The Art of Computer Programming. TeX provides a simple text-only code describing a typesetted document with a high quality output file in DVI (DeVice Independent) format, PostScript or PDF. In addition to PlainTeX, the initially TeX macro-language by Donald E. Knuth, other TeX modifications were created: LaTeX is the most popular extension of TeX by Leslie Lamport that became a standard for professional typesetting throughout the world, and AMS-TeX created by Michael D. Spivak at the American Mathematical Society for typesetting of highly complicate mathematical papers. The Lion that above, the TeX logo, was drawn by Duanne Bibby, a well-known commercial artist who illustrated Knuth's TeX Book and Lamport's LaTeX Book.

Any TeX package contains PlainTeX/LaTeX/AMS-TeX processors, a DVI-viewer, postscript fonts, and utilites. Free or shareware TeX packages can be downloaded from the internet links given below. The links we have listed refer only to the most popular working TeX packages operating under MS Windows, Macintosh, Linux/Unix and other platforms as indicated. Additional TeX software can be obtained from the TeX Users Group (TUG) or the Compressive Tex Archive Network (CTAN). The principal CTAN hosts are U.S. CTAN, Cambridge CTAN (U.K.), Dante CTAN (Germany), which contain links to other CTAN mirrors throughout the world. For an express download use the FTP link to Cambridge CTAN. It should be noted that Windows or Macintosh don't contain TeX software, so it is required to install the software separately. In contrast to it, any complete distribution of Linux or other Unix-like system (BSD, OpenSolaris, etc.) has a complete TeX-system, TeX-editor, postscript fonts and viewers on board.

LaTeX textbooks

All books accessed on this website are free for distribution according to the GNU General Public License and the copyright agreement under which the books are distributed by their authors and publishers. These free books and also other free literature on TeX/LaTeX can be found on CTAN, in the Documentation folder.

• The Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX 2ε by Tobias Oetiker (the newest English edition, 2008), written with contribution by Hubert Partl, Irene Hyna, and Elisabeth Schlegl. This perfect book is most popular among both beginners and professionals. Many translations of it were produced: Bulgarian, Chineese, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Polish, Potruguese, Portuguese Brasil, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese.

• A Beginner's Introduction to Typesetting with LaTeX by Peter Flynn (English, 2005). This book gives an introduction into LaTeX and the LaTeX typesetting. Here is also the 1st edition (2003).

• LaTeX Tutorial. A Primer by E. Krishnan, A. M. Shan, T. Rishi, L. A. Ajith, A. J. Alex, and C. V. Radhakrishnan of the Indian TUG Team (English, 2003). The book is also accessed in the presentation format. This is Part 1 of a planned LaTeX multivolume textbook. Part 2, started in 2004, explains tricks with graphics in LaTeX. Yet, Part 2 is accessed only in the presentation format.

• Typing and Typesetting with LaTeX by Serge Lvowski (3rd Russian edition, 2003). This is maybe the best book among this sort literature. This actual "LaTeX bible" is recommended to both beginners and professionals (much attention is paid to change of the standard LaTeX styles, that was omitted in the other books). Yet, this book is accessed only in Russian (volunteers are welcome for translation). Someone may also be interested in the 1st edition (1992) spent on LaTeX 2.09.

• The Comprehensive LaTeX Symbol List by Scott Pakin (English, 2008). This is an organized list of over 4900 symbols commonly available in LaTeX. A Short List of the Standard LaTeX Symbols and A Short List of the Symbols Available in TX Fonts were prepared by Emre Sermutlu (English, 2008).

TeX software for MS Windows and DOS

• BaKoMa TeX is a professional TeX system by Basil Malyshev (shareware, €49 for a license), which includes a TeX package and a perfect graphical shell (TeX-editor) with WYSIWYG mode.

• MikTeX is a popular free TeX package by Christian Schenk. MikTeX works in command-line mode, so it requires one of the graphical shells (TeX-editors). Complete distribution of MikTeX (newest version) is present with all files/sub-folders of the miktex folder on CTAN.

• TeXnicCenter is a perfect free TeX-editor, containing pictogram menus.

• TeXMaker is a cross-plaform free TeX-editor with pictogram menus.

• WinShell is a simple free TeX-editor with pictogram menus.

• TeXShell is a simplest free TeX editor.

• WinEdt is a professional TeX-editor (shareware, $40) with pictogram menus.

• ProTeXt is a free easy-to-install TeX system based on MikTeX, and created by Thomas Feuerstack. The system contains MikTeX, Ghostscript, GSview, and TeXMaker (TeXnicCenter in the early versions of ProTeXt) in a single self-installing file. All versions of ProTeXt are accessed from the TUG Historic Archive.

• USBTeX is another free TeX system, similar to ProTeXt while working as a "portable application" (no installation required). It contains MikTeX, Ghostscript, TeXMaker, and SumatraPDF viewer. Once the archive extracted onto your HDD or USB drive, the TeX distribution is ready-to-work.

• emTeX is a popular (now obsolete) TeX package by Eberhard Mattes. It works in command-line mode, so a graphical shell (TeX-editor) required. See the DOS folder on CTAN. emTeX works under DOS and Windows.

TeX software for Mac OS X

• MacTeX is a free TeX system for Mac OS X.

• XeTeX is a cross-platform free TeX system by Jonathan Kew.

• TeXShop is a popular free TeX shell for Mac OS X, developed by Richard Koch and Dirk Olmes.

• OzTeX is a popular TeX system by Andrew Trevorrow (shareware, $30).

• CMacTeX is a popular TeX system by Thomas Kiffe (shareware, $35).

• TeXMaker is a cross-plaform free TeX-editor with pictogram menus.

• Mac OS X TeX Web Site reads all about TeX systems, editors/shells and tools working under Mac OS X.

TeX software for Linux/Unix

• teTeX is a professional TeX system for Linux/Unix by Thomas Esser. It works in command-line mode, so a graphical shell (TeX-editor) required. teTeX is a part of any complete distribution of Linux/Unix.

• XeTeX is a cross-platform free TeX system by Jonathan Kew, who initially developed it for Macintosh. It so requires a graphical shell (TeX-editor).

• Kile is a professional TeX-editor, containing pictogram menus.

• TeXMaker is a cross-plaform free TeX-editor with pictogram menus.

TeX Live CD/DVD

• TeX Live is a cross-platform complete TeX system on DVD which can be run without installation or be installed on hard disk. TeX Live can be run on Linux/Unix, Macintosh, and Windows systems. In addition to it, TeX Live DVD contains also a collection of the other popular TeX systems, graphical shells (TeX-editors), fonts, and viewers for all the aforementioned platforms.

TeX software for other platforms (Atari, Amiga, etc.)

• Look for an appropriate folder in the CTAN directory.

PostScript viewing and printing software

• Ghostscript is an interpreter for the PostScript page description language used by laser printers. Ghostscript is required to view and print postcript files created by TeX.

• GSview is a graphical shall for Ghostscript. It is available for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux/Unix. GSview for Macintosh is accessed from another location: Mac GSview.

Converters from wordprocessors to TeX format

• word2tex is a shareware converter from MS Word to LaTeX, by Chikrii Softlab ($45 for an academic/student license).

• writer2latex is a free converter for OpenOffice Writer, by Henrik Just.

• wp2latex is a free converter for WordPerfect, by Jaroslav Fojtik.

• Read on the TUG pages: all about converters from Word to TeX and converters from TeX to Word.

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