LaTeX/Installation
TeXLive2010 is a common distribution for Windows, Mac OS/X and Linux. In May 2011, TeXLive2011 is not out but most of packages, if upgraded from CTAN. The Comprehensive TeX Archive Network is the place to get materials related to the TeX typesetting system. You need to read http://www.tug.org/texlive/doc/texlive-en/texlive-en.html
- On Windows you are supposed to download the ISO file and burn it on a DVD (see http://www.tug.org/texlive/acquire-dvd.html).
- On Mac OS/X, you are supposed to get MaCTeX which includes TeXLive and run the dmg file for installation.
- On Linux, texlive is installed by default. You may need to install some additional packages.
Windows installation
Insert the DVD and install the distribution. It may take half an hour or more. See http://www.tug.org/texlive/doc/texlive-en/texlive-en.html for Post instal actions. In particular open a terminal and enter the command (copy and paste by right click)
> tlmgr option repository http://mirror.ctan.org/systems/texlive/tlnet
For all 3 OS
Follow the section 3.5 Testing the installation and test the commands: latex, pdflatex, etc. on simple examples.
Once you are finished, you can test the editor TeXworks which works on the 3 operating systems.
Click on the TeXworks icon on your Desktop (Windows installation) and choose File => New from a template. Choose a Beamer template. Run it, look at the pdf, move to another page. Right click somewhere on the pdf text and choose sync to the source code. Your left window will sync with the corresponding tex source line. Move to another section of the source text, right click and choose locate on PDF and the right pane (PDF window) will scroll to the corresponding section.
Test a XeTeX template and run it. If it runs into error because of a missing font, comment the line by adding a % in front of the line and run again. XeTeX is able to run with any font of your OS and not only on "Computer Modern" fonts which are specific to TeX.
Now you have a running mininal running installation
