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MiKTeX Readme File

This is the MiKTeX 1.20e Readme File.


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What is it

MiKTeX is a free TeX distribution for Windows.


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Downloading the MiKTeX distribution

The download folder (i.e. the folder that contains this Readme file) contains an HTML page named index.html. The page contains links to all downloadable files. It is highly recommended that you open this page with an Internet browser now.

The MiKTeX distribution consists of the MiKTeX Setup Wizard (setupwiz.exe) and accompanying Zip files. Download the components (Zip files), that you want to install. Download all components, if you intend to redistribute MiKTeX.

msdll.zip
Various dynamic link libraries by Microsoft. It's highly recommended that you download this Zip file.
lcore.zip
The MiKTeX core distribution: shared libraries.
xcore.zip
The MiKTeX core distribution: executable files.
core.zip
The MiKTeX core distribution: non-executable files.
latex.zip
The LaTeX core distribution & Babel. You should download this Zip file if you intend to use LaTeX and/or Babel.
latexpkg.zip
Standard LaTeX packages. You should download this Zip file if you intend to use LaTeX.
urw.zip
URW PostScript fonts. You should download this Zip file if you intend to use Yap and standard PostScript fonts.
amslatex.zip
This component includes the AMS-LaTeX package and the AMS fonts. You should download this Zip file if you intend to typeset mathematics.
cmps.zip
Computer Modern fonts in Type1 format. You should download this Zip file if you intend to use pdfTeX and/or Dvipdfm.
amsps.zip
AMS fonts in Type1 format. You should download this Zip file if you intend to use pdfTeX and/or Dvipdfm and if you typeset mathematics.
latexger.zip
This component includes the `german' LaTeX package. You should download this Zip file if you write in german.
ecfonts.zip
This component includes the European Computer Modern Fonts and Text Companion Fonts. You should download this Zip file if you write in an european language.
dvipdfm.zip
This component includes Dvipdfm. This utility converts DVI files into PDF files. You should download the Zip file if you want to create PDF documents.
metapost.zip
This component includes the MetaPost application. MetaPost is a graphics language based on METAFONT, but with PostScript output.
lhfonts.zip
This component include the LH fonts in various encodings. You should download this Zip file if you want to typeset cyrillic texts.
psutils.zip
Utilities for manipulating PostScript documents. Some of these utilities require Perl.
pdftex.zip
This component includes pdfTeX. pdfTeX can be used to convert TeX documents into PDF documents.
etex.zip
This component includes e-TeX. e-TeX is a feature-enhanced version of TeX.
texinfo.zip
This component includes the programs Makeinfo, Makertf and Texindex.
eplain.zip
Extended Plain TeX macros.
xomega.zip
The Omega executables. Omega is a unicode-enhanced version of TeX.
omega.zip
The Omega input files.

For every Zip file you will find a .lst file which shows the Zip file's contents.


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Installation Instructions

  1. If you still have MiKTeX 1.11 installed on you computer, then you should use the uninstall option of MiKTeX 1.11.
  2. Make sure that you have enough disk space. A complete MiKTeX installation consumes approximately 40MB of disk space.
  3. It is highly recommended that you login as Administrator, if you're installing MiKTeX on a Windows NT computer.
  4. Choose a location for the installation directory, say c:\texmf. This directory receives the files of the MiKTeX distribution.
  5. You can cause MiKTeX to deposit newly created files (fonts, memory dumps, filename databases) in a separate directory tree. This directory tree is called the Local TEXMF Tree. If you decide to create such a tree, then you must choose a name for its root directory, say c:\localtexmf.

    Benefits that a local tree provides include the following:

  6. Decide whether you want to incorporate a preexisting TEXMF tree. For example, if you have a TeXLive CD in CDROM drive e:, then it is possible to include e:\texmf in the MiKTeX search path.
  7. Start the MiKTeX Setup Wizard (setupwiz.exe). You will presented with the welcome page: images/setupwiz-welcome.png
  8. Click Next> to go to the next page. Enter the name of the installation directory which you have chosen in step 4: images/setupwiz-installdir.png
  9. Click Next> to go to the next page. Choose the components that want to install: images/setupwiz-compsel.png
  10. Click Next> to go to the next page. Enter the name of the local TEXMF directory which you have chosen in step 5 or check the button No local TEXMF tree, if you don't need a local tree: images/setupwiz-localdir.png
  11. Click Next> to go to the next page. You are now asked about the list of additional TEXMF root directories. Enter a semicolon-separated list of preexisting TEXMF root directories. Check the button No preexisting TEXMF directory trees, if you just want to use the TEXMF tree that comes with MiKTeX: images/setupwiz-addtexmf.png
  12. Click Next> to go to the next page, where you can review the setup options: images/setupwiz-review.png
  13. Click Next> to start the installation process. The selected components will be copied to the installation folder chosen in step 4. Eventually you will see the finish page: images/setupwiz-finish.png
  14. Click Finish to exit the Setup Wizard.

The Setup Wizard does not change the environmental variable PATH, i.e. you may have to add something like

set PATH=%PATH%;c:\texmf\miktex\bin

to your autoexec.bat.

It is possible to run the MiKTeX Setup Wizard in unattended mode. See the Local Guide for more information.


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Configuring dvips

Dvips is configured as follows:

If these settings are not suitable for your site, then you have to edit the Dvips configuration file CONFIG.PS. You will find this file in the directory DVIPS\CONFIG relative to the TEXMF root directory. See the MiKTeX Manual for more information.


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Where are the docs?

The MiKTeX Manual is available in a variety of formats:

  1. As a DVI document viewable/printable with Yap:
    c:\texmf\doc\miktex\miktex.dvi
    
  2. As a Windows Help file:
    c:\texmf\doc\miktex\miktex.hlp
    
  3. As an HTML document:
    c:\texmf\doc\miktex\miktex.html
    
  4. As a PDF file viewable with Acrobat Reader:
    c:\texmf\doc\miktex\miktex.pdf
    

For up-to-date information, visit the MiKTeX Project Page (see below).


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Mailing List

There is a discussion list for MiKTeX. To join the list, send an email to miktex-request@dsts.dk which contains the word subscribe as the first line in the message body.


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MiKTeX Project Page

Latest news are available on the MiKTeX Project Page: http://www.miktex.de


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Copying

As far as I know, all components of the MiKTeX distribution are freely redistributable, i.e. the whole MiKTeX distribution is freely redistributable.


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Disclaimer

The MiKTeX distribution comes with absolutely no warranty of any kind.