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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
- If you still have MiKTeX 1.11 installed on you computer, then you
should use the uninstall option of MiKTeX 1.11.
- Make sure that you have enough disk space. A complete MiKTeX
installation consumes approximately 40MB of disk space.
- It is highly recommended that you login as Administrator, if you're installing
MiKTeX on a Windows NT computer.
- Choose a location for the installation directory, say
c:\texmf
.
This directory receives the files of the MiKTeX distribution.
- 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:
- Fast file search: MiKTeX assumes that only the local tree can receive
new fonts and the like, i.e. MiKTeX can trust in the file name
database when the remaining (non-local) trees are searched for a file.
- You can use the local tree for your own additions (macros, fonts).
- Easier updates: You don't have to worry about future MiKTeX updates,
since the local tree will not be overwritten by the setup program.
- You can install the MiKTeX distribution on a read-only media.
- 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.
- Start the MiKTeX Setup Wizard (
setupwiz.exe
). You will
presented with the welcome page:
- Click
Next>
to go to the next page. Enter the name of the
installation directory which you have chosen in step 4:
- Click
Next>
to go to the next page. Choose the components that
want to install:
- 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:
- 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:
- Click
Next>
to go to the next page, where you can review the
setup options:
- 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:
- 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:
- When generating fonts, Dvips uses METAFONT mode
ljfour
(HP Laserjet 4).
- Horizontal resolution is set to 600 dpi.
- Paper size is A4.
- Dvips does not make use of the Computer Modern PostScript fonts.
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:
- As a DVI document viewable/printable with Yap:
c:\texmf\doc\miktex\miktex.dvi
- As a Windows Help file:
c:\texmf\doc\miktex\miktex.hlp
- As an HTML document:
c:\texmf\doc\miktex\miktex.html
- 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.