I am new to TeX/LaTeX. How do I install TeX on Windows (7)? It seems that there are many different implementations, so which one is best for my OS?
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12Joseph Wright wrote a great blog post about TeX on Windows, it's worth a read: TeX on Windows: MiKTeX or TeX Live– Paulo CeredaJan 21, 2012 at 12:25
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5Perhaps take a look at tex.stackexchange.com/questions/1706/…– Joseph Wright ♦Jan 21, 2012 at 12:30
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3proTeXt walks you through the process: tug.org/protext– cmhughesJan 21, 2012 at 17:22
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Does this still apply for windows 10? I use Linux but wanted to do somethings on my windows 10 but it's not installed here and want to install now.– Madona wambuaMar 25, 2018 at 16:40
2 Answers
You can choose between TeX Live and MiKTeX. In practice, it does not make a difference in which distribution you use. Especially if you are new to LaTeX. However, you should take care that you install the full version, with all packages, and not a minimal or base version.
You get MiKTeX from here (choose the 'MiKTeX 2.9 Net Installer') and TeX Live here.
Both install a basic editor (TeXworks). I have the experience from my workshops with students, that they have problems with that editor. I introduced TeXstudio which worked quite well in the lectures.
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18Please add a short description of your student's problems with TeXworks.– lockstepJan 21, 2012 at 12:17
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6Perhaps you could post such problems here as questions, one by one? So each problem could be answered hopefully with good explanation and perhaps even screenshots, which might help your students as well as further TeXworks users. Example of explaining using TeXworks with
write18
or in DVI mode: LaTeX Error: Unknown graphics extension: .ps.– Stefan Kottwitz ♦Jan 21, 2012 at 12:21 -
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Some hints beside the selection of distribution:
Don't install it in the programs
folder.
You may get problems with the authorization concept of win7.
And important: No spaces in installation path! Some tools will get problems.
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2I assume that this applies to texlive mainly. Miktex never had such problems - at least I can not remember them. But texlive comes from the unix world and uses perl, there spaces in paths are a real problem. Jan 21, 2012 at 22:51
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I am using texlive. But I think I got problems with other tools related to TeX (I remember to problems with (rail)[ctan.org/tex-archive/support/rail])– knutJan 22, 2012 at 8:34
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What is the default installation folder of texlive. I hope its not in 'program files' folder. Jan 22, 2012 at 18:06
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I think it is c:/texlive. But I don't like it. Now I have c:/bin/texlive. But as I wrote, my first attempt with the windows default for applications make problems.– knutJan 22, 2012 at 19:21