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I want an USB Stick with all Latex packages there are. Because I have a Windows PC with no Internet. The PC for the creation has internet :)

I followed this Post Offline Installation: How do I install a full TeX distribution on an offline computer?

but I am to stupid to get it working.

Then i followed this comment

I found another way: tug.org/protext includes complete MikTeX, as a single download. Then point the MikTeX package manager to the directory included in ProTeXt (detailed instructions are given in ProTeXt .pdf documentation) –

And downloaded the complete exe to my usb drive. Then I installed MikTex on my usb drive and installed all missing packages with installation.

Then I installed TexMaker but when I want to use the package ngerman it can not be found.

I not sure how to start the correct package Manager. I used the mpm_mfc_admin.exe

Which you can find in this directory MiKTex\miktex\bin\x64

Then i started the package manager and installed all packages.

How to create an Offline USB Drive with all Latex packages for an Windows PC without Internet STEP BY STEP for dummies?

Community
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Florian Neiss
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2 Answers2

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  1. Download install-tl-windows.exe from https://www.tug.org/texlive/acquire-netinstall.html.
  2. Run it.
  3. Choose 'Custom install'.enter image description here
  4. Install.
  5. Toggle 'Portable Setup' from 'No' to 'Yes.enter image description here
  6. Click 'Install TeX Live'.
  7. Be patient.
  8. Put the texlive folder on a USB stick.
Sverre
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  • Does this approach use the USB stick to run? Or is it only for transfer? I have a target standalone system where the use of USB sticks is prohibited. I could only use a CD/DVD to copy files to the target system. Would your method work there? – Steven B. Segletes Sep 17 '15 at 13:26
  • @StevenB.Segletes If you're on a system where the use of USB sticks is prohibited, then I don't think any solution would enable you to run latex from a USB stick. – Sverre Sep 17 '15 at 13:28
  • I am asking if your approach would work if I substituted "read-only CD" for "USB stick". – Steven B. Segletes Sep 17 '15 at 15:02
  • @StevenB.Segletes Well surely the CD can't be "read-only", because then it wouldn't be possible to put TeX live on it. But that aside, I don't know, because I don't know if some of the files in TeX live need to be written to when using the program. – Sverre Sep 17 '15 at 15:05
  • "Read only" implying "Write-Once, read-only" – Steven B. Segletes Sep 17 '15 at 15:20
  • @StevenB.Segletes I see. Still, don't know. My guess would be that you would get some errors because tex live can't write to the disc, but there are plenty of other people on this site who would know the answer to this. You could open up a question about it, perhaps? – Sverre Sep 17 '15 at 15:22
  • After the download is finished how do I start the programm? – Florian Neiss Sep 18 '15 at 12:11
  • @FlorianNeiss I assume you want to know how to open a latex editor. The default way is to open tl-tray-menu.exe which will put an icon in your tray, and then you can right click it and select editor. – Sverre Sep 18 '15 at 12:20
  • @Sverre yeah that was my question in that comment. Thank you so much ! – Florian Neiss Sep 18 '15 at 14:18
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You could also do this by downloading the TeXLive ISO file.

The steps are as follows:

  1. Download the TeXLive ISO file from here.
  2. Unzip the ISO file using a compression utility such as 7zip into a directory of your choice. Note: When extracted, the resulting folder can be quite huge. The TeXLive 2014 ISO when extracted is 2.47GB on my Windows machine.
  3. Copy the folder to the other computer. You could also just move the ISO and extract it on the offline computer.
  4. Run the install-tl script to start the installer. If on Windows, run install-tl-windows.bat or read the README to see if you need some other options.
  5. Install anything else you need such as your favorite TeX editor.

I've been using this method for quite some time now as I don't have a stable fast Internet where I am and trying out new stuff always required package downloading by MikTeX. This is also how I share LaTeX with my friends.

UPDATE: Sverre has pointed out that you would like to have a portable LaTeX on a USB stick. I did not understand this intent from your question but then again, English is not my mother tongue.

If this is so, please take a look at these:

  1. TeX.SE: Standalone LaTeX compiler for Windows...
  2. TeX.SE: Full TeX Distribution on an offline computer
  3. TeX.SE: Does standalone LaTeX exist?
  4. TUG.org: TeXLive Portable

I hope you find your answer.

Community
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Khalid Hussain
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  • This wouldn't by itself be a portable version on a USB stick, would it? – Sverre Sep 17 '15 at 13:22
  • I don't think so. But it would solve the problem though unless if he wants to plug it into any PC and use it straight away, then I'm not sure if my answer would work. – Khalid Hussain Sep 17 '15 at 13:25
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    Well the OP says his goal is to have latex on a USB stick. – Sverre Sep 17 '15 at 13:26
  • Thank you. I did not get that from his question, I've updated my answer with some links to, hopefully, solutions to his situation. – Khalid Hussain Sep 17 '15 at 13:40
  • I like your answer, precisely because it does not seem to require the use of a USB stick to run in standalone mode. – Steven B. Segletes Sep 17 '15 at 15:20
  • @StevenB.Segletes A portable version of tex live, as I suggested in my answer, doesn't require a USB stick either. But you can put it on a USB stick if you want to (which the OP wanted to). I run a portable tex live on my computer in offline mode all the time. – Sverre Sep 18 '15 at 09:11