Suggestion of LaTeX Complete Package?

Question

I would like to use LaTeX system to do my assignments as I am starting graduate program in applied mathematics.

Please can you suggest me good typesetting package system that would help create documents quicker. I see plenty of options here and would like some advice on which one to pick. I am a newbie.

This question would solicit "primarily opinion-based answers", and is therefore not really a good fit. Some would prefer editor X while others would prefer editor Y. You should read LaTeX Editors/IDEs and make up your own mind as to the offerings of each. — Werner, Jul 10 '14 at 16:46
Note that editors are separate from a TeX system, where the choice is on Windows between TeX Live and MiKTeX, and on other systems really just TeX Live (in the MacTeX 'wrapper' on the Mac). — Joseph Wright, Jul 10 '14 at 16:49
You might also have a look at http://tobi.oetiker.ch/lshort/lshort.pdf. — Sean Allred, Jul 10 '14 at 21:48

Suuuehgi · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-10T21:32:34.073

Ehm I think a note on the very basics could be useful here.

LaTeX (actually a macro-package for TeX) is just a typesetting engine (compare it eg. with html). It makes nothing more than taking you plain-text file and convert it to something. So basically, your setting consists of three components:

The LaTeX-bundle (like TeX Live or MiKTeX) with the compilers eg. latex, pdftex, ...
the plain-text editor of your desire and
Display engine like Evince, Zathura, Adobe Reader, ...

That makes the basic workflow:

Write your plain code
Compile it (pdflatex compiles to pdf, latex compiles to dvi, ...)
Watch it

Therefore you can take any editor you like. This is a highly subjective decision you have to make yourself.

Editors often taken by beginners are Texmaker, Kile or LyX. Some more advanced and highly configurable editors are Vim and Emacs.

I prefer using Vim but this would be a steep learning curve. :-)

Edit: For some literature, have a look here.

score -1 · Answer 2 · edited Jul 10 '14 at 21:30

-1

If you use Ubuntu, I hope you do.

sudo apt-get install latexila texlive-full

It's a complete package of LaTeX.

If you want something more easily

sudo apt-get install lyx

edited Jul 10 '14 at 21:30

Torbjørn T.

206,688

answered Jul 10 '14 at 16:55

Neyder

31

Thank you for responding. If I install complete latex package, would I still require lyx? – sc3339 Jul 10 '14 at 17:00
Latex package is just it, you need an editor. Latexila or lyx. – Neyder Jul 10 '14 at 17:17
1

That is, you will need LaTeX either way. I would take a look at the linked list of editors; I personally vouch for Emacs/AUCTeX. (It's even good for beginners! I've personally seen it be a good thing. Takes some time though.) – Sean Allred Jul 10 '14 at 21:42
1

There are good reasons not to install the TeX via the Linux package manager. See Adding a CTAN package to a MacPorts-maintained TeX installation for some reasons why (the specific answer deals with Mac, but is applicable to all Linux systems too) and How to install "vanilla" TeXLive on Debian or Ubuntu? for how to install TeX Live without using the prepackaged versions. – Alan Munn Jul 10 '14 at 21:58
And don't install it with admin/root privileges... – cfr Jul 10 '14 at 22:05

Suggestion of LaTeX Complete Package?

2 Answers2