Getting started with LaTeX with Windows
1 Obtaining and installing LaTeX
We will assume that you are installing LaTeX on a computer running some version of Microsoft Windows. The front end (the program that you will actually click on) that we suggest you use is called TeXworks. You can obtain a complete LaTeX distribution(including TeXworks) by following the directions below.
- Go to http://www.miktex.org/download
- Click on the
Recommended Download
- Save the file (it should be called something like “basic-miktex-2.9.3248.exe”) to a place where you can find it. (The default is the folder “D:\Data\Documents\Downloads”. I usually download it to the Desktop.) If you are using a wireless connection on campus, this might take up to 10 minutes to download. If you’re physically wired to the network it will be much faster.
- After it finishes downloading, double-click on the file to open it and select “Run” on the security warning. The Setup Wizard will now open.
- Accept the license agreement and click “Next” three times without changing anything.
- At the settings, choose “Letter” for preferred paper size and “Yes” for installing packages on the fly. Click “Next” and then click “Start”.
- Wait for the computer to finish the installation (~15 minutes) and then click "Next" and “Close”.
- You may now delete the installer
basic-miktex-2.9.3248.exe
which is still located where you downloaded it.
2 Running TeXWorKs
This section will walk you through using TeXWorKs to compile the first homework assignment.
- Download the file
myFirstHomework.tex
from this link. I recommend that make a new folder (e.g., Math111HW) and save the file to that folder.
- If you have installed MiKTeX, your Windows Start Programs folder should now contain a folder called MiKTeX 2.9. Inside of that folder should be a shortcut for TeXworks. (You might want to make a shortcut to this on the Desktop.) Open that shortcut in order to start TeXworks.
- Within TeXworks, click on
File --> Open
in order to open the file myFirstHomework.tex
, or just double click on the file name.
- Make sure the drop-down menu in the upper left of the TeXworks window your toolbar says
pdfLatex
. Then either click the compile button in the toolbar (looks like a green block with an arrow) or press CTRL+T.
- A window titled
myFirstHomework.pdf
should have opened up in a separate window. The file myFirstHomework.pdf
should reside in the same folder that you placed myFirstHomework.tex
. This PDF file can be viewed and printed by anyone, on any computer, using web browser or PDF Reader.
- Feel free to experiment by modifying the file
myFirstHomework.tex
in the TeXworks editor and then clicking the compile button again.
3 LATEX references
There are a number of LaTeX resources on the internet. One place to start is at: http://www.tug.org/mactex/bookrefs.html