J.D. Wear

19-Jan-1994

1. Introduction

This is the local guide for using L^AT_EX on OHSTPY, the OSU Physics VMScluster. This guide shows what local L^AT_EX resources are available on OHSTPY and how to access them. This guide is not a tutorial on using L^AT_EX; there are several good sources for information on L^AT_EX:

The definitive user's guide for L^AT_EX is L^AT_EX: A Document Preparation System by Leslie Lamport; you are reading the Local Guide which Lamport's book references.
Essential L^AT_EX is a primer written by Jon Warbrick. Essential L^AT_EX contains references to computer systems we don't use, but the information pertaining to L^AT_EX itself is valid for any computer system. The PostScript file version of Essential L^AT_EX, essential.ps, is located in tex_root:[doc], and can be printed on any PostScript printer. Since you'll need to print several PostScript files referenced by this guide, here's an example of how to print this particular file. Type the command
LASER tex_root:[doc]essential.ps SMITH2097
LASER will ask you if you want to duplex your output; please duplex now and whenever possible to conserve paper. After you tell LASER to duplex, a two-sided copy of the primer will print out on the printer in Room 2097 Smith.
L^AT_EX Concisely is a more complete primer on L^AT_EX written by Adrian Johnstone. Not only is Johnstone's book easy reading, it also addresses changes to the L^AT_EX environment since Lamport's book was last revised.

You can buy a copy of either Lamport or Johnstone at the OSU Bookstore in the Central Classroom Building.

2. Running a Sample File

You run L^AT_EX by typing

LATEX <input-file >

where input-file is a text file containing L^AT_EX and T_EX commands, with the extension .tex by convention. To abort L^AT_EX\ at any time, use the Ctrl-Y interrupt, (press the Ctrl and Y keys at the same time). While pressing Ctrl-Y will always halt processing, it is a drastic method, and should only be used when you're stuck.

Now you're ready to use the official L^AT_EX sample file. Type the following sequence of commands to generate a formatted printout of the sample file:

COPY tex_inputs:sample2e.tex */LOG Make a copy of the sample file to your
local directory.

LATEX sample2e Use L^AT_EX to process the sample file,
making a device independent file as
output, with extension .dvi by con-
vention. In this example the output is
named sample.dvi. Other files created
by this step are described in Lamport.

DVIPS sample2e Use the driver DVIPS to convert the
information in sample.dvi to PostScript.
The output of DVIPS is a file with
extension .ps by convention, and in this
example is named sample.ps. There are
other drivers which can be used; they're
described in later sections of this guide.

LASER sample2e.ps SMITH2097 Send the PostScript file to the printer in
Room 2097 Smith.

3. L^AT_EX Styles

A L^AT_EX style defines the form a document will take. For instance, the book style defines the command \chapter for sectioning, whereas the article style does not.

All L^AT_EX styles referenced in Lamport's L^AT_EX: A Document Preparation System are available. Along with these standards, there are contributed style files located in the directory structure tex_root:[inputs...]. There are three styles which are of general interest:

{\tt OSUDISSERT96}: This style is the OSU ``standard'' for generating a thesis or dissertation. OSUDISSERT96 is a well debugged style which will give your thesis/dissertation a good chance of being accepted by the OSU Graduate School. Instructions on using OSUDISSERT96 are contained in the file readme.txt, which is located in tex_root:[doc.osudissert96].
REV\TeX: We support REVT_EX Version 3.0, which is a style created by a group from the American Physical Society for use in preparing a physics manuscript for submission. Instructions on using REVT_EX are contained in the file readme.revtex, which is located in tex_inputs:.
Memo: This style is used for creating a departmental memo. Memo provides a \memohdr command to generate a memo heading complete with the name of our department. There is no .doc file to describe the style, but an example using it is named osumemo.tex, and is contained in tex_inputs:.

4. Available Drivers, or Using the Device-Independent File

A driver is a program which reads the device independent information in a .dvi file, and creates output to either a file or display device. Below is a list of available drivers and their capabilities. All drivers can be invoked by their names; e.g., XDVI is invoked by the command

XDVI [options] <dvi-file >.

DVIPS: is a powerful driver which converts DVI information to PostScript. DVIPS provides a mechanism for integrating PostScript graphics into your document. DVIPS also allows for processing of a range of pages from the .dvi file, and allows use of alternate font resolutions for better output on, for example, 600 dpi printers. DVIPS comes with a well-written user's guide, which can be printed on a PostScript printer. The user's guide is named dvips.ps, which is located in tex_root:[doc.programs. dvips]. Online help is also available by typing HELP DVIPS.
XDVI: allows for previewing of a .dvi file on an X-window server. XDVI is easy to use; a complete listing of command line options and keystroke bindings is available by typing HELP XDVI.
DVITOVDU: allows for previewing of a .dvi file on many ASCII or graphics terminals. DVITOVDU is slow for some operations, but it's still superior to printing for proofreading. Help is available by typing HELP DVITOVDU.
XTEX: is a driver which supports most Talaris printers, such as the printer in 2097 Smith. An output file from XTEX, which has the extension .x by convention, will print fast on Talaris printers; because of this print speed, we recommend using XTEX when printing most documents to the printer in 2097 Smith. Unfortunately, XTEX does not support any kind of easily usable text/graphics integration, so if you desire integrated graphics, use DVIPS. Help on XTEX is available by typing HELP XTEX.

5. Fonts

We are in the process of providing alternate, (i.e. PostScript), font support for OHSTPY's installation of L^AT_EX. The PostScript version of this manual is typeset using New Century Schoolbook. However, as you can see from the varying appearance of the L^AT_EX logo in this document, the situation isn't prefect. Interested users should peruse the directory tex_root:[inputs.psnfss]. In this directory you will find the document file psnfss2e.ps; this is the guide we used to make alternate fonts available.

6. L^AT_EX Development Cycle

For most simple documents, the L^AT_EX development cycle only involves 2 steps:

Edit the L^AT_EX source file <file-name >.tex using your favorite editor.
Use the command DOLATEX <file-name > to process your source file to a printer of your choice.

DOLATEX wasn't mentioned in the description of the processing of sample2e.tex, in order to explicitly show the steps involved. DOLATEX will automate processing for most documents. DOLATEX takes as input a .tex source file, and generates output on one of our laser printers. The command syntax for DOLATEX is

DOLATEX <tex-source-file > [noprint-flag]|[options for XTEX]

If you only give DOLATEX the tex-source-file parameter, DOLATEX will use L^AT_EX to process the source, then prompt you for a printer destination. Based on your choice of printer, DOLATEX will use either the XTEX or DVIPS driver to process the .dvi file, then send the result to the printer. If the second parameter is the string NOPRINT, DOLATEX will use L^AT_EX to process the source, then exit. If the second parameter is any string except NOPRINT or the null string, DOLATEX assumes that the second parameter, plus any following parameters, are to be used as command options to XTEX.

While DOLATEX simplifies processing of most documents, the development cycle for a ``serious'' document, i.e., something with a table of contents, a bibliography, and/or an index, will require more than DOLATEX can provide. For example, the manual page for Newdissert instructs the user to run L^AT_EX once, BibT_EX once, then L^AT_EX two more times before a complete .dvi file is generated. A development cycle without the use of DOLATEX involves 4 major steps:

Edit the source with the editor of your choice.
Run L^AT_EX and possibly an ancillary source processor like BibT_EX on the source file. You might have to run L^AT_EX on the source file several times.
Process the complete .dvi file with the driver of your choice. For instance, you could use XDVI to proofread the document on a workstation, then DVIPS to generate a PostScript output file.
Print the output from the ``paper'' driver on the printer of your choice with either the LASER command (friendly), or with the PRINT command (less friendly).

7. Editors

Any text editor can be used to create a .tex source file. However, as of this writing, we have only one text editor which has the ability to check the command syntax of L^AT_EX: GNU EMACS. If you're familiar with EMACS, then things are straight-forward. Type the command

EMACS <file-name >.tex

and once in EMACS, type the command

M-x latex-mode

If you're not familiar with EMACS, then type the command EMACS with no target file name, then use the online tutorial before you do anything else.

8. Other Programs: BibT_EX and MakeIndex

Below are descriptions of a few of the ancillary programs available to the L^AT_EX user for making a bibliography, making an index, and making presentation slides in a L^AT_EX environment.

BibT_EX is a program that helps generate a source list of citations. BibT_EX is useful if one is writing in an environment where there are some number of citations made over and over from a common pool of bibliographic information, i.e., a bibliographic database. BibT_EX on OHSTPY would be useful in this way if reliable bibliographic databases existed. Your local L^AT_EX expert can show you how to create a private or group bibliographic database. BibT_EX is invoked by the command

BIBTEX <file-name >

where file-name is the name of the root file of your document.

MakeIndex automates the process of indexing. MakeIndex is invoked by the command

MAKEINDEX <file-name >.idx

Before you try this, print the file makeindex.ps, located in tex_inputs:, for complete instructions.

9. More Information

Additional information on L^AT_EX is available online. In particular, there are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) files located in tex_root:[doc]. To see what FAQ files are currently available, type the command

DIR TEX_ROOT:[DOC]*FAQ*.TXT

The T_EX FAQ files, (which concern L^AT_EX users as well), are compilations of common questions and their answers from the internet news group comp.text.tex. You can read this news group directly for a more up-to-date source of information.

If you have any other questions, send electronic mail to jdw@mps.ohio-state.edu, or telephone 292-3401. I'll gladly answer questions from all L^AT_EX users. In particular, contact me if you are a creating a large document for the first time.

File converted from T_EX by T_TH, version 0.8.

`COPY tex_inputs:sample2e.tex */LOG`	Make a copy of the sample file to your
	local directory.

`LATEX sample2e`	Use L^AT_EX to process the sample file,
	making a device independent file as
	output, with extension `.dvi` by con-
	vention. In this example the output is
	named `sample.dvi`. Other files created
	by this step are described in Lamport.

`DVIPS sample2e`	Use the driver DVIPS to convert the
	information in `sample.dvi` to PostScript.
	The output of DVIPS is a file with
	extension `.ps` by convention, and in this
	example is named `sample.ps`. There are
	other drivers which can be used; they're
	described in later sections of this guide.

`LASER sample2e.ps SMITH2097`	Send the PostScript file to the printer in
	Room 2097 Smith.