TeX on a PC with 32-bit Windows

Overview

• To set up for TeX'ing on a PC, you'll need a version of TeX and a way to preview and print postscript files. I recommend getting MikTeX (free!) and Ghostscript/GSview (free!). I also recommend an editor that you can use to call TeX and Ghostscript directly, like WinEdt (shareware, but cheap!).
• You probably should look through this guide to installing a TeX system of MikTeX, Ghostscript/GSView, and WinEdt (although it may have more detail than you need). I recommend installing the 32-bit WinEdT.
  • Basically you just need to do is to grab these three components following the links given below. They all have setup programs that do essentially all the installation for you.
  • Unless you really know your way around Windows, I strongly recommend accepting all of the defaults when you run the setup programs (e.g., where the program files go).

MikTeX

• MikTeX is a standard TeX distribution, with everything you need (LaTeX, dvi previewer, dvi-to-postscript converter) except for special LaTeX style files.
• Go to the MikTeX page.
• The download page is self-explanatory. If you're starting from scratch, you'll want the "complete" distribution.
• MikTeX will generate font files automatically the first time they are needed (so run a couple of long papers when you first set up). The default is to generate 600dpi fonts.

Editors

• A list of links to editors and TeX shells is available.

WinEdt

• WinEdt is a shareware editor that comes already configured to use MikTeX and GSview. You can try it out for a month or so before paying (something like $35).
• Go to the WinEDT home page.
• From the downloads section you can get something like the self-extracting archive WinEdt32 (2.1MB) [self extracting archive winedt32.exe (1.414 v.19-8)]
• Also read the WinEdt32 and MikTeX page (although the instructions to set up the PATH should be superfluous; the setup program should do this).

UltraEdit

• UltraEdit is recommended by Brent Allen.

Postscript Previewing and Printing

• Get GSview by downloading the latest self-extracting file. This one file (gsvXXXXX.exe below) has everything you need!
  • As of 12/28/98, this means going to the page for Aladdin Ghostscript 5.50 and getting the self-extracting EXE gsv27550.exe, which contains GSview 2.7 and Aladdin Ghostscript 5.50 for Win32 3429376 bytes. (So you really only need to click on that last link.)
  • GSview is a graphical interface for Ghostscript with many useful features. Use it to preview then print your postscript file.

Unzipper

• You'll need to have an unzipping program (the programs come as compressed "archives" of files, which are called zip files).
• If you don't have unzip or equivalent, get it from here. Make sure unzip.exe is installed in a directory which is in the system search path.